January 14, 2021
To make a memorable wedding, getting the food right is critical. Even if the dancing is fun, the venue looks beautiful, or the couple looks good together, people will remember whether or not they enjoyed the food.
Your menu is a way of thanking your guests for coming to celebrate with you, so you want to make sure you cater to your guests—especially with a menu varied enough to cater to dietary needs. It is best practice to ask your attending guests regarding their dietary restrictions/preferences so you’re not assuming and can ensure everyone is able to enjoy their meal. The right catering service can make your wedding something to remember for all of the right reasons.
A formal food tasting will give a good idea of what to choose for the occasion. Keep in mind who you are inviting, as well as how much you want to go along with the wedding theme.
If you are an adventurous eater and love spicy food, it’s great to serve some dishes with your favorite level of spice, but be sure to include some dishes for the non-spicy lovers, and label which is which!
Small, classic dishes like salmon, chicken, and lamb are classic, and flavorful, without being overwhelming. Work with your catering team to find something that both you and your guests will reminisce about down the road; great food and great memories go together.
From doughnuts, or pies, to soft serve ice cream, you can be creative with the types of desserts you serve. A whole range of desserts can be dressed up, stacked up, and presented in a breath-taking way, and your wedding cake can be designed however you want it.
If you or your spouse are not fans of cake, you can serve classy cheesecake instead of a tiered wedding cake. Brainstorm and research the types of options you have to choose from, and taste test in advance to research a range of options that fit with your personality and style.
It’s essential to have seated dining, but also for more spacious weddings, you can offer hors d’oeuvres where servers can offer individualized snacks around the room as people talk, and safely mingle. You can then have servers with empty platters for “offloading,” or taking the used plates.
The right catering service can bring your food and drinks to the top of your guests’ favorite weddings. Think outside the box, working with your team, and create a menu that is classic, but unique as you will have your wedding food reminisced on for years to come.
It can be tricky gauging how much food your guests will want to eat, as you don’t want to have so many courses they feel forced to eat everything, and feel so stuffed they can’t enjoy themselves, but you don’t want to feed so little they go hungry.
In general, most weddings establish three courses; the appetizer, the meal, and the dessert. But depending on your caterer, you can talk about the option to have fewer courses, and offer a larger dessert section, or more late night snacks. Not every caterer offers that as an option, so if that is something you would be interested in, be sure and check with the caterer before signing up for their service.
There are pros and cons to both, so it really depends on which you prefer; with seated dining you have set porportions for the guests, however, they don’t have much say over what they want on their plate as they would buffet-style.
It also depends on the type of food you are serving, as soups are often messy, and can be too hot, so it’s important to talk to your caterer about what kind of food you’re interested in serving, and the logistics of whether it would be easier to serve via seated dining, or buffet style.
A good mix of drinks is essential. How you serve them, on the other hand, sets the mark. If you’re looking for something that hits the spot, personalized cocktails are fun. But if you’re looking for something impressive, even better would be to offer a complete bar with customized logos, drinks, and a bartender on hand to help with the orders.
Work with your caterer to create a drink menu that pairs well with the food you choose, as partnering with the right catering service will help bring your wedding day to life with these ideas for making your wedding menu delicious, and memorable.