8 top tips for an unforgettable wedding menu

January 19, 2025  •  Leave a Comment

Selecting a wedding menu should be one of the most enjoyable and straightforward parts of your planning, right? Just choose a caterer, pick a few options from their menu – maybe have a leisurely afternoon tasting the very best they have to offer - and book them.

In reality, crafting a delicious and memorable menu that you and your partner adore, that accommodates every guest's dietary needs, fits the style and theme of your venue, and doesn’t blow your budget can feel like an impossible task. 

I’m lucky enough to have 20+ years of experience photographing some of the UK's most breathtaking weddings, and have spent time chatting to many incredible caterers. I’ve pulled together what I’ve learned to create this checklist to help make wedding menu planning a little easier for you. Follow these tips to rediscover the joy of menu selection, so you and your guests can look forward to memorable dishes that delight every palate.

Involve your caterers in your vision: they’re the pros, it’s not their first gig – involve them, ask them for their advice and suggestions. Find out what other couples have chosen at your venue, ask them for sample menus, and if you have your heart set on something, tell them. Likewise if there’s something you can’t bear, let them know. Make sure they’re kept informed of guest numbers, too. 

 

 

Keep it seasonal and local: if your wedding menu is guided by the seasons and uses locally-sourced food, you won’t go far wrong. Comfort food is a welcome antidote to a chilly winter’s day – think warmly spiced dishes, hearty roasts and root veg – while summer is the perfect backdrop for lighter dishes with an abundance of veg, salad leaves and fresh herbs in season. Your caterer can let you know what’s likely to be in season and will talk you through their suppliers. 

 

Be adventurous, and don’t be influenced by anyone else: if your Mum says the wedding breakfast must have a fish starter, then a chicken main, then a chocolate pudding – you don’t have to listen.

 

 

 

How does it fit with the rest of your day? Maybe you’ve got Bollywood dancing or a Ceilidh planned, and you don’t want your guests sitting down to multiple courses for hours, so grazing tables from earlier in the day would work better. Or how about lighter self-serve options, and a candlelit sit-down dinner later in the evening? 

Choose festival-style food vans for quirkiness: queuing for sugar-crusted hot doughnuts or mozzarella-laden pizza slices at a wedding is a world apart from festival fare – it’s fun, hassle-free and a great way for guests to get to know each other. And it doesn’t have to be unhealthy: create-your-own salad vans, smoothie bars and frozen yogurt trucks with add-your-own-topping-selections are great options. 

 

Consider something striking as a sharing centrepiece: a centrepiece on each table which requires guests to dig in, to help themselves or serve each other can be a fantastic, interactive experience and complements an informal, relaxed wedding. Try an antipasto starter, or  a fragrant paella served in a cast-iron paella pan for jaw-dropping drama.  

 

Make it personal: the menu should reflect you both as a couple. Maybe one of you cooked an incredible dish in your early days of dating; maybe there’s a dish you both loved on a favourite holiday today, or perhaps you both have family favourites from your childhood that are meaningful to you. Tell your caterers, and ask if they can recreate them.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Know your guests: make it easy for guests to let you know their dietary preferences well in advance and give them a deadline for the information, to help the caterers. Add a section on your RSVP, or on your wedding website, and highlight allergens on any printed menus. Discuss any allergies with your caterers and inform event staff. It’s also worth asking staff their process in the event of an emergency – not to sound dramatic, just to be sure that everyone can relax and enjoy themselves on the day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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