Planning weddings in Michigan takes great effort and critical thinking; executing a great wedding, on the other hand, is another league entirely. One of the most important things you need to consider when preparing for your wedding is the reception menu. Below are some tips that can help you streamline your decision-making process regarding what food to serve your wedding guests.

Pick a Caterer First

If you’re already thinking of the menu before the caterer, you might be in for a very short list of potential professionals to hire. Instead, look into hiring reliable wedding and banquet experts like Crystal Gardens Banquet Center first prior to deciding on which food to offer your guests.

Anatomy of a Menu

The basic components of your menu should include the appetizer, main entrée, and dessert. Your appetizer should be something simple but artfully arranged, like a garnished salad of oranges, olives, and fennel, or prawns delicately seasoned with aioli sauce. Your dessert can either be your wedding cake, or something else entirely, especially if you’re saving the wedding cake for later in the reception.

Food with Special Significance

An article by Martha Stewart Weddings suggests that you start picking out a menu by identifying what you and your partner love to eat:

Your wedding is an opportunity to share something intimate with your guests — your combined culinary heritage (reflected in an Irish-Indian buffet, perhaps) or the fact that you had your first date over Korean barbecue. Just remember that your guests’ culinary tastes might not be as adventurous as your own.

Types of Service

There are many types of catering services that you and your guests might enjoy, and the most common in weddings is the plate service, where each course is served in individual plates. Some also prefer buffets, while others would like their guests to bond by opting for a family-style set up, where the food is served in platters placed on every table.

Whatever kind of food you choose to serve at the reception, remember that ultimately, your wedding is a celebration of your love and the beginning of a new chapter in your lives as a married couple. It is a momentous day that you will cherish along with your family and closest friends. Hence, everything from your choice of menu to selecting one of the best wedding halls in Michigan should reflect and enhance this wondrous moment.

(Article Excerpt and Image from Choosing Your Menu,Martha Stewart Weddings)