8 minute read
PIT HAPPENS
Let the barbecue do the talkin’
BY SHEILA HELMBERGER
Barbecue foods are a hit almost any time, so why not at your wedding reception?
Owner Adam Peterson says his business, Pit Happens, has been catering weddings for the past couple of years and things must be going well because he says the calendar keeps filling up.
Not your typical barbecue, Pit Happens specializes in the smoked element in dishes, using various exotic woods, such as peach wood, orange wood, grape or cherry, to add a one-of-a-kind flavor to its dishes. The award-winning brisket is a popular request for wedding receptions, along with smoked macaroni and cheese. Creations such as Italian fare, with a smoked element and vegetarian selections are also favorites.
Peterson has won awards for his ribs, wings and brisket and loves to see others enjoy his cooking. “We can do anything from backyards to main venues,” Peterson said.
He says he stumbled into the barbecue world when he returned to Brainerd after
college in 2008 and joined the Jaycees to get involved in the community. When a team backed out of the annual Ribfest, he was asked to make some ribs and create an entry. At the time he told them, “I’ve never done it before, but I’ll give it a try.” He enjoyed it. “People seemed to like it,” he said, so he started catering and purchased a food truck. Since then, Pit Happens has cooked for groups of more than 800. Adam’s wife, Ashley, and his twin brother, Jared, have joined the crew to make sure things run smoothly. He is happy to offer the wedding couple a tasting of dishes they might like to serve and help them plan the details for the reception food. The food truck makes it possible to provide late night woodfired pizza and other dishes for your wedding guests. Pit Happens provides the plates, silverware and glassware for their events and handles the clean-up at the end of the night.
To learn more about Pit Happens, check them out on Facebook and Instagram or call them at 218-851-0003.
BOOK US TODAY! Catering That Your Guests Will Remember Weddings, Reunions and for all of your other catering events!
Pit Happens Catering specializes in wood fire smoked meats, cheeses, seafood, and deserts. Also offering vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free options
Pithappenscatering.com 218-851-0003
WOULD YOU DO IT ALL AGAIN?
Local married couples answer questions about their wedding days
BY SHEILA DECHANTAL (35 YEARS MARRIED)
What a fun opportunity to be asked to put together this section for the Weddings North magazine on local married couples. In reality, I had no idea how long my friends, family and community connections have been married, so where to begin?
The answer was a Facebook post simply asking, “How Many Years Has Everyone Been Married?” I was hoping for a few responses to get me started. Instead, I was amazed to see the responses fly in, totaling 231 comments.
I enjoyed seeing all the responses, as well as interviewing the couples selected. What a joy to hear about their special day, funny happenings and incredible memories.
PATRICK AND SARA SUNDBERG (19 Years)
Married: Oct. 12, 2002. Where: Lakewood Church in Baxter, Minnesota. Size of Wedding: “It was big, about 260 people.” Fun Memory: “My favorite moment was when Patrick and I saw each other for the first time on our wedding day. We were so excited to be getting married and after all of the planning and preparations, the day was finally here. A funny moment was during our reception when the sound didn’t work on our video we had prepared. No matter what they tried, they couldn’t get the sound to work. We decided to still play the video. Everyone made the appropriate “aww” and “cute” comments at the pictures. However, the best part was the interview portion. I talk with my hands…A LOT. It looked ridiculous to watch me tell the story of how Patrick proposed with no sound. We all had a great laugh!” Anything you would change: “Honestly,
as cheesy as it sounds, the day was perfect. We loved every minute of it. The only thing we would change is to have more time to visit with our guests. I kept trying to make it to all the tables to say ‘hi’ and someone would pull me back up front for something. I would turn around to go back to the table and they had left. I was bummed because what other time do you have all of your friends and family gathered together in one place?!”
Advice:
Advice:
“Our advice on a successful marriage is pretty similar. Bret would say that you should think of your marriage as a 75-25 relationship, always ready to give more than you receive on both sides. Suzette would say that in a marriage you don’t keep score. You don’t ever think about having done the dishes, so it is their turn. Or that taking care of your spouse makes you less than them. Enjoy taking care of your spouse!”
BRET AND SUZETTE JEVNING (32 Years)
Married: Oct. 12, 2002. Where: “We were married in Suzette‘s hometown of Turtle Lake, North Dakota, at a beautiful little Lutheran church. We loved the amazing stained glass cross lit up at the altar.” Size of Wedding: “We had a small wedding.” Fun Memory: “The day of our wedding the temperature was 40 below, without the wind. Cars gelled up and stopped running in the parking lot. The interstate closed, so some guests from afar were not able to make it. For our honeymoon, we took a short trip to Minot, North Dakota, where we spent the night at the Sheridan. It was so cold that the heater had frozen up in our bedroom and we had no heat. When we called down to the front desk, they said that sometimes the cleaners would turn the heat down after cleaning a room when it was unoccupied, that we just needed to turn the heat on. Two hours later we called back a second time to ask to change rooms because the heat was not working. Their response was, ‘It’s your honeymoon, you shouldn’t need heat.’ Bret’s response was, ‘Do you know how cranky my wife is when she’s cold?’ We got a new room.” Anything you would change: “The only thing
we would have changed would have been to hire a professional photographer. A friend offered to take our photos and we thought that was a kind gesture. Back then, photos were taken on a camera with a film, and he took photos over the top of photos he had already taken, so they were double exposed. As a result, our only wedding photos are photos that friends had taken on the side.”
JIM AND TONI CZECZOK (38 Years)
Married: Oct. 6, 1984. Where: “We were married by two priests at St. Francis Church in Brainerd.” Size of Wedding: “It was large, 375 guests as we both come from large families. Toni originally wanted to elope, but Jim said his mom would be heartbroken if they did.” In retrospect, they are glad they went with the big wedding surrounded by family and friends.” Fun Memory: “We had a live band that was going their separate ways after the wedding. They were a group of local guys called Meryl Mallard and the Duck Tones. Jim and his four brothers went on stage and sang with them. That is one of our favorite memories of the day.”
Advice:
“Don’t take the little things too seriously.”
Anything you would change: “Nope. Not a thing.”
Advice:
KENNETH AND SANDRA PETERSON (71 Years)Married: Feb. 17, 1951. Where: Trinity Lutheran Church in Brainerd. Memory: “We had our wedding dance at The Fort in St. Mathias. It was raining and the windows were iced up on the vehicle and the wipers did not work well.” Quote from the article in paper: “The bride entered in a street length gown of white Moire taffeta, designed with fitted bodice neck insert and sweetheart neckline. She wore a Dutch cap of matching material and white rose detail. She carried an arm bouquet of red roses. Her pearl necklace was a gift from her sister.”
Editor’s Note: Sadly, Kenneth passed away Friday, Feb. 25, 2022, at his home. Sandra still wanted us to include them in this article.
