Let’s talk about my favorite aspect of attending a wedding… the food. While I enjoy the whole ambiance of the event, personally one of my favorite details to explore is the food. You can tell a lot about the style of the event based on the food served.
When planning my own wedding, I wanted the food to be the center of attention. Not only did it reflect my career, it also reflected both sides of our family. My husband’s grandparents are 100% Italian and owned a restaurant, and my roots can be traced back to 1918 with my great grandfather and the creation of Kuna. In a nutshell… I wanted the food at my wedding to be fantastic. We opted for stations instead of the traditional sit down dinner. Nothing against the traditional sit down dinner, but I didn’t want my guests sitting down for that long, I wanted them up partying!
Once we decided on having stations, the fun part came with picking out what they would be. Our reception was held at Old Warson Country Club, and the chef there is absolutely fantastic. The main event of the food was the seafood station: oysters, shrimp, & crab claws . Recently I have become a huge oyster fan, so this addition was particularly exciting. Next up we had a Chef rolling hand-made sushi and I can’t say enough about this station! The sushi was simply the best I have ever had. We rounded out the event with a grilled vegetable & salad station, a tenderloin carving station, a cheese station (also one of my favorites, think huge rolls cheese made the display beautiful) and a steamship pork carving station.
Now with all these food options, you didn’t think I would make the desserts that simple did you? Of course not! I had to have plenty of dessert options as well. The star of the show was a southern style naked pound cake by “Made by Lia.” We also ordered two amazing red velvet cakes from Lia, along with the most beautiful macaroons. We rounded off the display with lemon bars made by one of my mom’s best friends, and oreo cheesecakes made by a colleague of my husband.
We ended the night with passing out hot bratwurst on big silver trays. YUM!
Okay, enough about my wedding, let’s talk about my suggestions for catering your own wedding or event! The first thing you must decide on is the style of your event, as many venues come with built in catering programs. Which is great and the easiest way to go, but if you pay attention to the trends of the wedding season, today’s bride is looking for ways to be “different.”
Here are My Top Tips for Making Your Wedding Menu Stand Out
- Go Local and Seasonal: don’t serve strawberries in the dead of winter, yuck!
- Don’t Skimp on Portions: Serving 3 oz. of beef is a “no”. You don’t want your guests leaving hungry. If beef doesn’t fit within your budget, settle on a delicious plate of pasta instead.
- Book Early: Bakers and caterers book a year in advance, so make sure you call your favorites first to ensure your spot.
- Make It Personal: Serve an item that is personal to you and your family, whether it’s your grandma’s famous recipe, or something nostalgic of your childhood. Every meal is better when it’s personalized.
XO
Rose
