Your wedding catering will be one of the most defining elements of your wedding day. Every food experience from the cocktail hour to the table requires a vision. The artful display of cuisine at a precise temperature and calculated measure of flavor is only part of creating the experience. Before you can plan the rest, you need to discover your wedding catering style.
Before You Plan
Before you start planning your wedding catering, you should envision your wedding day. Think about whether you are planning a formal reception with table service or a more casual buffet-style event. You should think about your theme and the style of your event when exploring different catering options and styles of service.
Service à la Russe
Service à la Russe brings waiters to the tables to serve each dish sequentially from platters. One waiter might deliver the entrée or a choice of entrees, while another serves vegetables. This service creates an elegant and Old World vibe.
Service à la Française
Service à la Française brings waiters to the table to serve the entire meal. Banquet French service serves plated meals from platters. Waiters place each dish on the table in front of each guest. French tableside service involves portable tableside food prep, such as tossing salads or flaming a steak. Food is prepared on a réchaud atop a gueridon and served to each individual guest to the right. This is the only service where guests are served to the right. Tableside dining creates an impressive show and an upscale vibe, but it is not recommended for large events.
Family-Style Service
Family-style service brings the cuisine to the center of the table on platters for guests to serve themselves. This creates more interaction between guests. It also allows guests to customize their plate from where they are seated.
Entertain with Your Wedding Catering
Wedding receptions usually revolve around food. If you want the food to be an entertaining experience, consider interactive food stations that create a dramatic presentation. You can showcase dishes and entertain with a culinary tour of the foods on display. Food stations can be staged within the venue to allow guests to explore cuisine and build their unique plate with the chef. Examples of a food station are a waffle station, pasta bar, mofongo station, avocado station, taco cart and a short rib station. If this is an element you want to bring to your venue, you will want to find a wedding catering company that can deliver the experience.
Unique Wedding Catering
The dining experience at your wedding venue will be one of the most unforgettable moments of your entire event. Think about how you will display the food and serve it. Explore wedding catering companies, menus, catering styles and service options. If you envision a cocktail hour with white glove butler service and guests indulging in Caribbean style ceviche, it is important that you find a seasoned chef that can bring your unique vision to life.
Full-Service Wedding Catering
Traditional wedding catering is planned to deliver to a sit-down dinner that groups guests at reception tables. If you desire the elegant and upscale vibe the tradition offers, you are probably envisioning plated meals and full-service catering that explores every possibility. Full-service catering serves plated meals to each guest, which can eliminate waste and avoid portion control issues.
Buffet-Style Event
We do not all envision full-service wedding catering. Sometimes, a buffet-styled event is in the plan. This is the perfect option to mix and match a variety of foods and beverages. Having food on display in an artistic spread on a buffet can be combined with full-service catering options. Drop-off service is designed to deliver your cuisine to banquet staff and food managers for a buffet-style dining experience. Buffet-style is less formal than plated meals and table service. If you envision guests lined up to plate food, the buffet option could be the best choice. It is also the most affordable option.
Cocktail Hour
The cocktail hour is part of most weddings. Regardless of whether you are considering full-service or a buffet, you will probably want to serve appetizers. This is the hour your guests will mix and mingle while indulging in delectable hors d'oeuvres. Food can be served from serving platters. Upscale events call for a white glove butler service.
Tips for Wedding Catering
The tasting is probably the most enjoyable part of planning. This brings your vision and palate to the table to explore. Packaged menu options can make planning simple, but be careful to avoid a cookie-cutter catering experience. Pairing entrees with a complementing appetizer and side can create a safe starting point. Never let it end there. Work with a chef that can customize the menu for your unique vision. Think about the season when you are selecting dishes. You might choose a hot and creamy soup in the cold of winter that you would avoid during the summer. Convey your theme with the food whenever possible. If you are planning a multicultural event, you might consider a fusion menu.
Creating the Experience
Create the experience at Crystal Ballroom Saint Augustine. The talent and imagination behind every event is discovered inside the design studio. Meet the in-house design team and create a fairy tale. Set your tables with luxurious Crystal Ballroom décor and deliver a culinary masterpiece with the finest vendors. Create a flawless event with an extraordinary food experience that is made possible by the collaboration between Crystal Ballroom and your wedding catering.
