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   Wedding Planning found in House & Home  :  Holidays & Special Events A   A   A
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Food and Drink

Whether your venue is on-site or off-site, you’ll need to plan your menu and decide how you want to serve food and drinks.

Choosing a Caterer

If you choose an off-site wedding venue, you’ll need to hire a caterer to provide food and drink for your event. You can hire a caterer just as you would hire any other vendor (see How to Choose and Hire Vendors). Alternatively, you might approach the chef or owner of a favorite restaurant to see whether they’d agree to cater your reception.

Interviewing Caterers

Once you’ve found a few promising caterers, schedule informational meetings with them to find out the following:
  • What are their sample menus and specialties?
  • Can you arrange a tasting to help you plan the menu?
  • Can they provide for guests with special dietary needs?
  • Will they provide staff? Will the staff expect tips?
  • Do they provide silver, china, glass, and linen rentals?
  • Do they handle liquor?
  • Can they provide an estimate of the total cost?
  • Does the total cost include extras, such as a security deposit, sales tax, and so on?
  • Is the wedding cake included?
Never hire a caterer without signing a written contract. Before you agree to a written deal, read the contract closely to confirm that it contains all of your costs and preferences.

Planning the Meal

Once you’ve chosen a caterer or on-site venue, you can begin to plan the food and drink that will be offered and how it will be served.

Planning Your Menu

To help you decide what to serve at your wedding, schedule a tasting in which the caterer or on-site venue allows you to try several options for hors d’oeuvres (appetizers) and each course. For the tasting:
  • Request that the food be presented just as it would be at your wedding.
  • Try the food with the wines that you expect to be served at your wedding.
When selecting the menu, make sure you offer food choices that will accommodate those with dietary restrictions.

Serving Hors d’Oeuvres

Hors d’oeuvres are traditionally served during a cocktail hour that takes place between the ceremony and the main reception. Hors d’oeuvres can be served in two ways:
  1. Passed: Servers walk around carrying trays of one-bite delights. Passed hors d’oeuvres are usually priced by the piece; 8–10 pieces per person should suffice.
  2. Stations: Appetizers are arranged on tables, each with a separate type of food, such as a raw bar (for shellfish) or a cheese table. Stations are usually priced according to the number of guests at your wedding.
You can choose passed hors d’oeuvres, stations, or both.

Serving the Meal

Buffet stations and table service are the two most popular ways to serve the main meal at your wedding.
  • Buffet stations: Guests go to manned or unmanned stations where they are served or serve themselves.
  • Table service: Servers bring food to the tables. Guests can place orders in one of three ways:
    • Servers take orders from guests at the wedding.
    • Guests select their meal in the wedding invitation.
    • The same meal is provided to everyone.
The buffet station and table service options usually don’t differ in cost, so the choice depends on your preference. Buffet stations are generally considered more informal.

Alcohol Options

The most common ways to offer alcohol at a wedding are with an open bar (all the drinks your guests want) or a limited bar, in which you offer specific drinks (such as beer and wine only, with no liquor) or set specific times when an open bar will be offered.

Paying for Alcohol

On-site venues and caterers that provide alcohol typically charge a fee to set up the bar. The alcohol itself is usually priced in one of two ways:
  • Consumption: You pay a fee for each drink that your guests order.
  • All-inclusive: You pay a fixed price for an unlimited supply of drinks.
If you expect your guests to drink a lot, you’re probably better off with all-inclusive pricing. You may also be able to save money by supplying the alcohol yourself, although many venues will charge a corkage fee for opening and serving the liquor for you.

No matter what you do, avoid having a cash bar at which guests are asked to pay for their own drinks. Cash bars at weddings are considered impolite.

Choosing a Wedding Cake

Whether you’re working with caterer or an independent baker on your wedding cake, consider these factors when selecting your cake:
  • Taste: To find the flavor you want, ask to set up a cake tasting with your caterer or baker.
  • Style: Cakes generally come in three main types—stacked tiers, separated tiers, or cupcakes.
     
  • Frosting: Fondant icing molds beautifully and withstands heat well but doesn’t have much taste. Buttercream frosting tastes great but doesn’t hold its shape or endure heat as well as fondant.
  • Cost: The more ornate the cake, the more it will cost. Cupcakes usually cost less than cakes.
 
 
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