Considering that the majority of your wedding budget goes toward food and drink, it's no wonder you are thinking about just how to let your guests know the delicious choices they have. Not only will you spend a lot of time deciding what types of food to serve...you have to choose how to serve it! Whether you choose Family Style, Buffet, Plated or the increasingly popular Food Stations, a properly placed menu will add to the anticipation of your event. Below is a list of each and our suggestion for how and when to include them.
Family Style - We suggest placing 1 or 2 menus at each table for guests to pass around and share - just like the food! You could also send a menu card with the invitation ensemble, or place one at each place. Keep in mind, the table will get rather crowded once the food is served so the less you add to the tables beforehand, the better!
Buffet - For Buffet style dinners, we favor menus at each place setting. What a great way to incorporate beautiful papers with shine and texture to your table scape! You could also have a small card with a food description placed near each item on the buffet line. We strongly suggest doing so if you are serving ethnic cuisine. You could still send a menu with the invitation ensemble, but with the many choices buffets offer, the card could get pretty lengthy.
Plated - Or some might say: "a response card nightmare"! Relax, we have this one under control! Most couples serving plated dinners at their reception offer meal choices on the reply card as this helps their caterers prepare the correct number of each offering. Unfortunately, response cards are often crammed for space and your exquisite "Center Cut Filet Mignon", "Pan Seared Wild Salmon", and "Chicken Francaise" get represented as: "Beef", Fish", and "Chicken". Our solution? Include a menu with the invitation. You can either double side your response card and put the menu on the back, or include the menu as a piece of the ensemble. This will help your guests make their choices and leave them excited to see the other fine details you have incorporated into the reception. You could also leave a menu at each table or even each place setting to better describe the food they will be served.
Food Stations - Food stations are a great way to incorporate themed food or break up the traditional "table-dismissal-buffet-monotony". I will never forget the wedding I attended a few years back where six entirely different cultures were represented at six different food stations. It was a great way to learn about and try new foods but I am a picky eater and thankfully a menu was on display at each station. You could also include a menu card at each place setting or at each table describing the different stations and perhaps why you chose them. And as with any other type of reception, it would be just fine to include a menu card within your invitation ensemble.
All this talk about food and now my stomach is growling! Time for lunch! No need for a menu...its a boring Lean Cusine....
Steph
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