For the foodies planning weddings, STE Events is not to be missed. As a catering/event planning team, they can make your whole day feel seamless, and provide you and your guests with a culinary experience everyone will remember for a lifetime. The NK Bride team was lucky enough to chat with Scott Edwards, Chef/Founder of STE Events, about the unique, and exciting business.

Q: How would you describe the experience created by STE Events? How do you bring uniqueness to every event? 

A: Having spent many years in the dungeons of NYC kitchens, we embrace the freedom to finally cook and interact with our guests. Whether it be charcoal grilling whole fish, a pig roast or fanning a yakitori stove we aim to create an interactive and thought provoking experience unlike the typical behind the scenes machine.

Q: You have a team of diverse professionals, how do you see your backgrounds in food and creative design as a powerful combination? 

A: Food and design go hand in hand, so whether we are planning a Cuban Speakeasy menu, or a lamb asado, we try to pair the overall aesthetic vibe with the menu and presentation. It’s definitely a lot of fun and always something new! I think the stimulation of the senses and the palate make the wedding or event that much more memorable for our guests.

Q: What makes a bland wedding dish? How does your food set itself above what is traditional? 

A: Honestly I think some people like bland, those people are typically not our clients! My background is cooking in NYC restaurants for 15 years, but honestly traveling is what influences and inspires my cooking the most. I want our guests to feel like they are eating the same quality they would find in a modern restaurant, we are not shy about spice and bold flavors.

Q: Are their specific flavors that are consistently used in your food? 

A: One of my culinary mentors resides in Saigon, and the other is from Korea. I make a point to visit them regularly for inspiration. Certainly anchovy sauce, chillies and fresh herbs are staples. We prefer a balance of sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami.

Q: With global culinary experience you must have a broad understanding of food, what do you feel learning skills in different cultures has allowed you to bring to your business in NYC? 

A: Cooking for me is a lifelong journey, respectfully learning about cultures and food traditions. I guess the stars aligned because It has slowly evolved into our thing. So many couples come to us looking to incorporate dishes from their cultural backgrounds, for instance we might have a Korean bride and an Australian groom. So it’s a lot of fun coming up with menus for them, and honestly no two menus have ever been the same, they are all custom.

Q: The STE Events website includes a travel blog. How has travel and culture impacted your skills as a chef? 

A: It’s commonly said in kitchens that the only way to learn is to work your way up from dishwasher through the ranks. Well that might be true to understand the business, muscle memory and technique, I personally feel that travel and experiencing different cultures is the greatest learning experience there is. I am not so much interested in inventing new dishes, rather I wish to learn traditional techniques and dishes and adapt them to the beautiful ingredients we have available here.

Q: Menu creation is part of your process for weddings, how do you decide what is the perfect meal for a couple? 

A: We usually start by asking if there is any particular theme to the wedding. Then I will make recommendations based on what seafood is in season and what is looking good at the farmers market that time of year. It’s usually an evolving conversation that’s informed by my ever evolving recipe testing and a big driver would be whether we can use charcoal or not. Summer weddings and grilling just go hand in hand.

Q: Do you have a most memorable dish that you’ve cooked for a wedding or event? What made it extraordinary? 

A: Well there have been a few! Fried whole red snapper for a wedding of 120 guests at a private loft in soho, very difficult! Whole lamb asado in the Hamptons, a peking duck banquet for a Chinese wedding (slight nerve racking!), whole roasted suckling pig for a famous NYC chef’s birthday party, Turkish wedding kebab menu for a favorite local chef/restaurateur of ours.

Q: Can couples sample your food? How do tastings work with STE Events? 

A: Absolutely! We love doing tastings. We hold them at Broadway Party Rentals showroom in Soho throughout the week, and on weekends when available. They are free of charge if couples book with us, otherwise they are $100 per guest. We serve wine and dessert with the tasting and they can explore rental options with us as well if they would like.

Q: STE Events is more than a caterer, can you explain a bit about your full services for aesthetics and event planning? 

A: Corbin, our in-house coordinator is fabulous with couples and their families, it’s some kind of innate talent of his! He can handle the day of planning including run of show, vendor coordination, seating, and just generally making everyone feel at ease. Angela, our stylist, who also works in the fashion industry is adept at decor, table styling, party favors and working with couples to plan their visual aesthetic. Our service coordinator Javier, is trained working at the UN with Ambassadors, Prime Ministers and even royalty. His main function is taking care of couples and their families, and he will be part of the process from the tasting until the wedding day.

Q: What are some of the benefits of having your caterer and wedding planner all in one service? 

A: They know us and our nuances! It’s very much like a captain in a restaurant, they can act as a seamless liaison between the guests and the kitchen. I think the more people are on the same page and have worked with each other previously it leads to a smoother overall experience for our guests.

Q: As a premiere culinary experience, where do you source your ingredient from? 

A: The Union Square Farmers Market is king! We have close relationships with many of the small farms but Bodhi Tree is our favorite and good friends along with Eckerton Hill, Campo Rosso, Lani’s. Regalis for specialty items like king crabs, fresh kombu, seafood and beef from Japan, olive oil, anchovies, vinegars etc. Lobster Place, Greenpoint Fish, and our friends at Paisanos Butcher shop!

Q: What customizable options are available to couples looking to book you for their wedding. How can they adapt the menu to fit their needs? 

A: I am all about menu flexibility! We have never done the same menu twice, and I invite pretty much any request or challenge. I think our main request is cooking a specific type of food. This coming season we have New American, Indian/Pakistani, vegetarian Peruvian, Sichuan, Korean, American BBQ, Filipino style pig roast, Australian/Japanese, Israeli, among others. We just prefer to cook with the seasons, anything else is fair game.

Q: Are there after dinner snack options? Many couples are opting for late night food at the reception. 

A: Yep! We love the late night snacks and have specific menus just for that. I also have a chef friend who has a food truck and specializes in late night tacos and more, so sometimes we bring him in, it’s a lot of fun.

Q: Do you provide extras like wedding favors? Or can that be added on by the couple? 

A: Yes, love the party favors! Angela is extremely talented with the packaging. Couples can add them on, and they can be customized whether they are edible like confections, chocolates, bubble tea, drinks, snacks or little bouquets etc.

Q: How should couples move forward if they're interested in booking STE for their wedding day? 

A: To move forward we require a 50% deposit and signed contract to save the date, from there we would set up a rental showroom visit, a venue site visit, and if they haven’t done so already a tasting. We try to make the whole process simple and easy, we also have many friends in the industry whether they need recommendations for venues, planners, florists, photographers etc.

To learn more about STE Events and get your chance at trying their delicious food, check them out on their website and on Instagram!

Cover Photo credits: STE Events