Talk about getting my ass kicked. Last night we had a wedding reception fror 80 people and it was a killer. I've never had so many people hover so much and devour the food so fast.

The event was supposed to start at 7pm, but guest showed up at 6:15. Denise told them the event didn't start until 7, so they asked if the bar was open. Uh, no. The event starts at 7pm, people! Then when we did serve the apps, they went through them all in about 12 minutes. It was incredible.

The pacing of the food going out to the guests kept all the staff frantically moving. As soon as the apps were done, it was time for dinner service. The client hadn't ordered a very broad menu and for the first time in Starry Nights' history, we were in danger of running out of food. After the guests ate, we had about two servings left. By this time it was barely 8pm. Based on when we got the food out and when Denise started clearing plates, that means in about 15 minutes 80 people ate a complete meal.

Oh. My. God.

Dessert, fortunately, was a little more sedate, but that's only relative. They still gorged on the desserts, and it wasn't until 9:30 that the entire staff got a break for their own dinners. Tonight really reminded me just how hard and exhausting this profession can really be.

On top of everything, last night was Denise's birthday. She had to work, and she worked very hard. But at about midnight, with three minutes left on her birthday, I found her sitting on a kitchen stool just wiped out. Not a great way to spend a birthday, but hopefully that will be the last time 7/7/07 falls on a Saturday and is a big draw for weddings.

The next biggest wedding and catering day will by 8/8/08. I can barely wait!