We hold many festive occasions throughout our lifetimes, but few are as extravagant as a wedding. On this day, it's all about love, good company and making unforgettable memories. A luxurious breakfast, an elegant lunch, a garden party with catering or a multi-course dinner: culinary entrepreneurs are the heart and soul of these occasions. When you're chosen to take part in someone's special day, you want to do everything you can to make their wedding reception go without a hitch. Tailored service is the way to go.
A wedding reception menu
Know your newlyweds’ wishes
If you're catering a wedding breakfast, lunch or dinner, it's important to know exactly what the happy couple wants. You want to ensure that their special day goes perfectly. Everything starts with a meeting. You need to thoroughly understand the couple's wishes. Ask them about their preferences, favourite dishes, any dietary restrictions and the style of their wedding. Would they like an à la carte dinner, buffet, banquet, cocktail reception or chef's table? Their choice will determine your menu.
After the meeting, it's time to put together a menu that will please the happy couple. Consider suggesting a few unique or special dishes based on the information they gave you. For example, surf & turf if one of them loves meat and the other fish. This dish would be the perfect representation of the couple. Don't forget to add vegetarian, vegan, gluten free or halal options if they mentioned these preferences in your conversation. Invite the couple for a tasting session to test if everything is to their liking.
Other than serving delicious dishes, it's also your responsibility to create the right atmosphere. Ask them about their theme or colour scheme and ensure that the table decoration suits their preferences. For example, flowers, table runners and candles. Place name cards if the couple has a table plan.
Tip 1: add personal accents like a special welcome board with their names and wedding date. The ideal background for a beautiful photo. Offer it to the couple as a wedding gift. They're sure to remember you.
Tip: create a luxury appetiser board packed with delicious sweet treats that you serve when guests arrive. The way to the heart is through the stomach, after all. ;)
Give your wedding reception menus a touch of luxury
There are various ways to give your menus a luxurious touch for wedding receptions. Some examples:
High-quality ingredients
Choose fresh and exclusive ingredients like truffle, caviar, saffron and Wagyu beef. Even simple dishes can take on a luxurious feel with premium ingredients.
Presentation
Luxury is not just about flavour but also about presentation. Serve dishes with elegant presentation, taking care of every detail. Use stylish plates, minimalist garnishes and make sure everything is cleanly presented. For example, an artistic plating with edible flowers. Tip: read more about this in our blog article on dessert presentation.
Multi-course dinners or tasting menus
Create a multi-course menu with carefully chosen dishes that complement each other. A tasting menu with small, elegant portions of various dishes creates a feeling of luxury and exclusivity. This can vary from five to eight courses, where each dish offers a unique flavour experience.
Champagne and wine
Pair each dish with a beverage. Serve exclusive champagnes, wines or beers that are selected to accompany the dishes. You could also serve unique drinks like luxury mocktails or cocktails as a welcome drink. Don't forget: these days more people are choosing non-alcoholic beverages. You can therefore opt for a teetotal pairing with juices or tea.
Artisan bread and viennoiserie
Artisan breads, special brioches or unique viennoiserie, like croissants filled with almond cream or pistachio make a chic addition to a wedding reception menu. Why not also serve luxury petit fours or cakes to close your dinner?
Personalise the menu
Offer the ability to completely personalise the menu to the couple's wishes. For example, personalised dishes with special names, presented on a beautifully designed menus that match the theme of the wedding.
Live cooking
Live cooking or a chef’s table gives the wedding reception an extra dimension. If guests can taste dishes that were freshly prepared by a top chef before their very eyes, they are sure to have an unforgettable day!
Unique appetisers
Kick off the dinner with exclusive appetisers like oysters, canapés with luxury toppings or mini bites with ingredients like smoked salmon, coquilles or crabs. These appetisers give a luxurious feel and set the tone for the rest of the evening.
Dessert as an eye catcher
Close the evening meal with a spectacular dessert like a cake with several layers, an artful dessert buffet or single portion patisserie. For bakers: create a wedding cake that is not only visually impressive but also contains unique flavours like champagne cream, salted caramel, pistachio or rose.
Personalised service
Create a high quality, personalised service where each guest feels taken care of. For example, provide stylish uniforms and wait staff assigned to each table.
Adapt to trends
Take into account culinary trends like plant-based meals, vegetarian options or zero waste concepts. You can tastefully incorporate them into your menu to add a modern touch to your luxurious offering. Tip: read our blog article about food trends.
The flavourful products from LLBG will make your wedding reception menu complete
Looking for high quality products to give your assortment a luxurious touch? Take a look at the products offered by La Lorraine Bakery Group. They are made with love by our experienced chefs at one of our twelve state-of-the-art LLBG bakeries. From bread products, viennoiserie, patisserie to savoury snacks and sweet snacks, you can find it all at La Lorraine Bakery Group.
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