The wedding reception is an obligatory part of almost every wedding. People like to eat – it’s the truth of life. And wedding guests are always looking forward to the meal that awaits them at the end of the long day. So, if you’re planning a wedding, you should pay a lot of attention to the reception. This article will help you avoid the biggest mistakes regarding the menu and will give you some advice as to how to plan the wedding meal properly. Some tips really can save your budget.
Most common wedding menu mistakes
One of the biggest mistakes that the newlyweds-to-be make is that they try to impress their guests with exotic foods. Or the amount of food, for that matter. But people often prefer to eat something they’re familiar with, so it is much better and cheaper to serve simple but delicious dishes.
If you’re tight on your budget, don’t offer your guests a free bar because this is one of the biggest parts of the reception budget. No one will think bad of you if you offer only free wine and beer. Or if you offer free food but make people pay for their drinks.
Another popular mistake is to over-crowd your wedding reception. You don’t have to invite hundreds of people – your neighbors, co-workers, distant relatives, and so on. Sometimes, the couple doesn’t even know everybody they invite to the wedding. And it really eats up your budget!
Wedding menu advice
Always do the tasting before you book the food caterer or choose the wedding reception venue. It is not just to make sure that the food is good but also to find out what the best dishes of this certain chef are. It might even be something you weren’t going to order but, after trying it, you feel like you have to have it. And such situations often happen.
If you choose to have a buffet rather than a plated dinner – and the buffet can actually save you a lot of money – make several stands instead of one single line. It will give your guests a chance to communicate with more people and mingle with the crowd a bit, not simply standing in a line and then sitting at the table. Also, the banquet hall will look cozier this way.
If you want something special and interesting for your wedding reception, try a bunch of stations (different cuisine stations or hot drink stations) or a food bar (like chocolate bar or bacon bar or sushi bar). Be imaginative but not too much.
A cocktail hour is also a fun way of having a wedding party. Some couples have it before the actual meal, others instead of it. You can have some snacks and bite foods with the cocktails. If most of your guests are young people, this might be a perfect wedding reception for them.
Another cool idea is to have to-go boxes for the guests. There is always plenty of food left after the reception ends, so don’t let it go to waste. Make the cooks and servers prepare these little to-go boxes with some food or snacks that are left. Your guests will appreciate it for sure.
