Wedding Reception Menu

by Amy Hicks

When planning the menu for your wedding, you must consider your budget, what you like to eat, and what your friends and family like to eat. You may need to have several options, such as vegetarian or vegan, and these options may determine what type of food service you will need. If you are hiring a caterer, you need to determine how much you want to spend on each person, because that is how caterers charge.

Maybe your family or friends want to prepare your food for you, which will save you a lot of money. In this case, you need to determine how much is in your budget, subtract the cost of the food itself and beverages, and then give the remaining money to those who are cooking the meals. However, keep in mind that only professionals know how to cook for a lot of people and know how to store food properly. So, if you have more than, say, 75 guests, you will be better off hiring a caterer.

Time of Day

The first step is to consider what time of day your reception will be. A morning reception could have a breakfast or a tea, a midday reception could have a lunch, tea or cocktail hour, and an evening reception could have just about anything. The most formal receptions are often in the evening, and more alcohol will be served at these receptions. Because of the alcohol served and the cost of a full dinner, evening receptions are often the most expensive type. However, if your ceremony is late in the day and your budget is limited, try having a tea or a cocktail hour. If you are having an unusual type of reception, you may need to list it on your invitations so that your guests will know what to expect.

Catering

When choosing your caterer, make sure to find out the specialty of each one and try it. It’s a good idea to go with the type of food that the caterer does best, rather than trying to have him or her create something he/she has never made before. You should arrange several menu tastings and be sure to find out how costs are calculated and what equipment the caterer will need to bring to the venue. It may be a good idea to take your caterer to the location of the reception so he/she can check out the layout of the kitchen. Additional equipment can be expensive, but so can food that has to be thrown out because of improper storage.

Table Service

This type of service is very formal, and can be accented with printed menu cards for the guests. However, the food choices are limited. Usually, soup and salad will be served before the main course and the entrée will consist of a meat, a starch, and a vegetable. The guests will only be given two to three choices of main dishes, which can be a problem if your guests have diverse preferences.

Buffet Service

This choice will allow lots of different types of food, but if you have lots of guests the lines could be a problem. It may be a good idea to send two or three tables to the buffet at a time to keep standing time to a minimum. Buffets can also ruin the atmosphere of your reception if you don’t make sure that the buffet line has visual appeal. Create this appeal by following these tips:

• Decorate the buffet table
  
• Make sure nice serving dishes are used
  
• Make sure that the buffet is tended to often so that spills can be wiped up and empty dishes can be refilled or replaced.

Keep in mind that large buffets can be just as expensive, or more so, than table service. Modern caterers may also be experienced at creating several serving tables based around a common type of food, so that guests do not have to stand in one line. However, if you have many guests, they may just end up standing in line over and over. Otherwise, having different serving sections can be fun, and it allows your guests to talk to socialize and meet new people.

Whichever type of service you prefer can be the right one for your guests. Personal touches and decorations can be added to accent the food and to create the right atmosphere for your reception. You can find tons of sample menus online or in wedding books. Just make sure to keep your preferences and your guests’ dietary restrictions in mind.