Deciding on what food to serve can be one of the hardest wedding decisions to make. While many engaged couples focus on what their guests will want to eat, I always advise clients to pick their menu based on what they love. Whether it be your favorite home-cooked meal to make together, or a go-to restaurant specialty, choosing your wedding menu gives you the freedom to mix and match all of your favorites
First, before choosing the menu, you must choose what style of dinner you would like. The style you choose depends on the style of wedding you want, and the ambiance you want your event to give off. Four styles of service I see the most often are:
- buffets
- plated dinners
- family-style dinners
- and dinner stations
Buffet
Buffets are a hugely popular option for wedding receptions for good reason. If you cannot narrow down your meal options, a buffet gives you more wiggle room to make a decision and add extras. Buffets also allow your guests to pick and choose what they want and don’t want on their plates, and move through the line quickly making dinner service relatively fast. As a wedding planner, a downside to buffets are having to call out tables so the line doesn’t get too long. Table 20 may wait for their chance in the buffet line, meanwhile everyone at Table 1 has already finished their meal.
Plated
If you want to opt for a more luxury and streamlined experience, a plated dinner is the way to go. Buffets tend to convey a more casual style, so if you are hoping to have a black-tie event, go with a plated meal. But while the buffet line moves relatively fast, not all of your guests get to eat their meal at the same time. A plated meal can seem more cohesive to guests and allow them to stay in their seats, but it can sometimes take longer than expected to serve all courses one-by-one, possibly chipping at your reception and dance time. A plated dinner may also increase the number of staff needed to accomplish the service.
Family-Style
If you are having a more intimate wedding, a family-style meal is also a great option, but can be overwhelming for catering staff with a large guest count.
Family-style meals give your wedding a personal, more intimate touch, sharing your favorite meal with the ones you love. Family-style meals are similar to plated meals in the fact that every course is served on its own, so it may take additional time and require extra staff.
Stations
Another unique option some caterers choose to offer is dinner stations. If you aren’t having a typical sit-down wedding reception but rather a cocktail reception, stations are a wonderful option. Caterers prepare a variety of different meals, such as carving stations, charcuterie, or international cuisines, and prepare them in front of guests, typically scattered around the main room.
This encourages your guests to get up and mingle with each other after cocktail hour to continue the party. However, stations can cause logistical issues for a seated dinner, as guests are always getting out of their seats to try something new to eat.
Next Steps
Once you have decided on a style of service, a list is the best way to brainstorm your menu. Sit down with your partner and make a list of your favorite restaurants, fast food chains, snacks, home-cooked meals, etc. This tends to spark ideas as to what type of food people want to put their money towards. As always, caterers are the experts in food and will advise you and guide you in the right culinary direction, and wedding planners will guide you in the correct logistical direction of dinner service based on your venue, but having a menu of your favorite foods can make a world of a difference on your wedding day.
If you need help narrowing your catering choices down further, reach out to us today! Submit an inquiry via our Contact Form today to set up a consultation.