WEDDING RECEPTION - CHOOSING THE BEST TIME TO HOLD YOUR WEDDING CELEBRATION

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Planning a flawless wedding reception is a major part of creating the perfect wedding experience. The popular saying goes, the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach and this is just as applicable for your wedding guests. If you are looking to provide satisfaction to all of your wedding guests, there are several key wedding reception food ideas that will help make sure your guests enjoy a good meal and have a good time.

WEDDING RECEPTION WITH BREAKFAST/BRUNCH

When you are working with a tight budget, one option is to schedule your wedding in the morning time to take advantage of a brunch wedding reception. Consider taking the best parts from different breakfast cuisines: beans from the English, bacon from North American tradition, éclairs from Europe, croissants from France, and some Trahina soup with katiki cheese from the Greek tradition. This type of setting lends itself to a multicultural/global wedding theme. You can send wedding invitations with a travel theme and instead of numbering each table name each table after a different country. This type of wedding reception will tend to have more of a casual and fun atmosphere.

WEDDING RECEPTION WITH LUNCH

If you are scheduling your reception for noon, the foods should be heavier than breakfast but lighter than a dinner reception. The most popular choices for this type of event are pastas and elaborate salads. Stay away from cold cut meats and sandwiches as you do not want it to feel like a corporate lunch. This type of reception does well in a garden type setting. Look for a venue that has some outdoor landscaping, fountains and pathways where your guests can roam after eating some lunch. If your reception venue has windows and a great view of the outdoors and a garden it can help you save on your décor budget. All you may need for your garden theme wedding is a couple of flower arrangements, some hanging lanterns and of course some candles to create the perfect atmosphere.

WEDDING RECEPTION WITH DINNER

This is the most popular and accordingly the grandest of all receptions. You will surely need a large budget to meet the expectations of your guests for a wedding dinner reception. The “per plate” prices fall into a very wide range from $50 dollars per guest to $200+ per guest depending on the venue, caterer, elaborateness of your courses, etc. If you are planning to offer several courses for dinner, make sure that you have all your guests RSVP before a specific date about their preferences. You can easily include their choice for dinner courses in the RSVP card with your wedding invitations. This will allow you to prepare the appropriate number of dishes and keep in mind the special diets of diabetics, vegetarians, etc. Keep in mind that you will also have to budget for cocktails and/or hoer d’eurves and a dessert table if they are not included in the package price.

One piece of valuable advice is to make sure you go multiple tastings and remembering that an expensive meal does not always mean a satisfying or delicious meal. There is no standard rule set for whether or how much alcohol to serve your guests. The most expensive option is an open bar, but a very popular idea is to order 2-3 bottles of wine per table and then have your guests pay cash at the bar for their drinks for the rest of the night.