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When I was in high school a couple of my girlfriends decided to get married. My mother was known for elegant entertaining and proper etiquette so my girlfriends naturally thought (however wrongly) that I knew how to do everything too. So, they enlisted my help.
At 18, I wasn’t about to mention that I was truly clueless so I told them of course I could plan their weddings from start to finish. No Problem! Lucky for me in the 70’s in Texas, a caterer provided a wedding cake, grooms cake, coffee, punch, mints & nuts. I honestly can’t remember going to a wedding with “real food” until I was out of college. Lucky for them and me their weddings went off without a hitch!
During high school I worked in several restaurants namely Marianos, Desperado’s and Daddy’s Money. I learned a lot about business and food and people in general. Then off to college to learn how to make millions and / or marry a doctor!!! During college I worked at Smuggler’s Inn in Lubbock, Texas, which happened to be owned by Frank Sinatra and the Super Bar owned by Eli Masso. Hostess, Bartender, cocktail waitress, bookkeeper, whatever was needed was my job description.
I was studying psychology / criminology and having far too much fun so I quit and came back to Dallas to work in the field I was being so drawn to. I got a job at a place called the Party Parlor. It was the first party supply store in Dallas. The owner did weddings on the side, sold invitations, rented crystal & silver, etc... She became my mentor. I did eventually finish college, but was already hooked. Due to an unfortunate event, the owner put the shop up for sale. I convinced my parents to “help” me buy the shop. My father was my bookkeeper and my mother my only “employee”.
The previous owner had done her daughter’s wedding and the pictures were still lying around. One day, a couple came in looking for a caterer and so I decided to be one. I showed them those wedding pictures, took a deposit and then set about to figure out how to pull it off. Thank goodness those were still the days of the cake & punch wedding. The wedding was at Wilshire Baptist Church for 200 people and as best I can remember my mother and I washed all the dishes. FYI – dishes for 200 people amount to about 700 pieces. We cleared $100. I’m sure I split it....!!!
Brides would come in and ask for flowers too so I worked out a deal with the florist across the street, that she would give me 10% of all the business I gave her. So, I started selling flowers and candelabras. About 3 years into that business my landlord tripled my rent and wanted 7% of my gross. No Way. Besides, that would probably have put me at a negative... So; I closed shop and started working out of my home. I used to spend hours at that florist watching her work. It fascinated me. When I closed my business I also moved out of the Lakewood part of Dallas and into Richardson. Then, I hired a floral designer to come to my home and work hourly, I ordered flowers to be shipped wholesale and decided that was a better deal.
Somewhere along the way, my floral designer didn’t show up and I had to do all the corsages, boutonnières and bouquets – ALL BY MYSELF. All of those hours of sitting and watching designer’s paid off, with I’m sure, a little help from above. The bride was so pleased she sent me three of her friends.
As the people from the north migrated to Texas my business grew. They were used to all day weddings with massive amounts of food. So, the buffet became the median between sit down formal dinners with white glove service and cake & punch weddings. If the bride wanted something that mother or I didn’t have a recipe for, or know how to make, I would find someone that did. Never say “no” was my motto.
And then in my early 30’s — 1980’s — I was blessed with Jacob and Jordan. By the time they were 3 years old they were loading vans and “gophering”. My business, thru referrals only, had grown too big to deliver things in a station wagon. Jacob assumed the roll of Jordan’s boss and Jordan was into quality control. He always stuck a finger in the cakes to make sure they tasted good!
In 1991 we moved to Highland Village. Since 1975 my business had been called Special Moments. It was such a 70’s name. To acquire the more sophisticated clients that I longed for, I changed the name of my business to Tapestry Catering and Floral Design Studio. I had also grown tired of men calling and asking if they could have a “special moment” with me for 16 years... Carole King’s song Tapestry was probably in the bank of my mind since I grew up in that era. Tapestries that you buy are usually a woven combination of fancy foods and beautiful flowers in romantic settings. That seemed to fit, although some people still call for draperies. I can barely sew on a button.
I opened a floral shop in Highland Village. I got to do some grand occasions but the retail hours were not what I had envisioned in working for myself. The first year I easily put in 100 hours per week and that meant no time with my children so I closed it soon after the first anniversary and went back to doing everything from my home. Flowers have always given me a sense of peace. My second love is doing funeral flowers. It’s my gift back and I hope that my work gives people, in time of need, a sense of peace.
1975 was my official start in business and like a race horse with blinders on, I went from one job to the next for at least 2,000 brides. I married a local businessman and former mayor of Double Oak, Malcolm Nordstrom. He became my mentor and together we conceived the idea of The Orndorf Haus.
The Orndorf Haus was built in December 1998. We finished the building on the 9th and the first party was on the 10th. Our first year we did over 60 functions on premise and at least 30 functions off-premise, pretty good considering there are only 52 weeks in a year!
During all of this in December of 2001 I was Elected to Who’s Who in the USA in Catering and Floral Design as a lifetime member.
Malcolm, though now my ex, remains my business expert and friend. In 2002 it became apparent that I needed a bigger place and I began mentioning my dream to just about everyone. On New Year’s Eve every year we have a fabulous dinner and dance open to the public. Two of my guests were builders in the area, Cliff and Sheila Hodge. That night I mentioned to them my dream. On or about January 3, 2003 they called and said they thought they could help me out. That was only 3 days later. We had hardly cleaned all the confetti up from the party!
On February 1, 2004 – just over a year later – Chapelle des Fleurs will be open. My builders became my mentors and friends. Together I believe we have built the most fabulous chapel and reception / party / corporate facility in the extended metroplex.
People usually only hire a caterer 1.5 times in their entire life. (How does that work???) That makes what I do very important and very stressful, but what a fabulous feeling after a job well done! I always said that I would rather be poor and work for myself than rich and work for somebody else. Well, it has been both feast and famine in these 32 years. But how lucky I have been, to have a career that affords me a nice lifestyle and be around my kids 6-7 days a week as they were growing up. I’ve had the best of both worlds.
The above was part of my story that I gave out to my guests at the silver anniversary of my business. The next paragraph was the last in that hand out. It said, “I guess I have been married to something for 25 years and although its been a hell of a ride – please don’t wish me 25 more!! ...Maybe a few more... Maybe a chapel....” and so it goes...
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