Wedding Ideas

6 Foods Not To Serve At Your Wedding

Posted on November 17, 2014 by Denise Potter

Whether you’re having a big or small wedding, devising a menu for your hungry guests can likely throw you a curve ball since everyone has different tastes, diet restrictions and preferences. To give you a little help, here’s a list of foods to avoid serving on your big day.

6 Foods To Not Serve At Your Wedding - New Jersey Bride

Surf and Turf: Though it may be a delicious favorite, be mindful that this dish may throw an unforeseen time constraint to your servers, since lobster and steak take different amounts of time to cook through. And the very last thing you’ll want is your guests’ dishes coming out lukewarm or cold!

Wedding clam shuckers.

Raw Foods: This one is tricky. We love a good raw bar as much as anyone, trust us we do. But for couples who plan to marry outdoors–especially in those hot summer months–seafood can get dodgy quickly. Typical favorites like oysters and clams need to be placed on ice for the entirety of the day/evening–until the moment they reach your guests’ plate. So if you absolutely have to have a fabulous raw bar at your wedding, be sure to put your trust in an expert with great reviews. It may cost a little more or take a little more research on your part, but it will pay off tenfold when you DON’T have guests feeling ill or getting sick from food poisoning on your wedding night.

6 Foods To Not Serve At Your Wedding - New Jersey Bride

Chocolate Fountain: Sure, these waterfalls of chocolately goodness are super fun and delicious, but placed in the wrong area, they can become highly unsanitary. While most adult guests wouldn’t ever dream of double-dipping in your gourmet dessert, children won’t think twice about it. An easy fix: specify with your caterers that you want the chocolate fountain out of reach from children–placed on a higher table or smack in the center of the buffet where they can’t get to it alone. That way, children will absolutely need an adult’s assistance when they’re gunning for the sweets.

6 Foods To Not Serve At Your Wedding - New Jersey Bride

Steamed Veggies: As a side, a vegetable medley is great. But as a MEAL, we’ve got a problem. It’s no small wonder that some guests at your wedding (especially if you’re having a large reception) will opt for the vegetarian dinner option. Don’t shut them down with inconsideration by serving a lousy array of plain veggies as their main course. Explore the vegetarian/vegan dinner options with your caterer and ask around about favorite meal staples. That way, while Uncle Joe is noshing on mouth-watering lobster bisque soup and filet minion, Aunt Jane won’t be moping over a boring bowl string beans.

Westminster_Hotel_Food_Crab - New Jersey Bride

Mini Everything: For the cocktail hour and after-party, small foods like sliders and mini grilled cheese sandwiches are a great idea. But don’t get so caught up in the snack-sized portions that they sneak onto your dinner menu. Guests at your wedding should never leave hungry, so make sure that your dinner portions are plentiful. You can have fun with mini foods everywhere else but here!

Farm-to-Table catering at the Crossed Keys Inn

Exotic Favorites: Even if you’re a couple who LOVES trying daring new foods, that doesn’t guarantee that all your wedding guests are too. Rule of thumb: guests will be eating the most at dinner time, so it’s best to not serve bibimpap and merguez as the main course. But this doesn’t mean your wedding menu has to be bland; traditional fish, meat, or vegetarian dishes can be jazzed up to your liking–so communicate with your caterer to find out what more elaborate options are available.  There is more room for experimentation with the hors d’oeuvres since they are not the main attraction, but still, you should be mindful that some guests may opt out of trying your deliciously exotic spread simply because they’re not sure what it is/don’t want to risk it.

The number-one thing to remember about your wedding menu is that you can’t please everyone–but you CAN offer an exciting, delicious array of crash-proof menu options to keep everyone at bay and most importantly, in the moment.

 

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Which wedding menu options are a non-negotiable for you? Tell us! Comment below or write to dpotter@newjerseybride.com