How to Plan a Wedding Menu
Weddings are beautiful, romantic gatherings to mark the special union of two people in love. There's toasting, drinking, dancing and feasting! Coordinating such a big celebration requires vendors, planning and logistical considerations. On the long list of things you need to do to plan your special day, deciding on a wedding menu may be one of the most important on the list. What is a party without food, anyway?
We want to help you plan a wedding reception menu that will wow your guests and reflects your unique personality and preferences as a couple. We'll cover the considerations you should make when planning your menu, the food presentation styles, whether you need to hire a caterer, and some ideas and examples to get you started. Learn how to plan a wedding reception or buffet menu with our helpful wedding catering checklist.
What to Consider When Planning a Wedding Menu
A lot goes into choosing a wedding menu — more than just choosing chicken or fish. Planning wedding catering might be just as important as planning the I do's themselves. We've compiled a list of considerations to help you dream up the meal that matches your style, personality, guest list and budget. Here are some things to consider when you plan a wedding reception menu.
Style of Wedding
Food adds ambiance, and it can help set the tone for your wedding. Choose a menu that fits the atmosphere you want on your special day. If you're planning a black-tie or formal event, you'll enjoy a sit-down, plated meal with gourmet options and an elegant presentation.
If you're looking for something classy yet down-to-earth, you may consider a buffet or comfort foods with a sophisticated twist. The vibe you're trying to convey at your reception can help you decide on the types of foods you want on the menu as well as how you'll present them!
Length of Reception
The length of your reception can help you determine how much food you'll need to serve to keep your guests happy. If it's a shorter reception, you may be able to get away with appetizers and some food stations topped off by your wedding cake. If your reception is closer to the traditional three or four hours, that's when you want to expand your options to keep everyone well-fed throughout the night.
Consider this timeline. Most likely, your guests will be hungry after the ceremony, so holding them over to the main meal with hors d'oeuvres is a good idea. But even after their dinner, dancing the night away can stoke appetites, especially later in the evening. While dessert may be enough to cure the munchies, some couples choose to serve a "midnight snack." It could be as simple as a coffee and donuts or something as elaborate as tacos or sliders, but it's a fun flourish that can reflect your personality or tastes as a couple.
Guest List
The average wedding includes about 131 guests, and the number of people you choose to include on your guest list has a big impact on your menu. After all, if you're like 72% of engaged couples, ensuring your guests are well taken care of at your wedding is your top priority. If your wedding is family-friendly, that means there will be kids and possibly picky eaters to feed. You'll want to consider adding a kid's entree to the menu. Check with your caterer to find out if they offer any kid-approved meals to choose from, such as chicken tenders and fries, spaghetti with marinara or macaroni and cheese. Their parents will thank you.
It's also important to remember that, even though it's your special day, you're acting as a host to your friends and family. As you choose menu items, keeping your guests in mind is courteous, so consider offering at least one well-loved favorite such as braised beef short rib. Popular foods are a great way to make your wedding enjoyable for everyone, making it an even more memorable and meaningful day!
Budgeting
A pretty obvious consideration for planning a menu is your budget. Food is one of the most significant contributors to wedding costs, so you'll want to choose carefully. On average, couples spend around $4,818 on food, and they tack on another $2,365 for bar service. Most caterers offer several packages, priced per person. Gourmet meals, prime cuts of meat or other add-ons may cost more, so be sure to ask whether there's a flat rate or a separate price for each selection.
Special Dietary Needs
Allergy concerns and dietary restrictions are commonplace nowadays and may impact some of your guests' ability to enjoy the meal at your reception. Caterers are expanding their menus to serve most dietary needs, and many offer gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan or vegetarian entrees. You may already know of a loved one who you'll need to accommodate, and it can be helpful to ask your guests to indicate whether they have a particular dietary need on their RSVP card.
There are simple ways to accommodate many guests' needs at once. For plated meals, a non-pasta vegan option could go a long way. A vegan entree is more inclusive than a vegetarian one since it can accommodate vegetarians, pescatarians, guests with religious restrictions, vegans and dairy-free guests. At the same time, the non-pasta option will satisfy your gluten-free guests. Plus, these dishes are often less expensive than meat-based choices!
Sometimes, a simple alteration can make a dish restriction-friendly, such as asking whether something can be cooked in oil instead of butter. A pasta bar or veggie sushi or spring roll options are crowd-pleasers and allergy-friendly. Some chefs are willing to whip up a one-off dish for a guest with an allergy. It's okay if not every guest can eat all the items on your menu. Just make sure that you're not leaving these guests with just a plain, green salad for dinner.
Appetizers
There are a few factors that may help you decide whether you should serve appetizers at your reception. Let's break down a few:
Budget: Looking at your budget can help you determine if you can afford to serve appetizers. You can also ask if this is an area where you'd like to spend a little extra or if it's a place where you can cut costs. Sometimes, you can have the best of both worlds by choosing cold instead of hot hors d'oeuvres, typically more economical.
Time of day: If you've scheduled your ceremony before a traditional mealtime, which it probably is, then you may want to serve appetizers to hold your guests over until it's time for the main course.
Photography: Some brides choose to do a first look before the ceremony, and others use the time between the ceremony and reception to take photos with family and then portraits as a couple. That's usually when the cocktail hour occurs, allowing guests to munch on food before the reception begins. If you plan to take your photos before the ceremony, such as with a first look, you may be able to forgo a cocktail hour and jump straight into the first course at your reception.
Length of reception: Remember that late-night snack we talked about? If your reception runs long, a post-dessert snack may be just the ticket!
While appetizers can be a fun flourish for your reception, they're not required. You could also flip the script and offer more robust appetizers or appetizer stations so your guests won't need elaborate entrees, saving you some money. Looking for appetizer ideas? One in ten couples serves pigs in a blanket at their wedding, a testament to the popularity of this bite-sized snack.
Wedding Reception Styles
Planning the menu is one thing. Preparing the presentation is another. How you serve your food can contribute to the mood and style of your wedding, just as much as the food itself. There are several ways to present food at a reception and reasons you may want to choose one style over another. Sometimes it is just a matter of preference, and it can also impact your budget. Let's break them down.
Sit-Down Dinners
Sit-down dinners with plated meals are the most popular reception style, and they come at a premium. Though the cost is high, it may be worth the price if you're trying to set an elegant tone or lavish your guests with a sophisticated feast. Whether you serve one course or three, there are many ways to conduct a sit-down meal, giving you plenty to work with as you plan your meal.
Sit-down dinners can typically accommodate many guests or just a few, though you'll want to check the size of your venue to determine how many people they'll allow in the venue or how many tables and chairs they can fit in their space. Additional considerations include centerpieces, seating cards and seating charts.
Buffets
Buffet-style receptions offer more variety to your guests and can accommodate parties with many dietary restrictions. It also allows your guests to choose what they eat and how much. Buffets are sometimes more affordable or can even add an extra touch of luxury if you include specialty stations such as a sushi, pasta or meat-carving station. Guests can still sit at tables and choose whatever they like and how much of it they want to eat!
The problem with buffets comes with coordinating dismissals and dealing with lines. If your reception is in a tight space, long lines can make your space feel cramped and busy. It can also be difficult to maintain order when dismissing guests. Fortunately, a wedding or banquet manager can field that responsibility if need be, and with proper organization and space, a buffet can be an excellent choice for your reception.
Standing Parties
A standing party is a new trend for couples who want to cut costs or keep their reception simple. Depending on your venue, decor and presentation, these can be as formal or informal as you like, though this reception style usually cuts back on how much food you'll serve. Usually, hot appetizers are brought around to guests or the reception might have buffet stations to choose from. Diners can hold small plates in their hands to eat, and tables without chairs are stationed everywhere for guests to stand at, place their drinks or leave used dishes and glassware.
While standing parties can put a unique spin on your reception, they can also turn out to be uncomfortable for your guests. If you have older family members, it may be hard on their bodies to stand that long, and they may choose not to attend.
People are more inclined to leave early, and if that's not your goal, you may want to reconsider. Talk to your venue about meeting somewhere in the middle with seating options. If a cousin is in stilettos and a grandparent can't stand for long, they'll be grateful for a place where they can rest intermittently.
Station Enhancements
Station enhancements are a great option for couples who love food and variety. With stations, you can present a fusion of dishes to serve your guests. Take the station enhancements at Weddings at Baywood, for example. We offer:
Tables with seasonal meats, cheeses, vegetables and crackers.
Lo Mein bars with different meat and noodle combinations.
Mashed Potato bar full of your favorite potato toppings.
Carving station with select choices of beef, pork and poultry.
Boardwalk station — think funnel cakes and boardwalk fries!
Station enhancements can also be an affordable and fun alternative to more expensive entrees. Whether you want to save some money or enrich your reception with even more options, talk to your caterer about what they may offer!
Should I Hire a Caterer?
A thousand times, yes! Caterers do more than cooking a meal for a party. Working with a wedding caterer allows you to dazzle guests with delicious cuisine, keep the drinks flowing and professionally serve the dinner. Plan to book your caterer at least nine months in advance to secure your date. Caterers book quickly! You'll also want plenty of time to plan your meal, design signature cocktails, attend tastings and make any necessary arrangements with your venue.
Questions to Ask Your Caterer
When you meet with your caterer, you may be planning to ask a few questions. But if you're not sure what to ask, or in case there are things you haven't thought of before, we've compiled some questions of our own:
Are you available for my wedding date?
How long have you been in business, and how many weddings have you served?
How many weddings do you cater in a day, and will my reception be your only event?
Do you offer discounts for the off-season, weekday or Sunday events?
Do you provide tables, chairs, linens and utensils, or will I need to rent that equipment?
Who coordinates the meal service and wait staff at the reception? How can I connect them with my coordinator or venue?
Do you offer wait staff, and how many will my event need?
How many people can you serve, and what's your experience serving that number of guests?
What are your options for kids' meals or special dietary restrictions like gluten-free or vegetarian?
Where do you prepare the food, and will you need access to a venue kitchen?
Are food tastings complimentary, and if not, how much will it cost?
What's your expected timeline for my event, and how long will it take you to prepare and serve the food?
What are your most popular menu items, and what do you recommend based on the season or style of my wedding?
This may seem like a lot of questions. Remember, this is your special day, and there is a lot of money going into making it perfect. Don't settle for vague answers or impatient vendors. Find a caterer that is willing to listen to your requests, answer your questions, and contribute meaningful suggestions to help craft a menu that pleases your guests and reflects your love story!
Wedding Menu Examples
Now comes the fun part — brainstorming! Maybe you already have a mood board full of sample menus, or you're not even sure where to begin. Let's take a look at some possible wedding menu ideas and examples:
A seafood feast: Having a beach wedding or reception on the water? Try a seafood feast with mini crab cakes and shrimp cocktails for appetizers. Consider lobster tail, halibut or scallops for your primary entrees. Then, hen top it off with station enhancements like a raw or sushi bar!
Traditional fare: Want something tried and true for your reception? Why not go for a classic harvest table for appetizers, beef, poultry and fish entrees, followed by a milk and cookies bar and coffee station.
Taco selections: Want a simple menu that's still a crowd-pleaser? Try a taco bar with choice meats, guacamole, Spanish rice, fajita veggies, tortillas and pico de Gallo!
With the right caterer, you can create a menu that will wow your guests and makes your wedding a day to remember!
Use a Venue With Catering Included
Coordinating vendors requires a lot of logistics.. Trying to connect a caterer, a banquet manager, the venue, a rental company and wait staff could become a full-time job. Instead of aligning the planets and praying there won't be any mistakes, why not use a venue with catering included? When everything is done in-house, the logistics are ironed out from the beginning. That means things like tables, chairs, linens, wait staff, setup and tear down are already included. Forget hidden fees and itemized lists and go with a comprehensive venue!
With Weddings at Baywood, we offer all-inclusive packages that include catering and more. We've designed several options to fit a variety of styles, preferences and budgets, so whether you're looking for an elaborate meal or the flexibility of buffet-style, Baywood's wedding packages have you covered. We are one of southern Delaware's premier, all-inclusive venues with scenic locations to exchange your vows and beautiful spaces to host your reception. Weddings at Baywood can help you plan the wedding of your dreams!
To learn more or to request your wedding date, fill out our contact form. We can't wait to be a part of your happily-ever-after.