The Butler’s Pantry

Most wedding welcome bags are logistics dressed up as hospitality. Granola bars, a printed map, a bottle of water, a small bag of trail mix from Costco. The guest arrives after a five-hour flight and a rental car, sees the bag on the desk, and thinks — kindly — *that was nice of them.* What follows is a working pâtissier's notes on what belongs in a Santa Barbara welcome bag, how a small French box survives the warm room, and how we deliver a hundred of them to three different hotels the day guests check in.

Pastry vendors look identical in their portfolios. The difference between the one who can perform and the one who can't is operational — and it is invisible until the day of the wedding, at which point it is too late. Seven questions every couple and planner should ask before they sign, with the specific answers a serious vendor will give. With a Concierge FAQ on tastings, lead times, and what a logistics fee covers.