Why Are Some Events Remembered… and Others Forgotten?

The Science of Memory Applied to the Design of Culinary Experiences

By Relicario Catering

Introduction

At Relicario, we hold a deep conviction: an event is not remembered for what happens, but for how it feels.

We have all attended flawless celebrations that slowly fade with time. And we have also lived brief moments—a dinner, a toast, a flavor—that remain vivid for years.

The difference is not random. The science of memory explains it clearly, and experience design confirms it: not everything we live becomes a memory.

Human Memory Is Not a Recorder: It Is Selective

The brain does not store every detail of reality. It chooses what to keep and what to let go, prioritizing what it considers relevant, meaningful, or emotionally valuable.

In an event, this changes everything: impeccable logistics and proper service are the starting point, not the destination. Without meaning, the memory fades.

Emotion: The True Filter of Memory

Experiences charged with emotion—joy, surprise, gratitude, nostalgia—are more strongly consolidated in long-term memory. That is why we remember an unexpected toast, a well-told story, or an authentic gesture of hospitality.

What is neutral, predictable, or generic rarely leaves a trace.

Sensory Design: Where Memory Is Born

Memory is profoundly sensory. Sight, smell, taste, sound, and texture work together to encode an experience.

A scent can reconstruct an entire scene; a flavor can awaken dormant memories; a song can instantly transport us to a specific moment. In memorable events, the senses do not merely accompany the experience—they build it.

How a Memory Is Formed (and Why Some Remain)

For an experience to endure, the brain goes through three phases:

1. Encoding: the experience must capture attention. Without stimulus, there is no record.

2. Consolidation: emotion and meaning anchor the memory.

3. Retrieval: sensory triggers allow us to return to it.When an experience does not pass through these phases intentionally, it is lost. When it does, it remains.

   
   

Relicario: The Place Where Memories Are Preserved

A relicario (reliquary) safeguards what is valuable. Traditionally, it holds objects—symbols, fragments with meaning.

At Relicario, we take that idea further: we do not want to be the object that is kept, but the moment in which memories are created.

We do not aim for you to remember a menu or a setup. We want to be the emotional space where the memory is born—the moment that, over time, returns intact.

Intensity Over Duration: We Remember Moments, Not Schedules

Memory does not archive entire events; it remembers moments. A single instant can define an entire experience.

That is why it is not about doing more, but about designing better: prioritizing, moving emotionally, and creating space to feel.

So, Why Are Some Events Remembered and Others Not?

Because the events that stay in memory:

• activate genuine emotion,

• stimulate the senses with intention,

• create personal meaning,

• and are designed to be lived, not merely executed.

Those that are forgotten are often correct, but impersonal; well done, but without soul.

The Relicario Vision

At Relicario, we do not understand gastronomy as an isolated service. We see it as a narrative and emotional tool.

We design complete culinary experiences: menus with a story, thoughtfully structured timing, authentic hospitality, and details that connect with people.

Because in the end, we do not serve food for events.

We create spaces where moments become memories.

If you are looking for an event that is not only experienced, but remembered, at Relicario we design experiences meant to endure.