About Wedding Reception Meals
Although many brides and grooms never get around to eating at their wedding receptions, their guests surely do and are often hungry after traveling to the wedding, sitting through the ceremony and making it to the reception. For that reason, it's important to put serious effort into planning the timing and selection of your wedding reception meal. Wedding reception meals can be as simple or as elaborate as the bride and groom wish, although meal selection usually revolves around the couple's budget as much as it does the theme of the reception. If you're planning your wedding reception meal, here's what you need to know.
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Types
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There are four main types of wedding reception meals: buffet, station, family and restaurant styles. Buffet style allows guests to line up at a long table that is topped with food and pick what they'd like to eat. Station style is an alternative to buffet style in which food stations are set up and guests visit them based on what they'd like. There could be a pasta station, carving station and desert station, for example. Family style allows the guests to stay seated while food is served in large bowls and on large serving platters at each table. Guests then pass the food around the table, sharing the portions among them. Restaurant style is when each guest's meal is plated and served to them at their table. Buffet style and family style lend themselves to the most informal type of wedding receptions, while restaurant style is usually chosen for wedding receptions that are more formal. That said, a bride and groom can make any type of wedding reception meal work with a little creativity. For example, an upscale wedding reception could have a theme of "Tastes of the World" and have different countries represented at different stations.
Themes
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Some couples like to choose a theme for their wedding reception meal. Popular themes include brunch, Italian, BBQ and luau. To create a themed wedding reception meal, choose coordinating table decorations, linens and food selections. If you were having an Italian themed wedding reception meal, for example, you could include checkered tablecloths, an empty wine bottle topped with a candle and bread and olive oil on the table. You could also have opera music playing in the background while classic Italian dishes are served. The drinks offered with the meal could also tie into the meal theme. For example, you could serve fruity alcoholic or nonalcoholic drinks complete with umbrellas sticking out from the tops for a luau.
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Time Frame
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Wedding receptions can be held in the morning, mid-morning, afternoon and evening, and the timing of the reception can affect your meal selection. Morning and mid-morning receptions often serve breakfast and brunch selections, while afternoon receptions serve lighter fare. Dinner receptions usually serve the most formal meals. Because the wedding party is often off taking pictures, leaving the guests to mingle and wait for their meals, some type of first course should be provided at the wedding reception meal. Finger foods, appetizers, cheese and crackers and fruit are good first course selections. Because most reception meals are prepared to be served hot at a certain time, it's important that someone keep track of time during this phase of the reception so that meals aren't served cold.
Cost
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The cost a wedding reception meal can vary from a few dollars per guest to $100 or more per guest, depending on what you're serving, when you're serving it and where you're serving it. The most economical of wedding reception meals is the potluck, in which guests bring a dish to share. Breakfast and brunch foods are usually the most affordable types of wedding reception meals to prepare, followed by luncheons and dinners. If you're having your wedding reception meal catered, the cost will be significantly greater than if you were preparing it yourself. The number of guests that you're having will also factor into the cost of your wedding reception meal, as well as whether you'll be covering the cost of drinks. A full sit-down menu with an open bar can cost upward of $100 per person, while a breakfast or brunch menu selection may cost about $25-50 per person (see Resources).
Considerations
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When it comes to planning wedding reception meals, a lot more than food needs to be considered. If you'll be offering your guests a selection of plated meals, you'll need to include a few lines on your invitation reply asking your guests to indicate which dish they'd prefer. When factoring in the cost per person, you'll also need to consider the table settings, linens and possibly even the table and chair rentals. Depending on the location of your wedding reception, these items may or may not be included in the price. If you have guests with known allergies or who are vegetarians, it's also a good idea to speak with them in advance and alert the chef so that he can prepare in advance to create a few alternative meals. If you're hosting a potluck, it's important to have a meal sign-up sheet so that you offer your guests a well-rounded meal. If you feel like a wedding reception meal isn't something you want to do, consider hosting a tea and cake reception.
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