What did you pick for your menu?

[elrohwen]

Ok, this is just a generic question because my menu has been selected for a while, but what menu items did you select and why? Did you go with the standard chicken and beef? Did you pick something ethnic? Food was probably my favorite part of wedding planning (and will hopefully be one of my favorite parts of the day itself) so I''d love to hear how you all decided on your menus.

My answer: We went back and forth for a while on our menu. FI and I love food, and our favorite items were the lamb, duck, and sea bass (we didn''t get to try those specific items, but those were our favorite proteins out of the list; all the food we did try was excellent). We know a lot of people don''t like lamb or duck, and have maybe never tried sea bass, so we went back and forth over whether we should choose one, two, or all three of them. In the end, we decided it was our wedding and we would pick what we wanted to eat (and there are hors d''ouevres for miles, so no one would go hungry). Now that we''re a few weeks away, all three items were picked almost evenly among our guests (I think sea bass is the slight winner, but I was very surprised by how even the split was) and we''ve had so many positive comments by people who can''t wait to try the food! We''re so glad we didn''t go with the standard chicken and beef assuming those were the only things people would want to eat. I thought our friends weren''t picky eaters, and I''m glad I was right!

And I would looooove to attend a wedding with a great ethnic spread of food. I''m hoping my Chinese groomsman comes through with a multi-course Chinese menu at his wedding sometime in the future

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Date: 9/9/2009 4:11:40 PM
Author:elrohwen
I'm hoping my Chinese groomsman comes through with a multi-course Chinese menu at his wedding sometime in the future

That's what we did! We had a 9 course dinner (+cake). Soup was vegetarian so that everyone could part take since it was individual servings. Appetizer was plates of shrimp, beef, soy chicken, and jellyfish (cooked in traditional chinese styles). Courses included: peking duck, sesame chicken, mongolian beef and pepper, mandarin pork, sauteed shrimp&scallops, clay-oven prepared tofu & baby cabbage, beed he fun (noodles), and specialty fried rice. Dessert was egg tarts. Everything was served family style.

We basically just wanted to have a large variety, with one of everything so that everybody would find something they liked! It worked out really well, people raved about the delicious food!!

The only downside was it took about 3 hours to get through dinner, and a lot of people were too full to dance! Luckily we had karaoke too So we did some after dinner singing and dancing to work off the calories!

Food was important to me too, I wanted it to be memorable and tasty!

ETA: We did have one guest tell us the food was "horrible" when the duck was served, because she's a very picky eater and not a fan of ethnic food. That alone was pretty rude I thought, but add onto it that this guest wasn't even invited (she came as someone's uninvited +1), and neither of them even bothered to bring a card, much less a token gift. I was pretty annoyed that she then had the nerve to insult my choice of food, before getting really drunk at the open bar and dirty dancing like a stripper after dinner

 

[cocolaw]

appetizers being passed:

grilled chicken skewer with Thai peanut sauce
jumbo prawns chilled with traditional cocktail sauce
roasted garlic pecorino stuffed cremeni mushrooms
grilled bruschetta with roasted sweet red peppers, chevre, spinach pesto


first course

apple squash bisque with maple crème fraiche
assorted Big Sur Bakery breads with herb sea salt & butter


supper

mesquite grilled Black Angus beef tri tip with Point Reyes bleu cheese butter
smashed herb Yukon gold potatoes
poached asparagus

or

coriander crusted Monterey Bay halibut with mango jicama salsa fresca
saffron cous cous
grean beans (i forget how she is preparing them
assorted Big Sur Bakery breads with herb sea salt & butter

and

fresh squeezed lemonade upon arrival
raspberry mojitos, wine, beer
fair trade organic French roast & decaf

AND WEDDING CAKE!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[princessplease]

We're having a buffet, which is why I have the information posted like this.

We don't have everything picked out, but our venue allows us 5 butlered hour dervs (Thai chili chicken, mini chicken cordon bleus, crab connoli, scallops wrapped in bacon, and fried ravioli [we have a lot of kids attending]), and a tuscano table of Italian cheeses, meats, spreads, dips, etc. We're also doing signature cocktails of green apple martini and a blue martini during cocktail hour. Raspberry martinis are passed out upon guests' arrival.

For dinner, we can choose one beef (most likely filet mignon), one chicken (chicken francaise), one seafood ( most likely seafood medley of shrimp, scallops and crab), one veggie (green beans almondine), two cold salads (grilled chicken pasta salad, and shrimp and crab pasta salad), and one potato (parsley potatoes).

Dessert (which I am SO excited for, lol!!!!), we have a dessert buffet consisting of mouses, cheesecakes, carrot cake, a flambe station, eclairs, cream puffs, chocolate covered strawberries, fruit tarts, cannolis, crepes, cookies and fresh fruit, in addition to the wedding cake.

 

[rhbgirl24]

Cocktail hour

A landscape of continental Cheeses and Vegetable Crudités with Herb Dressing and sliced French breads
Mashed Potato Martini Bar
Attendant to serve Yukon Gold, Sweet Potato Puree, and Blue Potato in Martini Glass Presentation offered with Caviar, Truffle Oil, Chopped Scallions, Sautéed Mushrooms, Crème Fraiche Toppings, among others.
Extravagant Crepe Station
Pan fried crepes with chicken and vegetables served with sweet onion relish
The Mansion Martini Bar
an Array of Specialty Vodkas presented with a Decorative Ice Sculpture accented by a Lavish Martini Display

HOT HORS D''OEUVRES SELECTION
Butlered or Displayed from Silver Chafing Dishes
Spanikopita, Spinach stuffed in a flaky Pastry
Bacon-wrapped Sea Scallops
Pork Potstickers
Wild Mushroom Tart
Red Snapper Tempura with a lime-tequila sauce
Carpatchio
Coconut Shrimp
Empanadas stuffed with beef and served with a scallion cream


DINNER
First Course
Parmesan Romano risotto with cracked pepper

Salad Course
Baby Spinach Salad
with crumbled Blue Cheese, Roasted Pecans, Mushrooms, Belgium Endive, Sun-dried Cranberries & Mandarin Orange Dressing

Entrée Selection
Breast of Capon
stuffed with basmati rice, dried cherries and golden raisins in a Grand Marnier sauce

Poached Tilapia Filet
Served with Vegetable Julienne and Creamy Saffron Chardonnay sauce

Roasted Aged Prime Rib of Beef
Served with Horseradish Grand Jus

WEDDING CAKE

Viennese Dessert Table
Assorted Cakes, Miniature French and Italian Pastries, Mousses, and more. Bananas Foster and Cherries Jubilee with Vanilla Ice Cream and fresh seasonal fruit display. Accompanied by Chocolate-covered Strawberries, International Coffees, Tea, and Cordials

 

[Bella_mezzo]

So timely, I just designed the menu cards yesterday so this is right on my computer...

We''re doing brunch and dancing for 200-300 people depening on RSVP

:

Menu
Hors d’oeuvres
Display of vegetable crudité with assorted dips
Swedish Meatballs (he LOVES swedish meatballs, sometimes we go to IKEA as a date just to eat dinner...my pescetarian self just gets mac and cheese
On Tables
Sandy Wilson’s amazing sticky buns and Apple Castle donuts (two of my childhood favorites)
Pasta Tossing Station (my favorite meal ever is pasta with pesto)
Pastas: Bowtie, Fettuccine
Sauces: Alfredo, Marinara, Pesto
Meats: Italian Sausage, Grilled Chicken
Vegetables: Broccoli, Tomatoes, Spinach, Mushrooms,
Garlic, Onions, Bell Peppers
Roast Turkey Carving Station (his favorite meal ever is roast turkey)
with dinner rolls, gravy, cranberry sauce,
roasted red pepper and cilantro mayonnaises
Brunch Favorites Station
Buttermilk Pancakes with Warm Maple Syrup, (the venue is using our buttermilk pancake recipie)
Assorted Fruit Toppings, and Whipped Cream
Grits with Crumbled Bacon, Cheese, or Chives (he''s from the south, ''nuff said, grits are mandatory
Homestyle Sausage
Fresh Fruit Salad
Quiche Lorraine
Cake
Vanilla buttermilk cake with lemon curd and raspberry jam (these are all my recipies, I was going to make the cake--I''ve done it for several friends--but my mom freaked out, probably wisely, since I''m only arriving in town the day before the wedding and I''m doing all the flowers

Country Carrot cake with cream cheese Mousse (his favorite cake flavor)
Beverages
Chilled Fresh Squeezed Cherry Limeade and Minted Lemonade (our recipies and fave beverages--him --cherry limeade, me--minted lemonade)
Coffee, Decaf, Tea, Iced Tea

 

[lilylover]

FI and I just went to our tasting this past Saturday, and the food was SOOOO good. I can''t wait to eat it again on our wedding day. Here is our menu:
----------
STATIONARY HORS D''OEUVRES:
IMPORTED & DOMESTIC CHEESEBOARD
LAVISHLY GARNISHED WITH SEASONAL FRUIT, GOURMET CRACKERS & ARTISAN BREADS

COCKTAIL BUFFET:
WOOD GRILLED BREAST OF CHICKEN WITH LEMON ARTICHOKE SAUCE
SMOKED SALMON WITH HONEY GLAZE WITH CUCUMBER DILL SAUCE
RUSTIC SPINACH RICOTTA TART
ORZO PASTA WITH FRESH MOZZARELLA, ASPARAGUS CHERRY TOMATOES & BASIL PESTO DRESSING
CLASSIC CAESAR SALAD WITH HERBED CROUTONS & SHAVED PARMESAN

BEVERAGES:
WATER, ICED TEA, SUMMER SPARKLING PUNCH

All of this is 25 dollars a person.

---------
We will probably also have alcohol. Fortunately, at our venue they allow us to bring it in ourselves, and the caterer doesn''t charge a corking fee! Wo hoo.

 

[trillionaire]

Date: 9/9/2009 6:27:55 PM
Author: lilylover
FI and I just went to our tasting this past Saturday, and the food was SOOOO good. I can''t wait to eat it again on our wedding day. Here is our menu:
----------
STATIONARY HORS D''OEUVRES:
IMPORTED & DOMESTIC CHEESEBOARD
LAVISHLY GARNISHED WITH SEASONAL FRUIT, GOURMET CRACKERS & ARTISAN BREADS

COCKTAIL BUFFET:
WOOD GRILLED BREAST OF CHICKEN WITH LEMON ARTICHOKE SAUCE
SMOKED SALMON WITH HONEY GLAZE WITH CUCUMBER DILL SAUCE
RUSTIC SPINACH RICOTTA TART
ORZO PASTA WITH FRESH MOZZARELLA, ASPARAGUS CHERRY TOMATOES & BASIL PESTO DRESSING
CLASSIC CAESAR SALAD WITH HERBED CROUTONS & SHAVED PARMESAN

BEVERAGES:
WATER, ICED TEA, SUMMER SPARKLING PUNCH

All of this is 25 dollars a person.

---------
We will probably also have alcohol. Fortunately, at our venue they allow us to bring it in ourselves, and the caterer doesn''t charge a corking fee! Wo hoo.

Um, pray tell, where will this be? How did you find such an affordable venue???

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Date: 9/9/2009 6:41:10 PM
Author: trillionaire

Um, pray tell, where will this be? How did you find such an affordable venue???

Venue food prices can fluctuate A LOT depending on location. Mine was only 30$/person for the 9 course meal, which was really cheap considering the amount and quality of food, not to mention the table service at no additional charge, and no rental fees of any kind.

My entire reception (food, open bar, tips, and taxes, everything) came out to about 55$/person for a 6 hour reception on a Saturday night.

But it was also in upstate new york, and in the private party room of a restaurant (party room is just a large private dining room with a dance floor etc). So that certainly affected the price since we were in the middle of almost nowhere, and restaurants don't usually charge "Wedding markups" on their prices.

Hehe, I"m a big fan of receptions in restaurants! It's easier for the bride because you don't really need to decorate or worry about any rentals etc. And of course the food will be awesome!

 

[Deelight]

Everyones menus look fantastic

We went a buffet because we hate alternate drops and figured people get to pick what they want to eat

Cocoktail hour will be

mixed platters of cheese (brie, cheddar blue) dried fruits, grilled mediterranean vegeies, olives, cured meats, crackers & crisp breads

Buffet
Loaves of crusty Fresh Bread

Cold
Crustean platters; Sand Crab, Prawns, Oysters and Bugs (GF)
Baby Potato, basil and sun dried tomato salad (GF)
Red Cabbage Asian salad (GF)
Baked whole Salmon served cold (GF)
Garden Salad; salad greens, cucumber, avocado (GF)
Greek Salad with peeled prawns; cuucumber; capsicum, fetta, spanish onion, olives, lemon and olive oil dressing (GF)
Assortment of condiments and sauces mayonaises, chutneys and mustards


Hot
Steamed rice (GF)
Pesto Chicken breasts (GF)
Chicken Tandoori pieces (GF)
Thai coconut praw and coconut curry (mild)(GF)
Baked lamb racks(GF)
Baked ham with red current & rosemary glaze (GF)
Smoked Salmon Platter
Slicked roast fillet of beef with bacon and basil cream (GF)
Chicken legs in sweet soy sauce and honey (GF)

Desert
Lemon meringue pies
Custard and berry tarts
Rich chocolate mud cake
Cheese Platters



AND wedding cake, I like cake
Most everything is Gluten free as well which is good since I can''t eat wheat

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

Call Me crazy, but i have decided to self cater for my wedding since we are having it at home and i couldn''t find a caterer to give me what i wanted.

Our wedding is a fairly casual, non formal sort of affair and we wanted the food to reflect this. It''s not a sit down meal but its not finger food either and we wanted food that would go well with the copious amounts of alcohol that will be consumed.

The food will be cooked and served between 7 and 9 and people can go eat when they are hungry.

On the grills:

Half crayfish tail with garlic butter sauce.
Chilli and garlic prawns
Scallops on the half shell
Chargrilled Stuffed Squid
Chicken skewers marinated several ways


Salad Table

Thai beef salad with home made spicy thai sauce.
Grilled vegetables served with chic peas and pine nuts on a bed of baby spinach.
Fresh Garden Salad
Warm Potato Salad

Mini Burger Bar

Lamb burgers with fresh mint, feta and home made Tazaski sauce
Beef burgers with garlic and onion and a home made tomato relish
Chicken burgers TBA (still looking for a good recipe)

Dessert

Cup cakes!!


I have chosen foods that can be prepared the day before and it will just be up to the staff to get it out of the fridge to cook or display.

For 60 people it works out to be $16.60 a head. Caterers were quoting me from $45 a head with less variety and no garuntee on the quality.

 

[lilylover]

Date: 9/9/2009 6:41:10 PM
Author: trillionaire

Date: 9/9/2009 6:27:55 PM
Author: lilylover
FI and I just went to our tasting this past Saturday, and the food was SOOOO good. I can''t wait to eat it again on our wedding day. Here is our menu:
----------
STATIONARY HORS D''OEUVRES:
IMPORTED & DOMESTIC CHEESEBOARD
LAVISHLY GARNISHED WITH SEASONAL FRUIT, GOURMET CRACKERS & ARTISAN BREADS

COCKTAIL BUFFET:
WOOD GRILLED BREAST OF CHICKEN WITH LEMON ARTICHOKE SAUCE
SMOKED SALMON WITH HONEY GLAZE WITH CUCUMBER DILL SAUCE
RUSTIC SPINACH RICOTTA TART
ORZO PASTA WITH FRESH MOZZARELLA, ASPARAGUS CHERRY TOMATOES & BASIL PESTO DRESSING
CLASSIC CAESAR SALAD WITH HERBED CROUTONS & SHAVED PARMESAN

BEVERAGES:
WATER, ICED TEA, SUMMER SPARKLING PUNCH

All of this is 25 dollars a person.

---------
We will probably also have alcohol. Fortunately, at our venue they allow us to bring it in ourselves, and the caterer doesn''t charge a corking fee! Wo hoo.

Um, pray tell, where will this be? How did you find such an affordable venue???

I live in Austin, Texas. The 25/person is just for the food, though. It''s another 1000 dollars (not per person, of course, but total) for the tables, chairs, linens, and china. We used the catering company for my sister''s wedding and my parents anniversary party, so we knew that they were affordable and WONDERFUL!

 

[sillyberry]

Date: 9/9/2009 8:59:30 PM
Author: hawaiianorangetree
Call Me crazy, but i have decided to self cater for my wedding since we are having it at home and i couldn''t find a caterer to give me what i wanted.


Our wedding is a fairly casual, non formal sort of affair and we wanted the food to reflect this. It''s not a sit down meal but its not finger food either and we wanted food that would go well with the copious amounts of alcohol that will be consumed.


The food will be cooked and served between 7 and 9 and people can go eat when they are hungry.


On the grills:


Half crayfish tail with garlic butter sauce.

Chilli and garlic prawns

Scallops on the half shell

Chargrilled Stuffed Squid

Chicken skewers marinated several ways



Salad Table


Thai beef salad with home made spicy thai sauce.

Grilled vegetables served with chic peas and pine nuts on a bed of baby spinach.

Fresh Garden Salad

Warm Potato Salad


Mini Burger Bar


Lamb burgers with fresh mint, feta and home made Tazaski sauce

Beef burgers with garlic and onion and a home made tomato relish

>Chicken burgers TBA (still looking for a good recipe)


Dessert


Cup cakes!!



I have chosen foods that can be prepared the day before and it will just be up to the staff to get it out of the fridge to cook or display.


For 60 people it works out to be $16.60 a head. Caterers were quoting me from $45 a head with less variety and no garuntee on the quality.

Not crazy. Brave.

Any chance you would consider something like a black bean burger? I don''t know if you have any veggie guests, but it might be a nice change of pace.

If so, this is a good recipe: Kim O''Donnel''s Black Bean Burger. Nice served with some cilantro mayo or other southwestern flavors.

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

Date: 9/9/2009 10:17:29 PM
Author: sillyberry

Date: 9/9/2009 8:59:30 PM
Author: hawaiianorangetree
Call Me crazy, but i have decided to self cater for my wedding since we are having it at home and i couldn''t find a caterer to give me what i wanted.


Our wedding is a fairly casual, non formal sort of affair and we wanted the food to reflect this. It''s not a sit down meal but its not finger food either and we wanted food that would go well with the copious amounts of alcohol that will be consumed.


The food will be cooked and served between 7 and 9 and people can go eat when they are hungry.


On the grills:


Half crayfish tail with garlic butter sauce.

Chilli and garlic prawns

Scallops on the half shell

Chargrilled Stuffed Squid

Chicken skewers marinated several ways



Salad Table


Thai beef salad with home made spicy thai sauce.

Grilled vegetables served with chic peas and pine nuts on a bed of baby spinach.

Fresh Garden Salad

Warm Potato Salad


Mini Burger Bar


Lamb burgers with fresh mint, feta and home made Tazaski sauce

Beef burgers with garlic and onion and a home made tomato relish

>Chicken burgers TBA (still looking for a good recipe)


Dessert


Cup cakes!!



I have chosen foods that can be prepared the day before and it will just be up to the staff to get it out of the fridge to cook or display.


For 60 people it works out to be $16.60 a head. Caterers were quoting me from $45 a head with less variety and no garuntee on the quality.

Not crazy. Brave.

Any chance you would consider something like a black bean burger? I don''t know if you have any veggie guests, but it might be a nice change of pace.

If so, this is a good recipe: Kim O''Donnel''s Black Bean Burger. Nice served with some cilantro mayo or other southwestern flavors.

Ah great suggestion Sillyberry!! I shall look into it, very good idea to have something for the veggie people. (the guy at work is a social carnivore, so he may appreciate it!)

 

[Barcelona]

1st - Plated appetizers (shrimp, mushrooms, and a couple other things)
2nd - Soup
3rd - Salad or Risotto (not sure about Risotto in summer)
4th - Lobster or Scallops (love both, can''t decide)
5th - Chicken
6th - Beef
7th - Cheese course
8th - Individual cakes with fresh fruit

Each course will be paired to a different wine. We will also have a vegetarian option for the 4th, 5th and 6th courses, but I''m not sure what that is going to be. We left the caterer create the menu since we pretty much love all foods!

 

[bee*]

We had a sit down meal with

Caesar Salad with smoked chicken
Potato and leek soup
Choice between Beef, Salmon and Chicken
Trio of desserts
Tea/Coffee with chocolates

 

[sunnyd]

We just had our menu tasting last night, and WOW it was soooo good! I don''t care what anyone thinks, I''m eating my wedding food!!

We chose a buffet, with a chicken/pasta entree and a beef. No one is veggie or has any allergies, we all love food, so we told the caterer to make up something delicious, and they didn''t disappoint!


Displayed Hors d’oeuvres Upon Guest Arrival
A Trio of House-made Tapenades with Artisan Flatbreads & Crostini
To include: Pan-seared onion mousse with lightly fried onion ribbons; Smoked salmon pate and sun-dried tomato hummus.
Tray passed: Chevre Stuffed & Baked Dates Wrapped in Apple-wood Smoked Bacon

Custom Dinner Buffet
Northwest Field Greens in Light Pomegranate Vinaigrette with orange glazed hazelnuts, crumbled feta & pomegranate seeds.
Fire Roasted Fall Vegetables brushed with balsamic syrup & roasted shallots.
Penne Pasta in Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce with Herb-encrusted Strips of Chicken tossed with sautéed spinach, wild mushrooms, peas, cracked garlic & fresh herbs.
Wine & Garlic Marinated Flank Steak in rich Merlot-wild mushroom-stoneground mustard sauce.
Rustic Breads & Petite Rosemary Rolls with Whipped Herb Butter

I really hope there''s leftovers so we can take it back to our room!!

 

[elrohwen]

All of your menus sound so delicious!

An interesting thing about the veggie option. We don''t have any vegetarian friends so I didn''t worry about it, until one guy wrote in a veggie option on our RSVP card for his gf. So I asked the venue what they would provide and it sounds like the yummiest mushroom pasta *ever* (I''m a huge sucker for pasta). Now I kind of want that as my entree! Lol If the person ordering it was a friend I would absolutely ask to try some, but since it''s the gf of a friend I''ll have to be polite and leave her alone

And Sunnyd, I totally agree that I''ll be eating everything. I totally don''t get when girls say they went to the wedding and didn''t eat a thing! I''m paying for it, so I will absolutely be eating as much of it as I can

I can maybe see being too busy or nervous to eat before the reception itself (though this is unlikely to happen to me), but I will certainly be stuffing myself at dinner!

Barcelona, I would love to pair a wine with each course (or go to someone''s wedding where they did that). Looove wine pairing dinners.

And I''m jealous of all of you with low per person prices. My place is $84pp, on a Friday, with a discount. It was the only place in the CT/NY area I could find that was less than $100pp (and many were well over that price)! (and those other places also had a 100 person minimum; my place only has a 65 person min which is much more the size we wanted). Crazy how much these things differ from place to place.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

A note on vegetarian options: I have had a lot of friends tell me that even though they aren''t vegetarians, they often like to select the vegetarian option. Go figure.

We originally had invited 2 vegetarians, neither could make it. But it turned out one of our guests invited a vegetarian date, and another friend recently made the switch, so it worked out well, and I''m glad I covered my bases

 

[elrohwen]

Date: 9/10/2009 1:20:26 PM
Author: MakingTheGrade
A note on vegetarian options: I have had a lot of friends tell me that even though they aren''t vegetarians, they often like to select the vegetarian option. Go figure.

We originally had invited 2 vegetarians, neither could make it. But it turned out one of our guests invited a vegetarian date, and another friend recently made the switch, so it worked out well, and I''m glad I covered my bases

I really like vegetarian options too! Though I remember taking friends out to an awesome vegetarian restaurant for my birthday one year and all they did was complain about the lack of meat

(in a joking way). But now that I know what the vegetarian option is at my place, I kinda want to ask if they can make just a little extra for FI and me to try