Catering
Paradise Buffet luxury wedding service featuring Seabass, Filet Mignon, and a chef-interactive carving or Pasta Bar station for 100-plus guests. This is the top-of-line buffet program. Built for couples hosting one hundred or more guests at premium venues across Santa Cruz County, the Monterey Bay region, and most of San Benito County who want an upscale, chef-driven program with luxury proteins and a chef-attended interactive station as the centerpiece. The published per-person rate covers the full luxury food program, china, glassware, linens, the on-site service team, and the standard ten-hour service window.
Menu structure. The Paradise Buffet line opens with three upscale chef appetizers (chicken curry skewers, California rolls, coconut prawns), continues with two chef-specialty seasonal salads, and lands on two centerpiece entree selections from a luxury list that includes Seabass with lobster medallions, fresh wild halibut, Filet Mignon, Beef Wellington, salmon, and pork tenderloin. The chef-interactive station is the headline: a live carving block stocked with NY Strip, Pork Loin, Leg of Lamb, or Prime Rib, or alternatively a Pasta Bar with three sauce options and chef finishing. One accompaniment from the starch list, a garden vegetable, fresh-baked breads, and full dessert and cake service round out the menu.
What is included in the per-person rate. Full china place settings, silverware across appetizer, main, and dessert courses, one stemmed water glass per guest, polyester linen napkins and full-length linen tablecloths in over thirty colors, a banquet captain, expanded front-of-house service staff, a back-of-house team, and an on-site kitchen team with a dedicated carving or station chef are all included. Service covers a ten-hour on-site window (three hours setup, six hours active event, one hour cleanup). Champagne pour service, tableside wine and water service, and cake cutting service are included at no additional charge. There is no corkage fee. Two vendor meals are included free of charge; additional vendor meals are billed at half the per-person rate.
Service style and event flow. Service is a three-touch experience. Passed appetizers run during cocktail hour. The buffet releases by table after toasts, with chefs plating the centerpiece entrees. The chef-interactive station runs concurrent with the buffet so guests cycle between the two, with the chef carving or finishing pasta to order. Dessert and cake service runs tableside, coordinated with the DJ, planner, and venue coordinator.
Dietary and allergen accommodation. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, lactose-free, kosher-style, nut-free, and organic options are accommodated on every menu. Vegan and vegetarian guests receive a full course-grade plate, not a sides plate. Allergen labeling on the buffet line is provided on request. Ingredient lists for guests with severe restrictions can be supplied during the menu confirmation stage.
Tasting and planning support. Complimentary tastings are offered for confirmed wedding groups of 75 or more guests and include a venue walk-through where logistics permit. A custom menu design pass is included; couples bring entree and station preferences and the chef team writes the menu document for the program insert. The planning rhythm runs contract signing, a one hundred and twenty day check-in for menu lock and station selection, and a two-week-out finalization pass for guest count and dietary cards.
Pricing transparency and what is additional. The per-person rate on this tier covers the menu, the chef-interactive station, and the inclusions described above. A nineteen percent service charge plus applicable California city and county sales tax are added at booking. A delivery fee applies based on travel distance from the Watsonville-area kitchen. Groups of 75 to ninety-nine guests add $5 per person; groups under fifty use the Intimate Wedding tier. Filet Mignon is subject to market price at the menu lock stage. The Pasta Bar is not recommended for groups over one hundred. Family-style upgrade is ten dollars per person and requires wider tables. Bar service and on-site grilling are sold separately. Specialty entree upgrades (premium seafood at $7 per person, short ribs at $5 per person) are quoted at booking.
Venue compatibility. This tier suits vineyard halls, luxury estates, country clubs, and indoor reception halls with formal floor plans across the Bay-to-Monterey corridor. The chef station needs overhead clearance, a small power drop for warming equipment, and a clear circulation path. The planning team confirms venue compatibility during the discovery call. Service runs Santa Cruz County, Monterey County (excluding Big Sur), and most of San Benito County. Travel outside this footprint is quoted case by case.
