A little guide to planning your perfect menu for your wedding
The date is set, the venue planned and whether you have in house caterers or have an outside caterer the menu needs be planned.
The food, and yes I could be biased, is a key part of the day, what does everyone remember about a wedding, the venue, the dress, the dancing but especially the food, good & bad, I love seeing couples from many years ago still telling me that their guests still talk about the amazing food at their wedding, and that’s how it should be.
Even if your tastes are for simple food, it should still look and taste amazing but its always fun to throw in a ‘Wow’ factor too.
Where do you start..here’s a little guide
Step 1.
Most couples have been to a wedding or two so be harsh critics ( just between the two of you of course) what did you love and what did you hate, it’s a topic that usually pops up at our initial meetings, whether the amount of food was too small, a long reception without canapes,(always a recipe for wobbly guests before the wedding breakfast.) and of course the wedding breakfast itself. Then drawn up your must have’s and mustn’t haves.
Step 2.
If your venue doesn’t have an inhouse caterer then you need to choose one and like all wedding suppliers that can be a minefield so ask your family and friends, at least 50% of our couples come to us through a recommendation, however you need to ensure that the style of food they do is what you are looking for, some companies specialise in types of street food and not served 3 courses so you do need to have an idea of what you are looking for., see Step!) If of those weddings you attended you loved the food ( and it wasn’t a hotel then get their details and ask the couple how they were to work with, often with weddings you will have a long relationship with your supplier so it’s important to get it right, it’s good to speak to more than one as well, if only to reassure you that you feel happy with your first choice.
At your initial meeting you should be given a little tasting of their food, this will give you an idea of their style and quality of the food you can expect for your menu, go armed with questions and make sure you feel at ease with the person who will be looking after your coordination on the day.
When you find the right one! Book them straightaway, don’t lose them.
Step 3.
Tastings, how this happens will of course vary but we love our couples to attend a group tasting day to choose their menu, we invite 8 couples to each one and they all choose 2 dishes from each course, they can all see all the dishes plated & garnished and try everyone of them, we also add in a large selection of canapes & a few new dishes that aren’t on our menus yet.
When trying the dishes make sure you consider the season in which you are getting married, with winter weddings you will want a little more of the comfort factor in your menu, with seasonal ingredients, i.e. a lovely autumnal dish of Pork fillet stuffed with roasted plums, pears & dates with a Baharat spiced crust with a plum & port sauce on a creamy mash whereas for summer a lovely fresh summer dish of Honey roast saddle of lamb stuffed with spinach, basil & pinenuts, new potatoes with lemon & mint oil and bowls of salads on the tables for a lovely leisurely summery meal.
What we love about the tastings is how couples go out with a completely different idea of the =ir menu, last year after we created a Keralan spiced lamb dish for a fusion wedding another couple chose the spiced chickpea stuffing for the Honey Roast saddle and we tweaked all the vegetables to make a stunning spiced summery wedding breakfast with a twist.
However your caterer does your tasting, make decisions on your menu as soon as possible, it’s so much easier whilst it’s all fresh in your minds, otherwise a few weeks later you may not be able to recall as easily which were your favourite canapes, we always give our couples a printed menu and a pen to score as they go around but couples have still called me months later to ask if they preferred the noodle wrapped prawns or the gin cured salmon canape, ( the answer, I had no idea but they went prawns)
Step 4.
The menu is chosen, send out the invitations and make sure to request dietary options, now this is very important, we take all allergies & intolerances very seriously and not just the 14 allergens we need to declare. But if someone tells you they are allergic to an ingredient please find out how serious it is, we once had a guest that had to leave the room whilst the fish starter was consumed as he had a very serious arirborne fish allergy.
Generally you shouldn’t need to take any of these into account when you choose your menu but maybe if it is serious best to avoid blue lights turning up half way through the wedding breakfasts.
Just make sure you tell the caterer and then leave it with them, that’s the whole point of the caterer, it’s now all down to them.
Step 5.
I will now raise the issue of menu choices for guests, yes or no, personally always a No, getting your guests to simply confirm is never as straightforward as it should be, without having to collate all the choices which of course they will all forget on the day, and thus lead to disappointment. We do however believe that if the bride and groom have different favourites from the tasting they should have both for the top table on the day (Rule No 1, Top table can have anything they want!) And if grandad doesn’t eat Lamb then by all means we will serve him a lovely chicken dish etc. so with a set menu we may also send a vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, dairy free & a main alternative for Grandad etc but all for a good reason and without a risk of food envy, unless of course you are about to become Vegan.
And that dear wedding couples is my little guide to the perfect menu & for every couple it is completely different which makes our job so much fun.
Debra Green, co-owner of Chives Catering & wedding guru! www.chivescaterers.co.uk www.facebook.com/chivescaterers
Instagram @chivescaterers