Truffleduck and Terindah tie knot
TWO wedding industry powerhouses have formed a special union to give Geelong brides a fresh option when planning their ideal wedding.
Geelong catering firm Truffleduck will be the exclusive events caterer at Terindah Estate under a newly signed agreement that includes taking over arrangements for about 60 weddings booked at the prestige venue.
The formation of Terindah Estate Events by Truffleduck is an encouraging sign COVID-19 is starting to loosen its hold over the wedding industry with pentup demand and deferred bookings expected to deliver a busy bridal calendar in 2021.
But the industry will also need to cater for ongoing challenges in staging weddings with social distancing and the mandatory wearing of masks expected to remain a feature of anti-virus restrictions that limit attendance at weddings to 10 people.
The move also frees Terindah Estate to focus on its Bellarine Peninsula winery operations and activating other dining spaces, including a new deck, with its staff ahead of what is shaping as a promising summer for domestic tourism.
Cellar door sales at the picturesque winery resumed at the weekend with wine tastings coming back next weekend followed by food service, with a focus on casual outdoor dining, the weekend after that.
Terindah Estate owner Cate Slattery, whose husband, Peter, has serious health issues, said having
Truffleduck take over the wedding business was a weight off her mind.
“I had 62 weddings on the books and we were cancelling, postponing and refunding, and it was worrying me,” Ms Slattery said.
“I kept thinking, ‘How am I going to arrange these 62 weddings with the spacing and the social distancing requirements’.
“It was constantly on my mind, morning, noon and night.
“(Truffleduck) has got the staff, they do a brilliant job, I know I can rely on them and that means I can now concentrate on getting everything else up and running.”
Ms Slattery said the reputation of Truffleduck, which catered for her daughter’s wedding in 2009, would also bring in additional business to their function space, which would help “move” some of the wine that would have normally been served at weddings over the past six months.
The winery can now also plan a gradual return to fine dining at night.
“I think we can ramp up now. but we still have to be cautious, that is why we are going slowly,” she said.
Truffleduck commercial director Deb Nash said the arrangement with Terindah Estate was an exciting opportunity to offer clients access to a superb location and venue.
“We have always been able to cater anywhere, at any time, and now we are able to offer brides who love the water and the uniqueness of the building at Terindah an amazing venue and great food and service,” Ms Nash said.
While the return of large events remains unlikely in the short term in Victoria, she remains optimistic the wedding industry is on the cusp of bouncing back with couples coming to terms with the realities of their situation.
“It’s like couples have had to really sit down and prioritise what is important to them,” Ms Nash said.
“Is it more important to be married now and with the people they really care about, or is the dance floor the key to it?
“And if the dance floor is the key, they have to push to the end of next year, or even the beginning of 2022.”
She said Truffleduck had two intimate weddings for groups up to 10 booked in the next three weeks.
But the uncertainty has been stressful and there had been many postponements while people wanting guests from overseas must look well down the track.
“I have a couple who are now on their third date for 2020,” Ms Nash said.
“They have gone from 180 back to 20 people and now can’t get family out of Melbourne to get back to 10.”
She said intimate weddings had changed the dynamic of weddings with the major focus returning to a more elegant dining experience.