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Is there anything more important or more complex than wedding catering? Not only do you need to create a memorable and exciting spread, but you also need to balance your budget along with determining how many guests will be involved. Taking the planning step-by-step is the only way to make sure that your guests get fed while your sanity remains intact.

Start With the Pre-Planning

Before you begin looking into the numbers, you should have a rough idea of how you want your wedding to be catered. How many guests are you interested in serving? What kind of meals do you envision? Are you going to be having a lunch wedding or a dinner wedding? Are you going to have appetisers and canapes? What about the drinks and drink service?

Most people only have a general idea of what they want before they contract with a caterer. It's after they discuss their goals with their caterer that they can narrow down what they really want.

Connect With a Caterer

It's important to talk to a caterer as early as possible, as if you don't talk to a caterer you won't know what's available or feasible in your area. Your caterer knows everything about per head pricing, seasonal ingredients, and the best ways to make your ideas come true. Further, many caterers prefer to work with specific venues, or need to be booked well in advance; connecting with them early on is the best way to make sure you get everything you need.

Give Your Caterer Some Examples

One of the best ways to get exactly what you want from a caterer is to give them examples of what you want. You can send them images of food that you find particularly appealing, a list of your favourite ingredients, or examples from local restaurants that you really enjoy. When it comes to desserts like cakes, sometimes it can be helpful to bring an example of something that you loved, and let the caterer know about any changes to your example that you would enjoy. 

Finalise Your Guest List

Your caterer is going to need to have a very exact guest list to be able to complete the catering. And that means that you're going to need to finalise your guest list before you can be aware of the full budget. Finalise your guest list as early as possible with a little bit of wiggle room, with the idea that there may be some changes that come closer to the date.

Get Back the RSVPs

Your wedding RSVPs should have given you information about dietary restrictions, in addition to which meals your guests are most interested in. This information will need to be forwarded to your caterer. Often, when sending RSVPs, the choice of a couple of proteins and a vegetarian meal are often offered: as an example, a chicken, beef, or salad plate. This tells the caterer exactly what they are going to need to prepare and for whom.

Decide on the Final Menu

Once you get your RSVPs back, you should know which entrees are going to be served for lunch or dinner. However, you're still going to need to work towards figuring out things such as canapes. Your caterer will be able to produce a full menu for you at this time, and you can work with your caterer to determine what you are most happy with.

Usually, your caterer is going to give you examples of different types of food that they might prepare, and you'll be able to select the ones that taste best to you. These may be based on the season, the general theme of your wedding, and your own personal tastes. 

Finalise Everything as Early as Possible

Nothing related to catering should be left to the last minute, as it requires a lot of preplanning. Changing an appetiser just before an event may seem easy enough, but in fact it could change everything, from introducing scheduling issues to altering the total cost of your catered event.

Once you know which food items you want prepared, you should finalise everything with the caterer. From there, they can begin doing things such as scheduling their labour, planning how the food will be cooked, and making purchases in advance. 

Organising wedding catering may feel overwhelming, but there's a lot that the caterer can take care of for you. Contacting a catering as early as possible is the best way to make sure everything goes off without a hitch. To get started with your planning now, contact Laissez-faire.

There are many details that a wedding guest will remember weeks after the reception, but there is something they will never ever forget: how good (or bad) the meal was. That’s why it makes sense to put enough time and plenty of planning into the food, drinks and the right caterer for your reception.

But before you start planning your wedding catering, you need to decide on your wedding theme and venue. After you have decided on those two, talk to your fiancé about your wedding reception. No matter what style you choose, both of you have to make sure that you understand all the catering options available before making your final decision.

Booking a caterer for your wedding should be straight forward and exciting at the same time. At the start, expect an informal and no pressure talk from the caterers that you‘ll be meeting with. They will get an idea of who you are, what you like and dislike. It can be over the phone or a face to face meeting. A proposal will be created with the menus and the cost for your initial consultation if it applies.

Choosing The Reception Style

Wedding receptions are usually offered in different styles. Whether you’re thinking of an elegant or traditional wedding or a small and intimate gathering with your family and friends, there will be a style that will surely fit your taste. Below are some examples:

A Sit-down Dinner

This is the most traditional style and has groups of around 10 guests seated at a table assigned to them and with each guest being served three courses or more. If you want an elegant and traditional wedding this is the one for you. For this, you have to consider your venue and budget, since a plated dinner needs more staff to prepare, plate and serve the dish. The good thing is that this style will give guests more time to mingle and it also allows guests to dress up  fancy! This style of reception is more suited for an all adults-only guest list.

Food choices typically served in this style include:

Appetizers:

• A Mixed Seafood appetizer: shrimp, calamari, scungilli, octopus, and mussels with lemon and extra-virgin olive oil
• Fresh figs draped with prosciutto di Parma 
• Tuscan garden salad: romaine lettuce, Bibb lettuce, radicchio, tomatoes, and radishes with balsamic vinaigrette

Main Courses:

• Rack of lamb: Coated in an aromatic blend of fresh herbs and spices
• Salmon: broiled and seasoned with bread crumbs, garlic, lemon, and butter
• Served with: Bouquet of fresh seasonal vegetables and golden fried potato croquette

Desserts:

• Cake Push Pops
• Waffle Sundaes
• Mini Pies on a Stick
• Pudding Parfaits

A Standing-Style Party

Main Courses:

• Barbecue beef brisket
• Pork spareribs
• Smoked sausages
• Barbecue chicken   

Sides:

• Barbecue beans
• Coleslaw
• Potato salad
• Tossed green salad
• Toasted garlic bread
• Cornbread
• Corn on the cob

Casual Dining

• Onion, Feta, and sun-dried tomato tartlet
• Dumplings served with dipping sauces
• Grilled coriander, giant prawns with a chili-lime sauce
• Rosemary-roasted baby lamb chops with apricot-mint salsa
• Bite-size chicken fajitas with avocado salsa
• Mini lobster rolls on toasted brioche
• Sauteed soft shell crabs with a spicy rémoulade
• Chicken satays with a tangy peanut sauce
• Miso-glazed cod with Asian pesto
• Dim sum: crystal shrimp, sweet rice, spinach, and shiitake mushroom

Buffet Style

• Stuffed endive with Roquefort cheese, topped with chopped walnuts
• Wild mushroom tartlets
• Miniature crab cakes
• Artichoke mousse puffs
• Roasted new potatoes with dill cream and golden caviar
• Melon wrapped in prosciutto
• Miniature reuben sandwiches
• Spinach dip with toasted pita triangle
• Spanakopita (spinach and Feta in phyllo pastry)
• Smoked salmon canapes topped with capers and fresh dill
• Seafood dip with sliced French bread
• Antipasti display (buffalo mozzarella, grilled eggplant, marinated mushrooms, artichokes, vine-ripened tomatoes, kalamata olives, and bread sticks)
• Smoked salmon display (sliced salmon served with chopped onion, lemon slices, capers, cucumber-dill sauce, and assorted dark breads)
• Carving station (Asian flank steak and Cajun-rubbed turkey breast served with cranberry-mango chutney and assorted rolls)
• Pasta station (ravioli with roasted red-pepper sauce; bow tie pasta with Gorgonzola cream sauce)

Deciding On The Wedding Menu

Know The Season

Check For Recommendations 

Choose Your Favorite Dish

Special Diet Menu

Happy catering hunting and congratulations!

How To Choose The Perfect Wedding Menu

Serving the right menu is one of the most essential aspects of making your wedding day flow smoothly. If you’re throwing a rustic backyard do, a plated dinner might be too formal. On the other hand, if your reception is in a grand ballroom, buffets or sit-down courses are definitely appropriate. Below are some tips to make sure you’ll have the perfect menu for your wedding day.

Establish a budget

The number of guests, the serving style, the appetisers and the cocktails; every decision will impact cost, thus you need to establish a budget early on and make sure you stick to it. This will help you keep on track of everything.

Plan and start early

A superb menu always starts with the caterer, but to get your first pick, you’ll have to book early. Some industry experts suggest booking catering and venues around 12 months before the event.  Keep in mind, some venues will require you to use their in-house caterer or they will have a short list of wedding professionals that they work with exclusively.

If you have the opportunity to choose your own caterer, look for a chef that is flexible and excited about trying new dishes and food ideas.

 

Season begins #weddingcatering #catering #events #Lovelycouple

A photo posted by Laissez-faire Catering (@laissez_faire_catering) on Sep 4, 2015 at 11:06pm PDT

Know your numbers

Know how many guests will be attending and ensure your maximum budget can handle this amount. This will help you determine your menu. If you want to have an impressive spread, consider limiting your guest list. If you want everybody to be there, just cut costs in creative ways that will still provide an enjoyable and delicious spread for everyone.

Understand dietary restrictions

Vegans, people with peanut allergies or guest who prefer a gluten-free diet should be considered. Talk with your chosen caterer about these challenges in advance to prevent any delays when plating entrees and main meals.

 

Tailored menu #tasting #catering #laissez_faire_catering #dinner #events #warmfoodforthesoul

A photo posted by Laissez-faire Catering (@laissez_faire_catering) on Apr 19, 2016 at 1:41pm PDT

Think of a style or theme

The couple’s personality should drive the theme of any wedding. Some weddings will have very traditional of formal themes, while others may be more casual. Your themes can be expressed through the attire of the wedding party, the décor, floral arrangements, the ceremony itself, the venue, the season and the type of food served at the reception.

 

The perfect wedding #lisaandandrew #cellblock #love #events #eventcatering

A photo posted by Laissez-faire Catering (@laissez_faire_catering) on Sep 16, 2015 at 2:34am PDT

Go for local and seasonal

Great chefs and cooks plan their menus around whatever is fresh that month or season. Ask your caterer what ingredients will be in season on the day of your wedding and request to have your menu made around those ingredients. Find the freshest options by choosing locally grown produce. Also make sure your caterer is familiar with the foods they are preparing. There is no worse way to make your menu memorable than getting your guests sick from badly prepared food.

Cover all bases with your spread by having beef, poultry, seafood and vegetables. Make sure you have something slightly salty, sweet and something savoury to cater to all types of palettes.

 

What's for dinner? #tasting #catering #event #cateringwedding

A photo posted by Laissez-faire Catering (@laissez_faire_catering) on Aug 17, 2016 at 5:04am PDT

The caterer should also care for good presentation

Choose a caterer who cares as much about presentation as they do about good tasting food. First impressions will help make the day memorable. You can also add small touches of your own like a special signature cocktail, a special dessert or napkins in your wedding theme colours.

Do not skimp on the portions

Make sure that you have enough food for everyone. Even if you’re having a buffet, your caterer will still need an approximate head count.

These are some of the things that you need to remember when choosing your wedding menu.