Your big day is coming up—congratulations!
Now that you and your significant other have decided to make your union official, it’s time to plan out your wedding. Like all events, one of the most important things you need to plan is the food. A good menu can liven up the event and keep your guests happy and energized!
You won’t even need to handle catering alone, thanks to the abundance of catering services for weddings in Pittsburgh—they’ll handle everything food-related. Since wedding menus can be a bit repetitive—you probably often see the same dishes at almost every wedding—why not try something new?
Let’s see why you should create a menu that’s unique to your wedding and how catering services for weddings can help.
Why should you have a unique menu for your wedding?
Don’t want to go for the usual wedding menu? Here’s why you should customize your wedding menu:
Reflect Your Personal Style
It’s your wedding, your rules. If you’re looking for a unique wedding menu, you could try creating a wedding menu that includes all your favorite foods. Do you like lasagna and fried chicken? Go ahead and treat your guests to both of these great dishes! Also, you can ask your significant other to include their favorite dishes into the mix for a very diverse menu. Do you both love turkey and Italian sausages? Add those to the menu too!
Accommodate Dietary Restrictions
If you, your family, and your guests have specific dietary requirements, you can create a menu that takes into account these specific dietary restrictions. You can include vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and halal options for an inclusive menu.
Create a Diverse Menu
When you create a unique menu for your guests, you can offer a wide selection of dishes that you might not always see on a traditional wedding buffet spread. Also, you can choose to add various courses to the menu, such as appetizers and a selection of great desserts—this can give your guests a great dining experience and make your special day one to remember.
Include Cultural Elements
If you have any particular dish in mind that’s significant to your culture or a dish that’s popular in your home state, you can include these in the menu. For example, if you and your family are of Italian descent, you could include some Italian dishes to create a special Mediterranean-style menu that reflects your culture.
Enhance the Wedding Experience
When your guests are treated to a non-traditional wedding menu, you can enhance the flow of the event, making the wedding more fun for your guests and also keeping them engaged and energized throughout.
What are some great dishes to add to a wedding menu?
Here are a few foods that you won’t normally find on wedding menus but still aim to please:
Roast Beef
You can’t go wrong with roast beef! It’s a dish that’s usually served at seasonal events like Christmas parties and Thanksgiving but it can be a great addition to your wedding menu as well. Seasoned with delicious herbs and spices, this succulent delight is an element any wedding guest will love.
Maple-Glazed Ham
Combining sweet and savory, maple-glazed ham is a great main dish for any event. It’s tender and juicy and comes with a unique flavorful crust—it’s an unusual dish for a wedding but that’s what makes it special!
Vegetable Lasagna
Meat lasagna is a common sight at wedding buffets so why not change things up a bit with a veggie lasagna? This is a great addition to any wedding menu when you’re expecting vegetarian and vegan guests.
Meatloaf with Gravy
Meatloaf is an American favorite but it’s a dish you’d normally see at a family dinner and not at a wedding. Meatloaf is delicious and very filling and can be shaped into a loaf or any shape you want.
How can wedding catering services help you create a great menu for your wedding?
The average amount people spend on wedding catering is about $4000. This might seem like a lot but it’s worth it. Wedding caterers handle everything from setting up the buffet to cleaning up after the wedding ends. Here’s how they can help:
Experience with All Kinds of Events
Catering services have lots of experience in providing catering for all kinds of events, including weddings. They will know exactly which dishes work best for weddings and can help you decide on the best menu items to include. Also, they may have special menus for weddings that they may be willing to customize to your liking.
Ability to Address Dietary Requirements
Accommodating dietary restrictions can be difficult to do, but caterers have plenty of experience in this area. They will have special menu items that may be appropriate for different food preferences and requirements.
Also, they will ensure that common food allergies are taken into consideration and they will make sure that any foods with allergens, like nuts, will be marked to prevent guests with allergies from accidentally serving themselves these dishes.
High-Quality Ingredients
Making a unique wedding menu is one thing, but the quality and taste of the food are extremely important. Good catering services always use the best quality ingredients when crafting their menus. Also, depending on the season, they can offer dishes made from seasonal ingredients that they can procure locally.
Service Styles
To get the best out of your chosen menu, catering services will offer different service styles, such as plated dinners and buffets. They will help you decide which service style will best suit your wedding based on the venue and the food items you’ve included in the menu.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are a few questions to consider when searching for wedding catering services:
How early should I book a wedding caterer?
To avoid any last-minute changes, you might want to book your caterers a year in advance.
Do wedding caterers offer alcohol?
Not all wedding caterers offer alcohol. Even when they do, they may only offer select types of beverages, like cocktails.
How much is the average cost for catering per head?
The average cost for catering per person can range from $20 to $100 per person but the cost can change depending on the caterers themselves.
Catering services for weddings can make your big day even better
A wedding is one of the most important events of a person’s life and with the right kind of catering, you can make your most amazing day even better. There are many caterers out there but not all of them have a great wedding catering menu and offer a quality service, so make sure to choose carefully when you’re on the hunt for the best caterer for your wedding!
