"You will have food. Excellent food. Food that will make your guests forget this crisis ever happened." I'm already pulling up contacts on my phone, cross-referencing availability with our preferred vendor list. "Trust me. This is what we do."
I end the call and immediately start working the phones.
The first three catering companies I call are either booked solid or can't handle the scale of what we need on four days' notice. The fourth, Romano's Fine Dining, has availability but wants to charge triple their normal rate for the rush job.
That's when I remember Maria Santos.
Maria ran the catering operation at the Riverside Resort before it closed last year. She's been doing private chef work since then, but she's got the skills, the connections, and the kind of flexible schedule that might make magic happen.
"Xavier!" Her voice is warm when she answers, which is a good sign. "How are the newlyweds? I heard you four finally figured out what the rest of us knew years ago."
"We're disgustingly happy," I confirm, which is both true and irrelevant to the current crisis. "Maria, I need a miracle. Are you available for a consultation this morning?"
Two hours later, I'm standing in our venue's commercial kitchen with Maria, Miranda, and a spread of potential menu options that somehow looks more impressive than what Bella Vista had originally planned.
"The key," Maria explains to Miranda while plating samples of her signature dishes, "is working with what's locally available and what can be prepared efficiently without sacrificing quality. Instead of three entrée options that require different cooking methods, we do two options that complement each other."
She presents a plate that looks like something from a food magazine. "Pan-seared salmon with herb butter and roasted vegetables, or beef tenderloin with red wine reduction and garlic mashed potatoes. Both can be prepared in large quantities, both photograph beautifully, and both appeal to different dietary preferences."
Miranda takes a bite of the salmon and her entire posture relaxes. "This is incredible. Better than what we were going to get from Bella Vista."
"The appetizers are where we get creative," Maria continues, moving to the next course. "Instead of passing hors d'oeuvres that require servers moving through the crowd, we set up stations. Artisan cheese and charcuterie, seafood bar with oysters and shrimp, and a carving station with herb-crusted prime rib."
I watch Miranda taste each option, seeing her stress transform into excitement as she realizes this crisis might actually result in an upgrade.
"What about dessert?" she asks.
"Individual chocolate lava cakes with vanilla bean ice cream, plus a selection of artisan pastries," Maria says. "Elegant,unforgettable, and much more impressive than a basic dessert station."
"Can you really pull all this off in four days?" Miranda asks, and I can hear the hope creeping into her voice.
"I've already called my network," Maria confirms. "The salmon is coming from Johnson's Market, the beef from Peterson's Butcher Shop, and the vegetables from Riverside Farms. My sous chef from the resort is available to assist, plus I know three line cooks who can handle the plating and station management."
I watch Miranda's face transform as she realizes not only is her wedding saved, it's going to be better than she originally planned.
"How much?" she asks, and I can see her stealing herself for the kind of premium pricing that comes with emergency services.
"Same price as Bella Vista," Maria says simply. "Plus a small rush fee for the four-day timeline, but nothing that should break your budget."
Miranda actually tears up. "Maria, you're saving my life. My entire wedding."
"That's what we do," I say, feeling that familiar satisfaction that comes from turning disaster into success. "Crisis management and magic-making."
After Miranda leaves, floating on the relief of crisis averted and upgrade achieved, Maria and I sit in the kitchen going over logistics.
"This is quite an operation you've built here," she observes, looking around the space that Griffin renovated and Logan optimized for maximum efficiency. "When I heard you were opening a venue, I'll admit I wondered how three alphas and an omega would handle the stress of the wedding business."
"Better than we expected," I admit. "We each bring different strengths. Savannah's creative vision and client relations. Griffin handles all the construction and maintenance issues. Both Logan and I work on the business on the side. We still are committed to our regular jobs. Logan manages logistics and emergency response. I handle the business side – contracts, insurance, vendor relationships, financial planning."
"And it works?"
"Most of the time. We've learned to play to our strengths and cover each other's weaknesses." I pull out my phone to show her our current booking calendar. "We're booked solid through next spring, with a waiting list that's getting longer every month."
After working out the details with Maria, I spend the rest of the morning updating our emergency vendor database and disaster management procedures. By the time Savannah returns from yoga, I've got everything organized and a contract drafted for Maria.
"How was class?" I ask, watching her settle into the kitchen chair across from me with her post-workout smoothie.
"Blissful. An entire hour of focusing on nothing but breathing and not falling over during warrior pose." She takes a sip of her smoothie and notices my laptop and scattered paperwork. "Please tell me that's not crisis management before nine AM."
