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CULTURE
BECCA MOOT PHOTOGRAPHY
FESTIVE FARE Food — the best part of the wedding — or at least a close second. All kidding aside, what better way to imbibe the food of love than to cook tradition into the menu? For a dimple of dumplings, Brattleboro-based Cai’s Dim Sum Catering cooks up authentic Chinese fare with roots in Sichuan and Shanghai cuisine for small and large weddings. The business is led by owner and chef Cai Xi, who grew up in China, but after 30 years living in the Green Mountain State loves weaving Vermont accents into her childhood favorites. She uses maple syrup as a sweetener in many dishes and also offers vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. “Making food is making art,” said Xi, who is also a local artist. “The wedding is a starting point; we bring culture and color to their future.” Dim sum literally means “touching heart,” Xi added 18
— a dollop of love perfect for sharing on a wedding day. At Harmony’s Kitchen, an Afro fusion catering business in Burlington, owner Harmony Edosomwan’s mission is “to fill your bellies and your hearts with exuberant joy.” Her kitchen offers Afro fusion dishes inspired by multiple African diasporas, and she also offers vegan options. For true Vermont love birds hoping to feature their state heritage in their nuptials, the warm, amber taste of maple syrup is an obvious choice. Mount Mansfield Maple Products in Winooski offers pocket-sized maple syrup wedding favors for guests to take home, and Moose Mountain Maple in Underhill will spin maple cotton candy on the spot. “I love when couples make it a goal to weave their culture, heritage and family into their Vermont wedding,” said Ostreicher. “There is absolutely something special about Vermont weddings.”