Wedding Menu Ideas For Every Bride
Sifting through all the wedding menu ideas from bridal magazines, websites, and caterer menus can seem like a daunting task to even the most organized bride or groom. If you're finding yourself overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices — not to mention your friends' and family's food allergies, new diets, food restrictions, and plain old preferences — take a deep breath. When you're searching for wedding menu ideas, you don't have to choose dishes that are overly complicated, stuffy, or boring to please everyone on your guest list. In fact, breaking out of the "chicken, fish, or pasta" mold will make your special day stand out, ensuring that you're enjoying your day and your dinner. Check out our wedding menu ideas below.
Use Fresh, Seasonal, and Local Produce
With everyone focused eating healthier these days, utilizing in-season produce is a great wedding menu idea that cuts costs in an eco-friendly way. It's also perfect for guests who are watching their waistlines. Raw, seasonal crudité bites at your cocktail hour and the use of organic, local vegetables during your meal will make for colorful plate. Try this watermelon radish and fennel salad with Meyer lemon vinaigrette as a side dish that will punch up the plate with zingy lemon and peppery fennel and add a bright pink visual impact from the watermelon radish.
Mix It Up with DIY Food Bars
Food bars are a fun wedding menu idea that lets guests customize their meals to their dietary and flavor preferences. Take a side dish that's a universal crowd pleaser — truffled potato purée and guacamole are wedding menu favorites — offer Champagne coupe glasses for servers to dish out the base, then lay out an array of topping choices and fun add-ins. It's a fun activity that makes for a delicious dish.
Turn Tradition on Its Head and Forego a Cake
The wedding cake is the pièce de résistance at any wedding reception, but for an updated wedding menu idea, try a tower of doughnuts, cupcakes, or cake pops. They're a fun alternative to the traditional wedding cake, and the handheld sweets are easy to serve and eat at outdoor weddings or gatherings where you know the guests will be dancing the night away.
Most importantly, remember to enjoy yourself on your wedding day. Plan a menu that will first and foremost make you happy, and know that you don't have to go the traditional route to have an amazing meal. At the end of the day, your menu should be as special as you and your significant other.