We all know it, one of the most expensive parts of any wedding (as if it doesn’t get expensive enough) is the food. But, we know it to be one of the most vital, if not the most vital part of the entire day. A bad meal can linger in the minds of the guests, and a great meal can add that extra sense of occasion. And when it comes to choosing the ideal food from a wedding, we can very easily go for what we fancy, or we can go a little bit further. How do we choose?
Consider Your Style And Theme
Because there are so many of us now that proclaim to be ardent foodies we may very well go for the menu before anything else. But as wedding planning progresses and things fall into place, you come up with an overall style and theme for the big day. Food can accent the styling theme, providing that metaphorical icing on the cake. According to L’amour Catering founder John Mulligan, food service should have a sense of theatre to it, with a focus on abundance and bold flavours. This can very easily form the backbone of your entire day. If you are looking for a rustic approach to the proceedings, the food can dictate so much. Simplicity in the wedding setup can lend itself well to simplicity in the food. But we shouldn’t confuse simplicity with the bare basics. If we are planning a wedding that is rustic, and with the winter season firmly in full swing, thoughts can turn into mulled wine, and warming canapés. This can very easily work in your favour when it comes to the meals, because we can go for simple, refined, rustic food. So you can either go for the organic, locally sourced meats, and have it as part of a Sunday lunch style setup. The rustic and wonderful vegetables, meat, gravy or jus add the homely touches accented for good measure. On the other hand, you could try classic British staples like fish and chips, and use it to link to the place where the ceremony is happening. For example, if the wedding is in Cornwall, you could highlight this with local fish and chips and a lovely cream tea. Conversely, if you are going all out and making it a luxury wedding, everything has to have refinement and finesse. Everything needs to be perfectly decorated and the overall experience of the eating, from presentation to the subtle flavours, needs to form part of your food plan.
Give Consideration For The Guests
Because food is such a grandiose concept nowadays, you can go complex, with dense flavours, taking your taste buds on a long journey, you have to think about what works well in the grand scheme of things. Picking food for yourself and your partner is vital, of course, but thinking about the guests and ensuring that they are well fed, but pleased with the meal itself is surprisingly difficult. As anybody knows, one small issue with the meal clouds our overall enjoyment. And while we can cater for the basics before we start to taste test, such as by asking for dietary requirements and the like, the concern that we’re not pleasing everyone can weigh us down. The biggest problem you have to concern yourself with when it comes to food is ensuring there is enough. Hungry guests will leave feeling unsatisfied, which will naturally have an effect on the ambience of the event. We can provide an abundance of canapés and snacks to offset this, but when food is such an integral part of the day, choosing your canapés in relation to the theme and the ebb and flow of the day will result in happy (and full) guests.
The great thing about picking the food for the whole day is that there is no right or wrong. But what you have to think about is not just the money side, but creating a taste journey for your guests. The focus is on you and your partner and all the wonderful celebrations, but the food itself is a fine art between indulgence and enjoyment. And as everyone will be sitting down to eat at the same time, and the experience is where new people will meet and old friends will catch up, the food has to underpin all this. Bad food can make for a bad day, so give it the care and attention it so desperately needs.
