It’s your first meal as a married couple, and you’ve got to plan it. If that’s not enough pressure, think of all the guests you’ll be hosting. Whatever you choose to serve, you don’t want it to be plain.
In one of the latest wedding trends, brides are opting for spreads that are as gorgeous as they are delicious. But because the fancy, smaller portions in gourmet packaging aren’t “normal” food, it can be hard to dream up. Your caterer can help, and so can we. Two recently married couples reveal their menus, describe the thought process behind them and tell us how their meals went over. Bon Appétit!
LIBBY & JACK LOFTON
When Jack and Libby started planning their meal, they listed appetizers and meats they liked, but the list turned out too long and completely random. “I wanted it to flow,” Libby said, and a theme seemed like the best way to accomplish that. “We had a lot of out-of-town guests who don’t live in the South, so we thought it would be neat to serve Southern dishes – typically foods in that category are really good.”
Caterer: Simply the Best Catering
Main Courses
Pecan Crusted Fried Chicken with Praline Sauce
Tomato Soup Shooters with Mini Grilled Gruyere Cheese Sandwiches
• Presentation – At first, grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup might not sound like the fanciest meal, but presentation is everything. Once the caterer told Jack and Libby how they would serve those items, they were sold. The embellished menu item turned out to be a hit, too. “Everybody thought that was the cutest thing in the world,” Libby said.
Trio of Focaccia Bread Sandwiches
• Beef Tenderloin with Caramelized Onions
• Salmon with Capers and Lemon Zest
• Tomato, Buffalo Mozzarella and Basil
• Purpose – Since they were serving alcohol at their evening reception, the couple wanted to make sure they served some bread items. The focaccia bread sandwiches fit the bill. The fresh fruit didn’t have any significance to the couple or the theme, but it served a purpose, Libby said. “Fruit always goes over well, and it’s a healthy option for guests.”
Crab Cakes with Remoulade Sauce
Side Dishes
Collard Greens, Black Eyed Peas and Mini Cornbread Muffins (in individual spoons)
• Procedures – The individual spoons were another party favorite, but Libby had her reservations at first. “You think, ‘How are we going to do that for 200 people when you can only set out 50 of those spoons at a time?’ but they kept that covered,” she said. Allowing guests to eat upon arrival instead of waiting for the bride and groom minimized a rush and helped the staff keep up.
Fried Green Tomatoes topped with Corn Salsa
Spicy Craw Fish Dip
Dessert
Fresh Fruit with Vanilla Cream Cheese Dip
Late Night, To-Go Snack
Individually wrapped corn dogs with mustard packets
• Personality – Libby’s no picky eater and admits to being a huge fan of food, so turning a late-night snack into a party favor fit perfectly with her personality. Guests were sent home with corn dogs wrapped in foil with a sticker on them that said, “Thanks for celebrating with us!”
Post-Reception
“Absolutely ask your caterer to pack a to-go box for you at the end of the reception,” Libby said. Had Simply the Best not done that for them, Libby said, she probably wouldn’t have gotten to try the food because she was so busy during the evening. The next day, the newlyweds enjoyed the leftovers with their family and friends.
ASHLEY & CHAD GOSS
Being a full-time nurse and part-time grad student with a fiancé who worked full-time in sales didn’t leave Ashley a lot of spare time to plan their wedding. So the couple opted for the easy route with their menu, although you wouldn’t be able to tell it. “We didn’t even ask guests to RSVP to get an estimate on how much food to prepare,” Ashley said. With a buffet-style menu, they didn’t need to. The added perk: it was a more affordable option than a sit-down meal for all the guests.
Caterer: The Event Group
Main Courses
Baked Brie served with Sliced Apples, Pears, Grapes & Gourmet Crackers
• Tasteful Assessment – Ashley and Chad wanted to serve food that most people would like, but in an untraditional way. Ashley and her friends were fans of a local restaurant’s baked brie – a pastry with cheese melted inside – so she asked her caterer to serve it as well. It was a classier, lesser-known menu item that could be coupled with wine. “We just thought, ‘Let’s do that instead of having the cheese cubes that everybody has and nobody eats,’” Ashley said.
Spinach Artichoke Dip & Pita Chips
Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms
• Thrifty Thinking – “Chad loves shrimp, but the way he likes it is the ‘peel-and-eat’ kind, and that’s crazy expensive,” Ashley said. The couple wanted to serve seafood of some kind, but in a budget-conscious way. The crab-stuffed mushrooms deliciously accomplished both missions, and they were in step with the bite-size theme.
Salsa Bar
• Tomato Salsa
• Pepper & Onion Salsa
• Black Bean Salsa
• Guacamole
• Queso
• Mango Fruit Salsa served with Cinnamon Chips
True to the Plan – In another instance of turning the simple into the elegant, the couple asked for one of the Event Group’s signature salsa bars and freshly made tortilla chips. Presentation was everything, with most of the salsas in martini glasses and the mango salsa in a carved pineapple. It went well with the mini chicken quesadillas and was conducive to the up-tempo, mix-and-mingle atmosphere they were going for.
Side Dishes
Mini Chicken Quesadillas
Mini Caprese Bites
Carved Smoked Ham served with Croissants, Rolls & Sauces
• Traditional – The most traditional aspect of the buffet was the carving station for the ham. “It just seemed a little fresher to have people carving it for you rather than it sitting out,” Ashley said. Guests could then make sandwiches with meat on their own or eat it plain. And like the caprese bites, which were served on skewers, the ham sandwiches didn’t require forks.
Dessert
Strawberries dipped in Milk Chocolate
Double Doozie Cookie Cake with Milk Shooters
• Trend-Setting? In lieu of a traditional groom’s cake, Chad opted for his favorite from American Cookie Co. One of the “cakes” – two huge cookies with icing in between – was decorated with a Razorback theme, the other pre-cut and ready to serve.”You can’t have chocolate chip cookies without milk,” Ashley said, and the caterer came up with the idea of serving milk in shot glasses. “It was a huge hit.”
