Sit Down Wedding Dinner Menus

[Meredith380]

Have you done it? What did you choose? I'm less than a month out and my dinner (excluding cocktail hour) is as follows:

Maryland crab bisque soup served table side with a crab cake

Baby greens with a champagne vinaigrette

Choice of poached salmon in a white wine and mustards sauce, chicken stuffed with goat cheese, roasted peppers and feta or chateaubriand, all served with seasonal veg and starch

Banana wedding cake with butter cream frosting and an ice cream sundae bar along with adult coffee drinks.

I hope to hell I can find the time to actually EAT during my reception.

[LizD518]

I serve three & four course wedding dinners all the time. Your menu looks lovely. One thing you may consider, and it looks like the menu will lend itself to this, is start the dancing as entree is cleared since people will have been sitting for a while at that time. Have coffee served at a station so people can help themselves as early or late as they like (my grandmother drinks coffee all through her dinner), and have dessert served as a station so people can also help themselves.

Oh, and many couples don't get to eat, but the caters should be able to pack up portions for you and your husband. Many caterers don't do to-go bags as a policy, but they should make an exception for the bridal couple. They are probably packaging the top of your cake anyway.

[Plantes Vertes]

Meredith, that's a great topic. Congratulations on your forthcoming marriage!

At my wedding we served:

Lobster in cauliflower veloute

or

Creme fraiche and avocado tartare with roasted red pepper coulis

Roasted bone marrow with herb salad, creamed horseradish and toast

or

Girolle and trompette millefeuille with soave sauce

Wild boar ragout with baked polenta, sauteed spinach with garlic, buttered green beans

or

Smoked aubergine with tahini sauce, smoked ricotta, roasted fennel and artichokes

Pavlova

Orange ice-cream and crumbled amaretti with raisins soaked in Sancerre

Georges Gardet Brut Champagne 1988

Lupe-Cholet le Montrachet Grand Cru, Cote de Beaune, 1982

Bruno Giacosa Barolo, Piedmont, 1996

Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, 1990

De Bortolli Noble One Botrytis Semillon 1999

Hine Rare VSOP Cognac

[Plantes Vertes]

Oh, and many couples don't get to eat, but the caters should be able to pack up portions for you and your husband. Many caterers don't do to-go bags as a policy, but they should make an exception for the bridal couple. They are probably packaging the top of your cake anyway.

This astonishes me! Why do they not eat?

[LizD518]

Oh, and many couples don't get to eat, but the caters should be able to pack up portions for you and your husband. Many caterers don't do to-go bags as a policy, but they should make an exception for the bridal couple. They are probably packaging the top of your cake anyway.

This astonishes me! Why do they not eat?

Most of the time they are going around to all the tables in turn to say hi to all of their guests. Or people keep coming up them to talk. Most of my couples at least sit down for their entree, but not always.

[annachan]

There is no reason for the couple not to eat. We ate our entire meal before getting up to meet the guests at their tables.

If I remember correctly, we had 3-4 finger food type appetizers when guests arrived. I don't remember what they were now. I don't think we touched much if any of that as they started serving them before we arrived. Then it was a 3 course meal. I think we started with a salad, the main was steak and chicken (we didn't bother with a vegetarian option, double portion of chicken for my grandmother who didn't eat beef) and mango and raspberry sorbet for dessert. Wedding cake was chocolate hazelnut plus a carrot cake for a friend's birthday (she doesn't like chocolate so the pastry chef made her a separate cake).

[catdaddy]

Oh, and many couples don't get to eat, but the caters should be able to pack up portions for you and your husband. Many caterers don't do to-go bags as a policy, but they should make an exception for the bridal couple. They are probably packaging the top of your cake anyway.

This astonishes me! Why do they not eat?

Time will shrink like a wool sweater in a hot dryer. Get the money shots with the photog but make time to hangout with all those great folks you invited. Eat if you can, sounds like a great menu, but spend time with your peeps.

[weinoo]

I used to make up a plate of hors d'oeuvres and snacks for the couple and bring it specifically to them to snack on before they would come out to be introduced at the start of the reception. There's usually a room where they have to chill out before the reception starts.

Edited November 6, 2013 by weinoo (log)

[CaliPoutine]

My wedding was on Sept 28th, 2013 and I barely ate. We had a really beautiful backyard wedding in Socal and we served...... Mexican food. Carnitas, chicken, shrimp and al pastor. The guests could have tacos, burritos, quesadillas or nachos. There were rice and beans and all kinds of salsas and guac. I supplemented with a Mexican ceasar salad and a huge fruit bowl( mostly organic from the farmer's market). I did an appetizer table, Louisiana Cavier, spinach dip and crudité and ranch. We served 2 kinds of sangria, aqua frescas, soft drinks and water. I had 9 cakes too. a peanut butter milk choc.crunch( I made that one), carrot( made by me too), 3 bundt cakes from Nothing Budnt cakes, 2 cakes from a bakery( berry cloud and banana split, a NY cheesecake and a hazelnut caramel cake made by a friend. I wanted casual and that's we got!!

[annabelle]

I want to go to a reception that has that much cake.

[Meredith380]

I really hope I get to eat! The cocktail hour has 10 butler style passed hors d"ouevres, then 4 stations- one with three chafing dishes, a carving station with two meats, a stir fry station and mashed potato bar. Plus an antipasto table.

My biggest concern is what to drink- I can just imagine getting caught off guard by a guest and splashing red with all over myself. I'm seriously contemplating buying an additional short off the rack dress to wear after dinner so dancing is easier (same with using the restroom) and not worrying about spills or wearing a 20lb gown.

[judiu]

Champagne, of course! And yes for the dress, too, so you have room to eat!

[Meredith380]

What about gift bags for those who stay in your hotel of choice over night? My venue prohibits alcohol so I've gotten bottled water, small bags of Lays, small bags of Goldfish crackers, bags of m&ms, granola bars, tic tacs, chocolate chip cookies and mini bamboo cheese boards. What have others done? Do I have enough?

[annabelle]

I think that's plenty, Meredith. Let your maid of honor fret about that stuff.

[Smithy]

What Annabelle said. Meredith, the one piece of advice I can give you - because your wedding party already sounds lovely - is to remember that this is YOUR party - that is, you and your new mate - and you should please, please have an excellent time yourself! Everyone else is there to celebrate with you and help you launch happily into a new life together. Bringing that around full circle to the original topic: do make sure you have time to eat!

[Meredith380]

Okay.....let's pretend you are getting married tomorrow. And you stopped into your facility to drop off favors, toasting flutes, etc.

Imagine you worked for this company, in their restaurant, for about four years. And your parents had a house account there and plays golf with the owner on an elite tour group.

All that aside, you have a minimum. Of course. So you've been given preferential treatment by the banquet manager who is beyond relaxed. Three weeks in advance, he says, 'are you still anticipating 150?' you say no, more like 120.

A week ago you tell him it's more like 100 guests and share concerns about the size of the ball room with the said amount. "no worries" is the response.

Then you get the final bill. It's for 150 guests. You pour over the contract, not comprehending how this happened. Your parents scream and yell at you, put you down and basically want you to fight this all day, the day before your wedding.

What do you do? I've offered to pay the difference. Apparently it's not the money, it's the principle.

Edited November 15, 2013 by Meredith380 (log)

[annabelle]

Send your dad down there to handle it. You have enough to do.

Best wishes, honey!

[Meredith380]

My dads idea? Is to fill the minimum with homeless people. I almost smacked him.

[Jaymes]

My suggestion is to go ahead with the wedding and then, when the bill comes, go on Judge Judy.

[Shelby]

Yep, I'd put it out of my mind. Have the wedding. Have the best day ever and enjoy the hell out of it. Then, I'd go to the laid-back manager next week and figure it out.

[Smithy]

The decision has been made by now, I suspect, but here's my input anyway. I can understand your not wanting to invite strangers to your wedding, but can you make the country club donate those meals to a homeless shelter? If it's being purchased, they should have to deliver it. Otherwise, you shouldn't have to pay that much unless there's some contract clause regarding minimums or late guest adjustments.

Someday, after the aggravation has died down, you'll have a good story to tell. Meanwhile, I wish you a joyous celebration and an excellent marriage.