Catering is certainly an important part of the wedding reception. You will want to work closely with the caterer to choose a menu that will work well for both the bride and groom.
You will also need to keep in mind the tastes of any potential guests. Traditionally there would be a couple of different main courses to choose from, but these days you must also keep other dietary requirements in mind. Although you can’t be expected to provide for every dietary need, you may need to provide vegetarian alternatives if you know there will be vegetarians at the reception.
Ideally you would want to know well in advance if anyone attending has special dietary requirements. If possible, ask guests to alert you to their needs when they RSVP your invitation.
Discuss these needs with the caterer well in advance so they can make arrangements. Sometimes they will need to make special accommodations, so they need to know about this in plenty of time to set everything up properly.
People will special dietary needs are usually used to bringing their own food to events or to going without, so don’t panic if a vegetarian shows up unannounced. It’s not the end of the world! But it does help to be prepared in case this happens. It’s always a good idea to urge your caterer to at least provide one vegan appetizer so any vegetarians can have something to snack on at the very least.
When choosing appetizers, it’s best to pick finger foods that aren’t very messy. Guests will probably be wearing very expensive clothing, and you don’t want them to have any unnecessary cleaning bills! Foods like barbecue and shrimp cocktail are almost certainly off the menu. Cleaner foods like pâté and finger sandwiches are good choices.
The main course can generally be messier, but remember to have at least two courses to choose from. You and your fiancée may enjoy steak, for example, but you should have a chicken or fish dish for those who don’t eat red meat.
Weddings should be focused on the bride and groom, but the other guests should be made to feel as happy as possible. The happier the guests are, the more joyous the day will be for everyone. And that will all be preserved on film forever!