Kitchenability Blog
03.21.2014
Wedding Menu Ideas: Tips from a Chef and Bride-to-be
Recently, I’ve been asked the following question by several different bloggers: What is the ideal wedding menu? Well, I am new to this too, and I am currently planning my own wedding menu for my wedding this November.
To determine my own wedding menu, I asked myself the following two questions, which I then answered from a chef perspective, and also from the perspective of a bride on a budget.
Q: “Are there any specific foods that are more budget-friendly than others?”
As a chef, I would choose chicken and pasta as two specific foods to recommend to couples that are on a budget. Why? Chicken is a very low-cost protein that you can serve in many different ways to fit your budget. Same goes for pasta. They both are incredibly diverse and hold flavor well.
As far as catering is concerned, any genre of food can be as expensive as you decide make it. For example, you can decide to have an Italian menu with fettuccine Alfredo, which is generally inexpensive, or you can choose to have a lobster tail on a bed of truffle oil linguine, which is a more costly dish. They both have pasta incorporated into the dish, but one is less expensive than the other.
The cost of your menu is going to depend on what you decide from your caterer. In the end it all depends on what type of budget you have available to spend on food.
Q: “How do I accommodate dietary restrictions, and how many options are too many options?”
I would say when planning and preparing your wedding menu, having three options is plenty. Have two proteins available to your guests, including fish, chicken or beef, and a vegetarian option.
When accommodating guests with dietary restrictions, this can be a bit challenging. If you already have an idea of what type of dietary restrictions you may be up against at your wedding, incorporate options in your hors d’oeuvres. Having about five hors d’oeuvre options is a good amount. This will allow you to have a few hors d’oeuvres that may be satisfying to your guests with dietary restrictions, and a few for everyone else.
Talk to your caterer. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and discuss strategies for accommodating dietary restrictions with them. They are there to accommodate you and your needs for your Big Day.
Are you currently planning your wedding menu? What questions do you have? Add them in the comments section below and I would be happy to answer them!
Photo: “Excellent hors d’oeuvres” by Curtis Poe is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Related articles
I like how this article tackled about dietary restrictions. Because in my personal opinion it brings joy to the people eating that they are taken into consideration in planning the food menu of the wedding catering service.