Are you planning your engagement party? Make sure it’s perfect with a great catered menu. If you’re not sure what to feed your guests, keep reading to discover seven catering ideas you can use.
1. Organize a Wine & Food Pairing Menu
There are perfect catered menu ideas for food and wine pairings. Your caterer can recommend the best options for you and guests—they know this industry inside and out. Give them a headcount and confirm any dietary restrictions before discussing how to put different menu items together. A great wine and food pairing gives everyone a chance to mingle while exploring how the unique flavours of different dishes are heightened by complementing drinks.
2. Have a Live Food Station
The basic menu items, such as salads and sides, can be served buffet or family-style, but consider serving the main entrée courtesy of a live chef.
If you’re doing a dinner, keep the options simple, choosing two basic items, such as red meat and fish. If you’re hosting a brunch, have a chef cooking fresh omelets. Having a live station at your party adds an unexpected element your friends and family are sure to enjoy.
3. Decorate a Dessert and Candy Table
Everyone loves having a sweet treat after their meal—and this is no exception at the engagement party. Set up jars of sour sugary candy, leaving take-home bags at one side for guests to enjoy now or later. Offer squares, brownies, mini cupcakes, and other pastries. Smaller desserts give guests the opportunity to nibble on a few items, trying a little bit of everything, instead of being limited to just one snack.
Brainstorm dessert ideas with your caterer to select delectable arrangement of goodies everyone can enjoy.
4. Choose a Themed Cuisine
Plan the party around one specific type of food. If the menu is Italian, opt for a traditional antipasto, cantaloupe covered in prosciutto, fresh garden salads, and a pasta. For a French Riviera theme, serve local cheeses, fresh bread, and ratatouille.
Ask the caterer if they specialize in any cuisine and see how they can add those entrées or appetizers to the menu. Consider how the theme speaks to you as a newly engaged couple, whether dishes have family ties or are reminiscent of the first meal you cooked together.
5. Serve Refined Comfort Appetizers
If you like casual food but don’t want the party to be too casual of an affair, upgrade your favourite dishes. Instead of topping pizza with the usual pepperoni, garnish it with feta cheese, olives, and prosciutto. Fried mac and cheese bites, arranged in tiny cups, give this informal meal a classy look.
See how the caterer can surprise you by giving your favourite childhood dishes an elegant twist.
6. Host a Barbeque
It’s the right season for a barbeque, and this option means everyone can enjoy the day outside. Create an outstanding menu and incorporate the hottest barbeque trends for 2018. Turn this party into a picnic with delicious items, such as elota, grilled vegetables slow-cooked meat, and more.
An engagement party is a relaxed affair, and a barbeque captures that casual vibe. It brings your closest friends and family together for a laidback day and an early chance to celebrate the big news.
7. Plan a Brunch
What better way to start the day than with brunch? Serve bagels and smoked salmon, fresh croissants and jam, frittata, fresh fruit, and waffles. You could go all out with the breakfast staples, offering bacon, sausages, and fried potatoes. For drinks, serve coffee, mimosas, and freshly squeezed juices.
Any of these seven catering ideas are sure to spice up your engagement party.
