Celilo Catering if one of our participating vendors in the Primp My Bride Sweepstakes. Their commitment to quality is reflected in Ben Stenn’s (executive chef) thoughts on weddings! To tantalize your tastebuds click on the link above and explore their catering site. You’ll be inspired!

What makes your business unique?

I feel there are many things that set Celilo Restaurant and Celilo Catering apart, but what it boils down to is this- we have a true commitment to being conscientious about everything we do. Celilo Restaurant is made of a group of food service professionals who have been in the industry for more than two decades. Many of us have been working together for over 15 years. We have been practicing and developing sustainable food purveying methods and responsible recycling and composting management for all of that time. Of course, this is the responsible way to run a business, but for us, it goes beyond marketing and strategy, this is the way that we choose to live our lives.

Share a story about one of your favorite weddings.

I feel like every wedding I work on has elements I love, but one bride always comes to mind when I look back on our events. She wore a Vera Wang dress and a pair of worn in cowboy boots. She was absolutely beautiful. I think she always comes to my mind because I feel like she summed up our philosophy, our aesthetic- simple elegance, high quality but also comfortable and real.

What’s the “special thing” that you choose to do for your customers?

I honor them. A wedding is an event that happens over the course of one day, but preparing and planning for a wedding is a process that takes place over months, or even years. A bride and groom and their families deserve to be honored throughout this process. I do my best to make their entire planning experience something to be enjoyed and respected. It is a personal goal of mine to make my client’s weddings as stress free as possible so that they can truly revel in their day. They should feel like newlyweds well before and well after their actual wedding day.

Based on your experience as a wedding vendor, what’s the one piece of advice you wish you could share with every bride?

Relax. A wedding requires a lot of pre planning and involves many details, but a great celebration happens when the hosts and those around them are truly having a good time.