How to choose a wedding menu that wows every guest…
Here’s a little pop quiz: When you got engaged, did you immediately begin dreaming of…?
A: Flowers and décor
B: Dresses
C: Food
If your answer was C: Food, this blog post is for you. If your answer wasn’t C, this blog post is still for you! Since food is likely to be involved in your wedding plan, this post can provide, quite literally, some good food for thought.
We meet all kinds of people in this business, but one thing that most people have in common is a love of good food. The experience your guests have with the food at your event will reflect greatly on how they remember that special day! It is something remembered long after the last song has been played either as the perfect accoutrement OR as a major detraction to the event. Planning the perfect menu can be tricky, but don’t worry, we can help!
Some things to consider when planning your menu
What is your overall budget for food? If you are going with the all-inclusive wedding venue experience, you’ve likely already broken down your budget to account for this. Food will be the next biggest expense after the venue rental itself. Allocate as much as 20%-35% of your total wedding budget for food which may include hors d’oeuvres, main meal, desserts, and bar service.
What are your favorite foods? Did you and your partner fall in love over a pad Thai or a plate of falafel and hummus? Did you swoon over a petit filet on your first date? It might be fun to include a culinary nod to something you both love.
Do you have a lot of people on your guest list with a strong dietary preference like vegetarian or vegan? You’ll need to check with your caterer about guests who need accommodations to make sure they can oblige. Sometimes dietary restrictions can be a life and death situation. Make sure the caterer can accommodate in this instance.
What kind of theme are you going for with your wedding? Black tie cocktail party? Casual southern picnic? Summer fiesta? Obviously, different themes lend themselves to different styles of food.
Are you inviting kids to the wedding? Make sure whoever your caterer is can accommodate the little ones as well. You might even get a price break for a child’s plate versus an adult plate.
out of the box menu ideas we love…
Brunch! If you don’t like breakfast for dinner, can we even be friends? Breakfast or brunch for dinner is a fun way to mix up traditional wedding meals of chicken, two sides and a salad. Plan for an array of mini quiches, fruit cups, and waffle bites for hors d’oeuvres, then opt for some chicken and waffles, hash brown casserole, and sautéed apples for the main meal. The options are endless!
Taco Tuesday! To clarify, we do think that every day can be taco Tuesday… Does anyone know anyone at all who doesn’t love tacos? Not only are the combinations very customizable for guests (think of all the toppings!), it is also a good way to sneak in a vegan or vegetarian meal without being so obvious. Refried beans, black beans, and meatless crumbles, all make great taco bases. This is also an easy one to make gluten free and can be relatively inexpensive compared to something fancier.
Grazing Table! If you want an elegant spread for your classic chic wedding, a grazing table is the way to go! This is an amplified version of a charcuterie board and could have everything from Pâté to dried fruits, meats and cheeses, and crudité to bruschetta. The sky is the limit, and it’s easy for everyone to find something they like.
Heavy Hors d’Oeuvres! Make sure that if you opt for this scenario you have a few items in the mix that are fairly filling. Nobody wants to be remembered as having the wedding where everyone went hungry due to lack of quantity. We advise at least 6-8 pieces per person, but if hors d’oeuvres are the main food event, you might want more.
Soup Station! Especially in the winter, soup is food for the soul. Why not entertain the idea of warming up your guests from the inside out?! You could have grilled cheese sticks to go with tomato soup, Italian wedding soup, southwestern corn chowder, chicken noodle… Breads for dipping are a must, too.
Pasta Bar! When you create a pasta bar, everyone can toss in what they like most, and it is extremely easy to accommodate guests with food preferences or intolerances (think GF pasta or a dairy free sauce). One piece of advice here: opt for a short cut pasta like penne, farfalle, or orecchiette, so that the risk of guests slurping sauce onto their fancy clothes is minimized.
Baked Potato Bar! With toppings like BBQ chicken, chili, bacon bits, sour cream, cheese sauce, and chives, this is not only an economical option, but a fun and casual one as well. We would add that a combination of sautéed vegetables would go well with this, too!
Flatbread Bar! Variety abounds with this idea. It can be as simple as serving tomato basil pizza, cheese pizza, and mushroom/sausage pizza, BUT, just dress up the names a bit and it sounds super fancy: Margherita pizza, quattro formaggio pizza, pizza funghi e salsiccia.
Burger Bar! This is another easy one for guests to make their own. It works for your nephew who only eats cheeseburgers, your chef cousin who prefers truffle aioli and gouda, and your mom who prefers a black bean burger. All the fixin’s are a must.
Obviously, we could talk about food ALL day. It is one of our passions at Ramble Creek and one of the primary reasons why couples choose us as their wedding destination. Some of you may still be asking, “Do you have to serve food at a wedding?” Ultimately, that is a personal decision that may be based on budget and length of time you want to host a reception. But we think your wedding guests will certainly appreciate it and might be a bit confused if you didn’t! Whether you choose to serve a full dinner buffet, brunch, or hors d’oeuvres, consider the offering as bite size memories. Your guests will appreciate that they were well fed.
At Ramble Creek, we strive to cultivate each couple’s wedding menu to suit their needs, not only in budget, but also in taste and style. Read more about our culinary offerings here. We start with a menu but are flexible and open to ideas. Our full-time executive chef will meet with each couple to design the perfect wedding menu, and since the food is cooked on-site, you will not have to wonder if it will be served fresh, exactly how you imagined it. We believe that food is a collective and unifying experience, meant to be enjoyed by everyone present. Let us help you plan a menu your people will remember for years to come!