How to Plan Wedding Food
- 1). Use the time of your reception to guide your general food choices. If you are having a mid-afternoon reception, guests will not expect a full meal. In this situation, hors d’oeuvres, such as shrimp cocktail or egg rolls, would work. An evening reception, however, requires a full dinner or heavy hors d’oeuvres substantial enough to replace a meal.
- 2). Consider the formality of your wedding reception. A reception at a country club calls for more formal food than a backyard wedding reception does. Prime rib and salmon might suit the country club reception, but barbecue and ribs works well for a relaxed backyard reception. Let your reception guide you in your food choices.
- 3). Talk to your spouse-to-be about food choices. Wedding receptions typically offer two types of meals—buffet, where guests serve themselves, and plated, where guests select a meal in advance and receive it from a server. Buffet weddings give guests more options and let them choose their portions, but your venue might not support a buffet. Plated meals, on the other hand, limit guests’ choices to two or three entrees, like a beef, chicken and fish dish, but give a sense of formality that buffets do not. Ask your caterer about vegetarian options as well—most will provide them; all you have to do is ask. Also, consider food that is meaningful to you as a couple. For example, if your first date was at an Italian restaurant, you can serve an Italian buffet. Choose food that reflects you as a couple or defines your relationship history.
- 4). Use your geographical location as a menu guide. If the part of the country where you’re getting married is famous for a type of food, consider incorporating that into your wedding menu, as suggested by The Knot. Serve lobsters in Maine or mini cheesesteaks in Philadelphia.
