How to Plan the Perfect Wedding Menu

05.20.2011 | 3 min read

Wedding season is in full force. Trust me, I know. I consider myself a professional wedding attendee. Over the past few years, my husband and I have averaged at least 10 weddings a year. This year we’ve already been to four weddings. Most recently, we just celebrated our one year anniversary, too. I love weddings and celebrating the wonderful union and love of our friends. I also love food. So I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to discuss how to plan a perfect wedding menu.

Planning a wedding can be chaotic and stressful — trust me, I remember that much from last year. Remember it is a celebration of love. Here are a few things to think about when planning your menu to help enhance the fun.

Theme

Think about the overall theme of your wedding and let the food and drinks bind that theme or be the theme throughout the celebration. Be creative. The sky’s the limit.

Beach theme

Garden tea party

Asian food and decor

Other ethnic food themes

Seasonal themes, like autumn or Christmas

Different eras from the 1920s, 1950s and more

Location

Where will the wedding take place? Indoors, outdoors, a destination wedding? And how will this impact the menu that you want to serve?

How Many Times Will You Serve Food Throughout the Night?

Think about it:

Will you serve appetizers?

How many courses will the meal be?

Will you have dessert?

Will you have a late night snack?

Drink Menu

Don’t forget to get creative with a fun signature drink that also ties into your theme.

Serving the Food

There are also a variety of options for how to serve the food:

Waiters passing hors d’oeuvres

Buffet style

Family style

Walking stations

Plated dishes

Choose Local, Choose Seasonal

You will help your budget by choosing from local businesses and choosing foods that are in season.

Cater to Your Guests

There are several ways to do this and keep it easy on yourself as well:

RSVP cards — if you are serving a choice of plated dishes for your guests, make sure to list their choices on their RSVP cards.

Vegetarian options for those that don’t eat meat

Allergies — If you are aware of any food allergies amongst your family or friends, be sure to reach out to them and have another option available

Test it

Before you serve any food to your guests, make sure you try it — desserts too. This is the best part. You want to make sure you are serving good tasting quality food, right?

Don’t forget to include some good nutrition throughout the wedding menu, include vegetables and fruit.

Try not to over serve with large portions.

Do not under-serve either, especially if guests will be drinking alcohol. This is where nutritious fillers such as fruit and vegetables will come in handy.

What was the best food that you ever had at a wedding? Do you have any great tips to help the many couples out there planning a wedding menu? I would love to hear your thoughts. Cheers to love and the love of food.

Photo Credit: if winter ends