Your wedding reception should furnish enough fun to match the beauty of your ceremony. You can save yourself a lot of worries by letting your guests select at least a portion of their foods. While an open bar may sound festive, it can get very costly and could encourage some guests to imbibe a bit too much.
Drinks
Be ready to pass out many glasses of bubbly for your toasting, but consider limiting alcohol access for the rest of the evening. One of the challenges of serving liquor is that not everyone responds well to alcohol, and you don’t need a relative or friend of the family making bad choices with your big day. In addition, many wedding receptions include young guests, and you don’t want to be responsible for underage drinking. Remember that the effect of alcohol depends on how much is consumed, so consider limiting the amount your guests can drink if you plan on serving alcohol.
Main Course
Instead of fiddling with a sit-down meal, try something different. Serving your guests from a fajita and taco bar means that those who want something heavier can prepare a bigger plate. For folks with small children or a smaller appetite, lighter choices can be made. If Mexican cuisine won’t suit, consider setting up a Mediterranean table beside the taco bar. Finger food from stuffed grape leaves to hummus can allow your guests to graze and mingle. Ask a family member or friend to help with cleanup at the end of the night. Anything salvageable can be donated to a shelter or soup kitchen.
Dessert
Of course, wedding cake is the traditional dessert of choice. However, you can also treat your guests to smaller sweet treats, specialty candies, or fruit as well as cake. Whenever you’re inviting folks to walk and eat, make sure to have plenty of napkins at each of the food tables. It’s also a good idea to put out baskets or bowls of wet naps so everyone can keep their fingers clean.
One of the nicest things about encouraging people to make their own choices is that you can prevent the risk of allergen exposure. In addition, your guests can take as much or as little food as they want. Provide plenty of options to ensure your guests all get something to eat on your big day.
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2 Responses
I really like how you point out that not everyone will be able to handle themselves when it comes to alcohol so limiting drinking is a good idea. I have a friend getting married soon and he’s been thinking about hiring a mobile bar for part of the catering. We’ll have to look into details about limiting guests’ drinks.
Thanks so much for the tips on what to consider when trying to cater for a wedding. I have a friend getting married in a few months and they aren’t sure what kind of food they want to do. They’ve been thinking about hiring some food trucks for the variety though, so we’ll have to look into what that process will be like.