by Susan Hibberd

Created on: November 23, 2009   Last Updated: November 24, 2009

When you are planning your wedding you want everything to be special, not only for you but also for your guests. Choosing the right menu is part of making the day go smoothly.

When you are catering for a large number of guests it is sometimes hard to choose the best menu for the occasion. Here are some tips to help guide you:

Number

Think about how many people you will have at your wedding dinner. If you are expecting a large number, then consider how long it will take to serve them all. A large and complicated menu will mean a really long time sitting down.

If you have a small number of people attending, then you can be quite curative with the menu. A chef will be able to provide a wider range of alternatives if there are fewer people, as he is less constrained by time and space.

Theme

The wedding dinner should fit the theme of the wedding. If you are having a lavish traditional wedding, then a lavish traditional menu would fit well. If you have planned an elegant minimalist wedding, then a menu based on nouvelle cuisine would fit much better into the day.

If you have chosen a particular color, such as burgundy as your theme, then you could ask the caterer to take this into account when designing the menu.

Culture

If you or your partner come from a particular cultural background you might want to honor this in your choice of food. If you are your partner come from different cultural backgrounds, then you will need to work harder to find common ground. If you both have traditional foods that need to be served, try to include them all, so as not to offend family members.

Special Diets

Find out in advance if any of your guests have special diets, such a wheat-free or vegetarian. Make someone responsible for letting the caterers know who this is, so that they can be served with the minimum of fuss.

Time of Year

The time of year might dictate which foods are available. If you particularly want fresh strawberries, but have planned a winter wedding, you will find that you are paying a premium for out-of-season produce that won't be at its best.

The time of year can also give an indication of appropriate dishes. Autumn dishes could include pumpkin soup and nut cutlets, whereas a spring menu could include lamb and asparagus. Winter menus should be rich and warming, while summer menus will be light and refreshing.

Personal Taste

Do take your own personal taste into account. After all, it IS your day, and you need to enjoy the food as much, if not more than the guests!

Take the time to plan a menu, and ask the opinion of your caterer along the way, as he will have provided the food for countless weddings and will know what works and what doesn't.

At the end of the day, it is the marriage vows which are important, not the food, so make your best effort to get it right, but don't think that the day will be spoilt if you have lemon sorbet instead or orange between courses. Chill and enjoy it!

Learn more about this author, Susan Hibberd.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.