Figuring out what to serve guests on the big day is no easy feat, and there is plenty of bad wedding advice out there. But planning your wedding menu doesn’t have to be difficult. Brides and grooms can look to an array of inspirational ideas for help.
Here are seven tips to create the perfect wedding menu.
1. Presentation
What do you want to experience at the dinner? Is it a seated formal affair with plated entrees, desserts, and beverages? Perhaps you picture food being served sharing style, in a way that creates a familial atmosphere.
Whether we’re talking about slices of cake drizzled with syrup or colourful cocktails in traditional glassware, it should all fall together.
Align the sides alongside the mains to present a deliciously appetizing meal. Regardless of how the food is served, it should entice all of your guests and leave them eager to eat.
2. Dietary Accommodations
Everyone eats differently, whether it’s for religious reasons, allergies, or plain-old personal preference. Informing caterers of these details ahead of time allows them to make the necessary alternatives and substitutes for dishes that all guests can enjoy—regardless of their lifestyles.
Ask the caterers different questions to guarantee they can meet your desired requests.
3. The Taste Test
Everything might sound delicious on paper, but it might fall short in real life. Perhaps the flavours didn’t play out the way you wanted them to or the taste just wasn’t what you expected. Planning your wedding menu requires testing out every dish before the big day. You want to make sure everything tastes right and that those menu kinks are ironed out beforehand.
With a taste test, you can ensure you get exactly what you bargained for at the final selection.
4. A Personal Touch
Include a bit of personal history when planning your wedding menu. Dishes that reflect the two of you offer romantic nostalgia. Whether it’s a particular appetizer you two shared on your first date or it’s the first meal you tried to cook to impress him, these personal dishes add something special to the menu. They also make for an interesting talking point between you and your guests.
Choose a plate that speaks to you as a couple.
5. Serving Styles
Take into account the different serving styles when planning your wedding menu. A mid-sized crowd might fare best with a buffet that allows a few more dinner options. The formal, plated dinner will include multiple courses, but a cocktail-style reception, where the dancefloor becomes the main feature, can handle appetizers.
If the wedding encompasses a completely laidback vibe, you might consider a backyard barbeque-serving style where guests can pick something up from the chef’s grill, such as gourmet burgers, steaks, and fish.
6. Tie in the Season
Be inspired by the flavours of the season and incorporate them for a menu that’s truly delicious.
A fall wedding menu might include hearty soups and sides of butternut squash with apple crumble. Winter and fall meals leave the soul warm, from bean soups and warm salads to pasta dishes in rich sauces.
Peek around for regionally grown ingredients to see how they can be added to the menu for optimal flavour.
7. Basics and Alternatives
Not every guest has an adventurous palette, so to appease those who prefer traditional dishes and those willing to extend their palette boundaries, offer classics and alternative items.
Let guests choose between paella in addition to the standard lamb chops. Hit all the main groups: poultry, beef, fish, and vegetables, but mix one sweet item with something savoury. A perfect menu provides something for everyone.
