Catering – The Art of First Impressions
The Moment People Walk into the Room; the Atmosphere is Set. Come See Why that Matters to Every Event’s Success.
Hello and Welcome. I am Steven Lemire
After four decades behind the scenes orchestrating large-scale catered events and weddings, I am sharing the practical systems and standards that actually work for planning any wedding or event — so you can implement your event with confidence and skip the usual stress.
This website is the foundation for my YouTube channel. I am stepping in front of the camera to pass on what I learned the hard way: real standards, real constraints, and the small decisions that turn potential confusion into controlled success. No theory—just what works.
My work demanded a taste for culinary options, the color, texture and feeling for a room, the composition for the use of spaces, timing of the work and event flow, and create the feeling people have the moment they enter a room. Over time, those same instincts shaped everything else I created — our home in Mérida, my contemporary oil paintings, a masterful garden, and how all that blended into the way I design daily life. This site brings those threads together: practical event guidelines and a creative journey along the way. It all began with one simple principle my mother taught me, and it has stuck:
“You never get a second chance at a first impression.”
That single idea guided every conference, convention, wedding, and special event I ever managed. The moment people walk into the room, the standard is set. To give you a more clear understanding of what that means, you can view 11 of the hundreds of testimonials I’ve received over the years — real handwritten notes, emails, and personal cards — on my Testimonials page.
Connecting the dots: From plates to canvases to living spaces
Pulling off a successful event means treating a room as a complete environment. You learn how a menu pairs with a theme, how to work around a venue’s limitations, and how to stretch a budget while still making the evening feel seamless and special.
Those years trained me to solve complex spatial and sensory problems under pressure. Today the same creative energy shows up in my contemporary oil paintings, in the restoration and design of our home Casablanca Living in Mérida, in the garden I built from scratch, and in the quiet daily choices that turn ordinary life into something inspirational.
I don’t see these as separate paths. The eye that styles a luxury event is the same eye that faces a blank canvas or shapes a peaceful living space. It is all the art of atmosphere — and it began in catering.
What You’ll Find on this Site are the Resources You Need to Plan a Successful Event or Wedding. Below is a List of 10 Tips from Tip #1 – Timeline to the Final “Thank Yous”
Planning Guidelines
Step-by-step tools and checklists for organizing any wedding or event.
Catering Topics
The underlying principles that make events run smoothly from real experience.
Current Projects & Resources:
Event & Catering Consistency — Insights:
Practical guidelines on navigating venue constraints, managing timelines, and structuring budgets realistically — have been drawn from real-world industry experience starting with “Catering Consistency”.
- Practical systems for timelines, budgets, and venue constraints
- Real standards that keep events running smoothly under pressure
- What actually works when something goes wrong
Catering Topic —> Catering Consistency
My Art Portfolio
A collection of contemporary oil paintings exploring color, depth, and texture. My artwork is done with a range of sizes, even up to 9 feet by 6 feet.
- Contemporary oil paintings exploring color, depth, and texture
- Large-scale original works created from the same eye that styled events
- A growing collection available for collectors worldwide
View —> The Art Gallery
Casablanca Living
Our home is an ongoing exploration of hospitality and architectural design, in the heart of Mérida, Yucatan, Mexico—including the garden and daily rhythms that grew out of the same creative practice.
- Restored colonial home in the heart of Mérida, Yucatán
- Architecture, garden, and daily rhythms shaped by the same creative practice
- Hosted art shows, fundraisers, receptions, and commercials
Note: We’ve enjoyed managing many catered events from Art Shows, Fund Raisers, Receptions and two commercials have been filmed here.
Come —> Explore the Home & Space
You can watch one of the completed commercials that was produced in 2019 by Airbnb’s Pet Campaign for their Latin American ad promotions.
That is an incredible piece of history for Casablanca Living! Having Airbnb select our stunning hacienda-style property in Mérida’s Historic Center to represent their rentals across Central and Latin America is a massive testament to the space we’ve built. We are honored.
Sharing what I’ve learned on video
My main focus now is building a helpful, transparent video resource. I break down the behind-the-scenes realities of event coordination, share studio updates, and offer practical design tips for anyone interested in the craft of creating atmosphere. After spending most of my career behind the scenes, I am now stepping in front of the camera to pass on the real standards and systems that turn potential dificulties into controlled success.
- Behind-the-scenes realities of event coordination and catering
- Practical design tips and real standards from 40+ years of experience
- No theory — Just what works!
Watch —> My Videos on YouTube
While you’re here, look at the practical templates I actually use for real weddings and events.
You can download them and start using them today.
Download Free & Premium Wedding & Event Planning Tools
Practical templates used for real weddings and events. Download and start using them today.
Click any image to Enlarge
Guest List + Seating Planner
Organize Guests, Track RSVPs & Assign Tables in One Sheet.
FREE
Wedding/Event Budget Tracker
Excel with Automatic Calculations or Printable Word Version
FREE
Invitation & RSVP Checklist
Printable Timing Guide Checklist to Keep Everything on Track.
FREE
Event Master Timeline Template
13-Sheet Professional Excel System Used by Catering Teams & Planners.
$24 USD
Stay in touch
If you would like occasional updates on new event guides, upcoming art releases or notes from us in Mérida, please send us a message and we’ll add you to our Contact List.
In the meantime, Enjoy!
