The Heart And “Sole” Of Your Big Day: Choosing Food And Drink For Your Wedding!
The happiest days of your life can be, in many ways, one of the most stressful. In the lead up to your wedding day, you have so many things to keep track of, that the overall stress can wear you down. This is why it’s important to make it an enjoyable process, and if you are in heaven when the topic of food comes up, choosing the ideal food and drink for your wedding is one of the most pleasurable aspects of wedding planning. On one hand, tasting the food is enjoyable, but while you have to think about it purely relating to you and your partner, don’t forget you have other people to please too. So, with that in mind, how can you get the right balance to pick the right food and drink that pleases not just yourself, but everybody?
Nailing Down The Guest Numbers (And Other Admin)
Let’s get the boring stuff out of the way first! When you are going through the address book and deciding who to invite, it’s going to be a major factor in the menu you decide to go with. Because if you are trying to work within a specific budget it can directly impact the type of food you really want. If one of the main priorities you have as a couple is to serve the best food possible, this automatically increases your budget, so you may want to think about inviting less people. Likewise, when you are going through the process of finding the perfect venue, naturally your budget comes into mind. And so, from this point, if you have a preferred caterer that you would like to work with, it’s better to get on board with them sooner rather than later. It’s recommended you find the right caterer at least 12 months before the big day. And sometimes, you may find an absolute steal as far as the wedding venue is concerned, you could find a country wedding venue with no daytime corkage charges, and this will open you up as far as going for quality is concerned in the food or drink department. It’s much better for you to decide what you want in every aspect, not just a food, and then you can budget accordingly. Because some wedding venues may require you to use their on-site caterer, this is why you need to have the big three nailed down early- venue, dress, and food!
The Dietary Restrictions
For some people, it’s a priority, but for others, it’s an annoying bump in the road. But really, to make sure that this isn’t one of those things that becomes so annoying to get right a couple of weeks before the big day, you are far better off asking for dietary requirements of your guests as soon as the invitations go out. Sometimes people say they will eat “anything”, but this is not always truthful. So, by giving them the opportunity to explain any specific dietary requirements, from gluten free, to dairy free or vegetarian and vegan, as early as possible in the process, you won’t need to go to your caterer later on in the proceedings, and have to change the entire menu! And a lot of the time, we can be quite surprised as to the ingredients of some of our favorite foods. Surprisingly, there are vegans out there that have no idea that mayonnaise is made with egg! And likewise, when you are considering dietary requirements, you need to think about being as crowd pleasing as possible, but still with your own unique style. For example, something like tiramisu may be a crowd pleaser for an Italian themed wedding, but it’s made with raw egg, and so, pregnant guests will be advised to stay clear. This is a very difficult thing to get right, because you want everyone to enjoy themselves, and if you’ve been to a wedding where the food’s been awful, it can be the only thing you think about or can put a damper on the day. So, you may want to stay clear or things like exotic meats, or more foods, such as sashimi rolls or traditional Japanese fare. But, with this in mind, you still want it to be as close to your own tastes as possible.
Picking The Right Drinks
Picking the drinks can be a little more complex than you first realize. For example, the venue you choose may deal with a distributor that doesn’t sell certain types of beers that you desperately want, or you are bound by specific liquor and beer laws pertaining to the state you live in (if you’re in the US). But wherever you are in the world, choosing the right drinks is it just about alcohol content, it’s about complimenting the food. This is a fine art all in itself, especially when choosing wines for the table. Of course, common knowledge dictates there should be a red and a white for each table, but, going deeper into it, you may decide that wine isn’t your thing at all, in which case, what are the alternative options? As a general rule, when should be there to go with the main meal and dessert, but when it comes to the toast, you may want to forgo champagne or anything of that ilk, but it depends on the type of couple you are. A more rustic approach could very easily mean craft beers, or a winter wedding may suggest a punch or warmed cider for the toast. But, budget will always dictate everything. There are a few mistakes that can be made when it comes to setting up alcohol, and these include not having a second bar, especially if you have a lot of guests in attendance who are parched. In addition to this, some people choose a self-serve bar, which can easily cause problems if the bar runs dry early on in the day. Conversely, having a bar that doesn’t open until a certain time can leave guests thirsty and frustrated while waiting. It’s far better to insure a small supply of alcohol caters for the crowds, at least just after the ceremony, which can be done while dishing up the canapes, and have the serving staff give out glasses of the preferred tipple. And always take into account the weather. A full bodied merlot doesn’t go down well in the summertime and a Caipirinha isn’t one of the most warming winter drinks you can get!
Choosing The Right Style
Whether choosing food or drink, it’s always important to make it a part of the overall feel of the big day. A rustic, winter wedding can easily conjure up feelings of warmth and coziness, in which case a classic meal like fish and chips works perfectly well. And with fish and chips, you can keep it simple as far as drinks are concerned, you don’t necessarily have to serve sophisticated red wine, but there are plenty of wonderful beers that go perfectly well with a modest, yet delicious, fish supper. Flavor combinations are one of those things that you either have a taste for, or you don’t particularly care about it. But when you are serving up drinks to go with the food, it has to, at least, take some precedence in the whole decision making process. Of course, when the evening do starts up, alcohol doesn’t need to take priority, just as long as the bar is well stocked!
Picking the right meals and drinks for the big day is one of the more fun aspects of wedding planning, and it’s important to ensure your guests have full bellies. While portions are important when picking the right meals, you want to use the foods to tell an important story about yourselves. For example, the starter could be one of the first meals you had together, and one of the drinks being sold reminds you of a holiday you both took, and it’s these little aspects of your story you can tell through the food you serve up. At the same time, providing a tasty banquet is essential to provide your guests with the energy to dance all through the night. There is nothing worse than going to a wedding where the food is underwhelming and not filling in the slightest. People inevitably turn to drink to fill up, which can leave some people worse for wear. It’s a little thing, but it’s one of the most important aspects to consider.
All in all, your big day is going to be a talking point for the rest of your lives, which is why everything has to be in as perfect condition as possible. Of course, things go wrong, but if you are bringing families together, and food is incredibly important to you both, telling your story as a couple, but also using food as a wonderful talking point for the guests, isn’t just going to make people happier on the big day, it will be something that people talk about for years to come.
Disclosure: This is a featured post.