The Wedding Party Catering your Reception

By Rita Ross

One of the most delicious parts of your wedding is the food -- especially the eagerly awaited reception dinner. And you can make sure your wedding guests leave with sweet memories of your big day by collaborating with your caterer to make sure the meal is fabulous from start to finish.

"But even before you start thinking about the reception, you should decide where you're getting married, and reserve that location first," advises Pierre Belle, owner of Belle Caterers in New Windsor. Then, when your walk down the aisle is all set, you can focus on planning the reception party.

Regardless of the size of your bash, your major food decision will be the style of meal you prefer — either a sitdown dinner or buffet-style dining.

"A traditional, multicourse, served meal is always elegant. But many couples today say they'd rather have the variety and informality of a buffet," says Belle. He notes
that Belle Caterers' most popular wedding reception dishes include — what else? — Italian wedding soup, as well as the likes of cranberry peppercorn chicken and salmon with red pepper cream sauce over rice. He also notes a recent trend toward smaller receptions.

"Some couples still like to go all-out and have a lavish reception, but I'd say the average is often now between about 100 to 200 guests."

Brides-to-be who like the idea of buffet dining sometimes choose a similar option— offering the main meal at food stations, a serving style sometimes used for the prereception cocktail hour.

"You can have several different serving stations — for salad, pasta, seafood, meat, desserts and more," says Kathy Hummel, wedding banquet manager at Woodloch Pines Resorts in Hawley, Pa. "Many couples like this because their guests can mingle and eat at their leisure, not just at one set time," she adds.

Food stations — they're like buffet lines but are often spread throughout the reception space to help eliminate the need for guests to line up to fill their plates — might
include everything from stirfry selections to sushi; cheese, vegetable and fruit stations; smorgasbord; carving stations and more.