Plate Up Perfection at Your Reception With These 6 Tips for an Upscale Menu

Your wedding day is a one-in-a-lifetime affair — what better excuse is there to pull out all the stops? An upscale reception menu delights your guests and creates a memorable experience they’ll cherish.

It’s also a way to show your spouse and all those who honor your union how much they mean to you. What should you add to your menu? Here’s how to plate up perfection.

 

Let Your Menu Match Your Venue

You don’t have to book the Four Seasons to serve an upscale menu. However, you’re serving more than mere food — it’s the entire experience that matters.

For example, a backyard wedding can be as upscale as an outdoor restaurant or clubhouse venue with the right canopies to block the sun and temporary patios to provide a firm walking surface for guests in heels. Gauzy white curtains, fairy lights and electric candles offer an elegant space for serving anything from coq au vin to filet mignon.

What to remember is to integrate your food choices into your overall theme for a meal that delights more than mere taste buds. Your goal is to create an experience, so put on your chef’s hat — it’s time to pretend you run a restaurant for the day. What would you want to read in a review? Your aim is to create that ambiance.

6 Ideas for Plating Up Perfection With an Upscale Menu

It’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty food details. Keep these six tips in mind when planning your upscale reception menu.
 

1. Offer “Fancy Dinner Out” Choices

Many couples opt for main courses involving chicken or pasta to save money. However, one effortless way to go upscale is to offer menu choices that reflect what many people order when dining out for a special occasion. To please every palate, plan for a seafood choice and a steak selection for the meat eaters. You can also choose an elegant vegan option such as tofu steaks with a cajun sauce.

Keep the elegance going from the appetizer course to dessert. For example, having servers circulate with drinks and trays of oysters Rockefeller or gazpacho cups greets incoming attendees with charm and class.
 

2. Choose Full Service Over a Buffet

Buffets offer an easy way to serve a crowd, but they also call to mind casual Sunday family dinners. For a more elegant way to plate up perfection at your reception, opt for full service.

Besides, many guests dislike the wait time for the buffet, detracting from their overall experience. Opting for full-service plated meals lets you control the pace, avoid uncomfortable lulls in the action, prevent food waste, and present a far prettier dish than your guests would assemble themselves. Each course comes perfectly garnished to fit your overall theme.
 

3. Serve Multiple Courses

Fans of George R.R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” epic series no doubt remember his lengthy descriptions of celebratory wedding meals with multiple courses lasting for hours. The game of one-upmanship over the most extravagant banquets extends as far back as Roman antiquity.

You probably don’t want to go so over-the-top that your guests must visit a special room between dishes. However, consider the following 12-course progression for the ultimate in indulgence:

• Hors-d’oeuvres, circulated as guests arrive
• Amuse-bouche to cleanse your guests’ palates as they take their seats
• Soup
• Appetizer
• Salad
• Fish
• Main course
• Palate cleanser, usually sorbet
• Second main course
• Cheese course
• Dessert
• Mignardise — little, bite-sized petit fours

 

4. Be Inclusive With Your Choices

You want to ensure every guest walks away delighted and well-fed, even if you decide against 12 full courses. However, one in ten adults has a food allergy, and more have sensitivities or restrictions. Keep these in mind when planning your menu. For example, people with diabetes may not appreciate carb-laden main courses — can you include a paleo or keto-friendly option?

Remember to use your invitations to increase guest satisfaction. If offering a selection of main courses, include it as part of your RSVP so everyone enjoys what they crave.

 

5. Leave Breathing Room Between Courses

The refined set doesn’t rush off during important events. They take their time mindfully enjoying the moment, but that’s more challenging when the server hovers over their shoulder, awaiting their soup bowls.

Leave a little time between courses, coordinating with your caterer and entertainment to give guests’ bellies time to make room. You might include fun activities such as a fire dance performance or tarot readings to keep guests engaged while they await the next dish.

 

6. Do More With Leftovers and Decor

You poured your heart into designing your elegant wedding to delight your loved ones. However, you can do even more, spreading smiles and generating positive karma for your union by planning the disposal of any leftovers, decorations and favors in advance.

Work with your caterer to partner with a local food kitchen to donate any uneaten meals to those in need. Establishing connections in advance lets them handle food safety concerns while ensuring nothing goes to waste.

Flowers and party favors bring smiles to the faces of those in assisted living, especially if they get few visitors or gifts. Again, coordinate with your crew to make arrangements in advance, letting the facility decide how to divide the boon.

 

 

Plating Up Perfection With an Upscale Reception Menu

If you want a wedding to remember, going upscale with your menu creates an event people will discuss for months. Food is the most important part of the equation, so follow the above tips to elevate your event.

Remember — it’s the overall ambiance that creates an impression. Working together with your team to create an elegant, upscale vibe will highlight your menu and ensure your guests relax and enjoy their meal as they celebrate your union.

 

Author Bio: Oscar Collins is the editor-in-chief at Modded, where he writes about a broad spectrum of topics. Follow him on Twitter @TModded for frequent updates on his work.

 

 

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