What do you remember best about the last wedding reception you attended? Was it the beautiful flowers? The fantastic music? Or was it all of that delicious food? Wedding receptions are a wonderful opportunity for sharing a meal with all of your loved ones, so selecting an appropriate menu is very important.
First, consider your budget. Do you wish to serve a lavish sit-down dinner for 250 guests? Remember that most dinner packages are broken down “per head”, meaning that your final cost comes from how many people are attending. For example, if you have 250 people at the reception, and each “plate” costs $25.00 (which is a fairly safe average cost to count on!) then you are looking at a menu price of $6,250.00 just for food alone! Depending on your reception facility and caterer, this cost may not include alcohol; wait staff to serve and pour drinks, linens, napkins or anything else but the meal. If you have the money to spend on such an event, and you want to do it, then go for it! But a simple buffet-style meal will be just as appreciated by your guests and will cost considerably less.
Buffet meals are usually served at “luncheon” receptions, but are acceptable at any time of the day. A nice lunch time buffet may include one or two meat carving stations (ham, beef, lamb, etc), several displays of cheeses, breads, fruits, vegetables, and dipping sauces, and a few finger foods like chicken wings, spanikopita, mini quiche, and pate and crackers. A breakfast buffet (or brunch buffet) may include a variety of fruits, bagels, rolls, muffins, and a cooking station that serves made to order eggs or waffles.
Another thing to consider is the time of year in which you will be holding your reception. A spring or summer wedding feast would do well with light foods and seasonal fruits and vegetables. A fall or winter reception can incorporate “holiday” foods such as a hearty soup or pumpkin bread.
Warm up your guests with hot “Irish coffee” or cool them down with a “Lynchburg lemonade” or fruit punch. Alcohol is not necessary at a reception, but many people will enjoy having a champagne toast when it is time to cut the cake. Open bars are very expensive, but a keg of beer and a few bottles of wine are not.
Remember that your wedding cake will serve as the dessert, so unless you have a sweet tooth, there is no need to plan for a lot of candy, cake, pies or ice cream.
Talk to your friends and family before you plan your menu to find out what sorts of foods everyone can generally agree upon, but do not listen to everyone! You will become frustrated trying to accommodate everyone’s palate. In the end, the decision is up to you. Having a variety of foods ensure that there will be something for everyone, whether they are a vegetarian or have a food allergy.
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