From creating a menu for weddings to setting up catering for large corporate meetings, the catering industry has found success for a number of events. Professional catering services have become widespread in the United States, employing more than 300,000 men and women alike. These employees include not only the caterer themselves but cooks, servers, cleaners and dishwashers, all of who the caterer must manage and schedule. Catering companies must also be vigilant about food safety, and be up to date on the latest food safety information (such as recalls of vegetables or information about the allergens of the guests) as well as food safety practices. For some weddings, a caterer might even be put in charge at table centerpieces, food presentation, and other aspects of decor (this, of course, depends on the wedding itself as well as the catering company).
Catering for weddings, is, as could be expected, one of the most common catering events that a caterer will handle. When creating a menu for weddings, the caterer must take into consideration all of the different times during the wedding that food will be provided. While the two traditional times are, of course, the cocktail hour and the dinner (or the brunch, as is the case for weddings held earlier in the day), more and more newlywed couples are choosing to offer a late night snack during their reception. This late night snack is typically served around 10 pm, and often consists of easy to eat finger food like french fries or soft pretzels, though what is served depends, again, on the catering company and the wedding.
The quality and type of ingredients used is changing as well. For instance, in the past, thick, heavy, and creamy foods were the norm for a menu for weddings. Nowadays, however, most couples tend to pick options that are lighter, particularly for the small appetizers that are traditionally served during cocktail hour. Mozzarella balls with a balsamic reduction are particularly popular right now, and represent the shift in tastes towards lighter fare. More and more couples are pushing for eco friendly options as well, as organic and sustainable foods are becoming more and more accessible for catering companies and, subsequently, their clients.
Even the way the food is traditionally served has also changed. Though having pre plated meals is typically the less expensive option for a menu for weddings, make your own stations have become more and more popular. Some popular options include a make your own taco station and a make your own mac n cheese station, but this trend can be adapted to almost any type of food.
Making a menu for weddings is an exciting event as well as event planning and catering in general, particularly if you are the soon to be married couple. However, it’s important to keep a few key things in mind, like what your price point is, if you are going to be having an on site or off site caterer (this will usually affect the pricing of the catering services) and what dietary restrictions any of your guests may have, as most good caterers will usually be able to provide a meal option to accommodate any restriction. Your event menus should reflect what you want them to, while staying within your budget and still accommodating for your loved ones.
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