Wedding menus

Faith

No, I'm not asking for your help in choosing my wedding menu - that's done and dusted! But I have been inspired by a discussion (one of many) that's happening in the weddings forum.

When it comes to wedding menus, there seems to be two types of bride and groom - those who go for a 'safe' menu that everyone will eat, and those who go for a more adventurous menu that might not appeal to everyone, but will delight a lot of guests.

Which camp do you fall into? I'm interested in your opinions as foodies. Would you/did you/will play it safe, or will the food be a main feature of your wedding? For those of you that are already married, would you change your approach looking back?

pampootie

Interesting question! I'm just starting planning my own wedding and it's definitely something I've thought about. I'm hoping to go more adventurous with the starters and desserts and will probably be more traditional with the mains, lots of my guests won't be foodies and I feel that if they're happy enough with their main you can get away with the other courses. I don't think traditional means boring though, my brother had a beef option at his wedding which was slow cooked beef cheek, it was stunning.

The Hill Billy

I suppose that you could say that Mrs Billy & I played it safe.

We got married on a small island off Galway & wanted to use local produce as far as possible. So we went for Connemara lamb & locally line-caught salmon for the mains. I can't remember the starters or desserts, tbh. It may have been simple & safe but the quality was excellent! So, you could say that we played it safe, but the food was also a star feature on the day.

The caterers at the venue are also an important factor. You don't want the staff preparing a big number of meals of a cuisine that they may not be very familiar with.

Faith

I wouldn't really consider beef cheek or lamb to be 'safe'. Both sound absolutely splendid, either way! I suppose when I say safe, I mean sliced roast beef, farmed salmon, chicken, turkey and ham, vol au vents and vegetable soup (which are still all delicious, in case anyone gets offended!)

leahyl

I have a wedding on Friday and the reception is in Castlemartyr Resort and the couple would be into their food in a big way so I'd imagine it's going to be quite different to what you'd normally get at an Irish wedding! I'm very excited to try it all though!

rubadub

Faith wrote: »

I wouldn't really consider beef cheek or lamb to be 'safe'. Both sound absolutely splendid, either way! I suppose when I say safe, I mean sliced roast beef, salmon, chicken, turkey and ham,

I would have considered lamb to be along the lines of roast beef. If anything I would say salmon is less safe than lamb since I know many people who would not go near salmon, they might take some white fish.

-thinking of it again are you saying "not safe" from a moral view since some view lamb as a cute animal or too young, rather than an odd taste?

The last 2 weddings I was at you had to pick your meal months in advance. I guess this can allow for a wider menu with some more unusual choices -or just to make it cheaper or use the savings for a better quality of menu.

I would have thought chicken is the safest, but I know some do not like to eat it out as they do not consider it "special"

StripedBoxers

I myself am not married, however I did attend a wedding at the weekend and absolutely loved the food.

The canapes were little pasties, chunks of ham that had a mustard, honey and rum rub on it and it was absolutely delicious. I generally wouldn't be a big fan of ham, and often avoid it, but this was gorgeous, so full of flavour.

For the main meal, there was no starter, only a main and dessert, the mains was chicken fillet wrapped in bacon cooked on a BBQ and hog roast, which was scrumptious. I wasn't gone on the chicken as it was overcooked to an inch of its life and it was so dry as a result.

There was various slaws, salads, dips, hummus, etc to accompany them too, and some roasted baby potatoes too. Dessert was brownies with cream (the cream that you spray from a tin).

As for turkey and ham, if I ever get married, they will be two foods that will most certainly not appear anywhere on the menu. I can't stand them as a combo, and I dislike turkey anyway.

I was at a funeral recently, and for the meal T&H was the option, or salmon. I opted for the salmon but it was so overcooked it was inedible.

While I wouldn't play it safe on every part of the meal, I would include some safe options just to keep people happy. My own family wouldn't be adventurous with their food and would moan and groan about X, Y or Z.

The Hill Billy

I don't think that safe 'food morals' are what Faith is talking about. Safe as in traditional food that Granny would be happy with (eg, roast meat & two veg, chicken in a basket, etc) or not safe as in something that Granny may not recognize as food (eg, risotto, pan fried quail on a bed of polenta with a port jus).

The Hill Billy

Actually, I was at a wedding in an Inn recently. We never got fed at all! :pac:

Faith

The Hill Billy wrote: »

I don't think that safe 'food morals' are what Faith is talking about. Safe as in traditional food that Granny would be happy with (eg, roast meat & two veg, chicken in a basket, etc) or not safe as in something that Granny may not recognize as food (eg, risotto, pan fried quail on a bed of polenta with a port jus).

Exactly

Roesy

We didn't have the most exotic of menus but we didn't have a standard turkey and ham/roast beef/vol au vent. We had a very mixed crowd in terms of age/interest in food and it was important to us that no one went hungry but that we had food we'd be happy order ourselves. We had duck and chicken liver pate/baked goats cheese bruschetta type thingy, soup/sorbet, fillet of beef(cooked to order)/monkfish with prawns, profiteroles/strawberry meringue. We also had a cheese wheel wedding cake.

rubadub

Faith wrote: »

Exactly

Right, I didn't get the impression it was morals but was the only reason I could come up with for lamb. All of my elderly relatives would eat lamb no bother, sure its a traditional easter roast, and one I very often hear of people looking forward to and enjoying -the opposite if turkey & ham for many people, who dread the christmas, or are delighted to announce the turkey is actually edible!

The only time I go for turkey & ham is if there is no other choice that suits, e.g. usually when the only other choice being salmon. And I have heard similar comments at meals too, people just taking it but not exactly looking forward to it.

Many seem to be going for these pig on a spit things nowadays. It can be for post drinks eating later in the night.

leahyl

I personally hate lamb so I wouldn't be going with it if it was on the menu, I would have thought that lamb isn't as popular as say beef, lamb is very fatty in my opinion - *shudders

homemadecider

I really don't like most wedding fare, it's usually dried out beef or chicken with boiled-to-death veg. Don't get me started on the veg soup.

The only wedding where I really enjoyed the food was in Waterford Castle. The starter was quail pithivier (a posh word for pie) followed by cooked-to-order fillet steak. Both courses outstanding and every bit was devoured!

foodaholic

The best food at a wedding I've ever had was my best friends. He booked out a restaurant. From the canapés to desserts it was amazing.

Dizzyblonde

When I got married there wasn't the option of being adventurous with the menu, there were only a couple of options.
I do think it's better to play safe and go for food that is likely to be enjoyed by everyone, after all it's along day and people get very hungry.

Gloomtastic!

Before we got married we planned our menu with my BIL who is a chef. I remember guinea fowl was going to be the main course.

We went to the hotel with the menu and the manager told us to stick with their menus as they were tried and tested.

Don't remember what we chose but savouring food was the last thing on our minds during the meal. There is so much going on, people coming up talking to you and thinking about/rehearsing speeches, you'll probably just graze as opposed to eat.

the beer revolu

Beef or salmon = safe
Lamb or seabass = craaazzy!

biddywiddy

We're having a small wedding (~50 people) this NYE, so the hotel has given us the option of the restaurant menu instead of a regular wedding/function menu. It will be the same menu which will be served in the restaurant on the night, choice of 5 starters, 5 mains, 5 desserts, which we're really pleased with as there should be something for everyone. It's also a bit 'fancier' than the standard wedding option we were shown - mains of seabass/ halibut, roast fillet of beef, rack of lamb, chicken, duck.

Thankfully not a turkey and ham in sight as I'm sure everyone will be completely sick of it by then!

I would have loved a more food-centric wedding like some of the other posters here, but we're organising everything from overseas, so this was the best compromise of location that we love, availability and knowing the food is good from previous experiences there.

Tree

One thing that's missing from most wedding menus is a veggie option. Only one of my friends tasted veggie options and added them to her menu (deep fried risotto balls, om nom nom). The rest left it up to the hotel on the day, which is generally disappointing food. In fact, at one hotel, the veggie option was butter/parsley spaghetti, just salty buttery pasta (meat eaters got scallops or beef cheeks)

Rew

We were in the "Adventurous" camp. A small number of the guests didn't appreciate it it but they were the type of people who have general food issues and by chance (possibly design) they were on the same table. It got back to us that they were making smart remarks and some of their wives were bridesmaids who gave them a clip around the ear and put them back in their boxes.

At the end of the day you cant please everyone but the menu did go down very well over all and I'm glad we didn't play it safe.

Rew

leahyl wrote: »

I have a wedding on Friday and the reception is in Castlemartyr Resort and the couple would be into their food in a big way so I'd imagine it's going to be quite different to what you'd normally get at an Irish wedding! I'm very excited to try it all though!

Id be interested to hear how you get on we looked at Castlemartyr for our wedding, stayed the night and had dinner there. We didnt go with them in the end. Wouldn't be in a hurry to eat there again either. It was fine but there are far better dinner options in Cork for foodie dinner and weddings.

leahyl

Rew wrote: »

Id be interested to hear how you get on we looked at Castlemartyr for our wedding, stayed the night and had dinner there. We didnt go with them in the end. Wouldn't be in a hurry to eat there again either. It was fine but there are far better dinner options in Cork for foodie dinner and weddings.

Really?! Aaaw I'm disappointed now! Hope I don't have the same experience!

Shenshen

I suppose you could say we went with the "adventurous" option - my husband and me are both vegetarian, and while we never have had any problem at all with other people eating whatever they feel like, we felt that this was our wedding, we were going to be paying for the food, so there would not be meat or fish.

We had canapes with cheese and chutney, or vegetable pate (which the hotel did an absolutely fantastic job off), lots of different kinds of salads for starters, and mushroom stroganoff with eiher crepes or brown basmati for mains with roasted vegetables. Dessert was pana cotta (no gelatine, but set using arrow root ) with hot raspberry sauce.

It was absolutely delicious, but to be honest I could not believe the amount of complaints we had from people beforehand - "sure could you not have a bit of turkey, even, you know, for people who don't eat vegetarian food?"
The notion that you could only eat mushrooms, roast veg, rice and crepes if they are served with a slab of meat but otherwise they might poison you confused the life out of me...

Rew

leahyl wrote: »

Really?! Aaaw I'm disappointed now! Hope I don't have the same experience!

That was dinner in the restaurant not a wedding, Ive heard good things about the wedding food (as wedding food goes)

The Hill Billy

Shenshen wrote: »

...but to be honest I could not believe the amount of complaints we had from people beforehand - "sure could you not have a bit of turkey, even, you know, for people who don't eat vegetarian food?"
The notion that you could only eat mushrooms, roast veg, rice and crepes if they are served with a slab of meat but otherwise they might poison you confused the life out of me...

I wouldn't complain to the bride & groom (or anyone else), but I'd feel a bit put out being stuck with only a veggy meal. But that's just me.

We had only one vegetarian guest at our wedding, but we sussed out his likes & dislikes & made sure he was well catered for.

nosietoes

We decided to go non traditional - have booked Wildside catering for our wedding. Decided to go safe for the starter - heirloom tomato and west cork buffalo mozzarella salad.

For main course we'll have slow bbqed brisket and pulled pork done over wood or seafood paella or a silent veggie option of Indian lentil curry with salads and bread on the side.

Dessert will be peach Melba Eton mess - the caterer is nice enough to make a personal favourite.

Our canapés are beetroot and parsnip crisps, garavadlax on oatcakes, beer braised bratwurst with Carmelised onions and a selection of mushes on bread... Might add oysters closer to the day (family have been asking)

I cannot wait - and hope that I manage to try everything rather than run around chatting and getting distracted which is very likely!

Alun

nosietoes wrote: »

For main course we'll have slow bbqed brisket and pulled pork done over wood or seafood paella or a silent veggie option of Indian lentil curry with salads and bread on the side.

I wouldn't be too sure of that

MissFlitworth

I like all food that is given to me at weddings and if I was having a big wedding (I don't think I would do, my wedding would probably be me and whoever I trapped/tricked and about 5 guests having a fancy dinner somewhere I love eating) I think I'd end up going with the most affordable option that suited everyone. I know from my own family I have a couple of non-lamb eaters, a couple of non-vegetable eaters and some other fussy enough people so vol-au-vents, meat and vegetables would probably be the order of the day.

One thing I would be fussy as hell about is going through the wedding menu with my red pen crossing out every single superfluous adjective and then hitting the thesaurus to get the 'normal' name of any food item I suspect to be hiding behind a grandiose wedding menu name and fixing it up. The verbosity of wedding menus really gets my goat. I can't remember what the vol au vent was called on the menu at the last wedding I went to but it had 2 adjectives and the word pillow in there somewhere

Shenshen

MissFlitworth wrote: »

One thing I would be fussy as hell about is going through the wedding menu with my red pen crossing out every single superfluous adjective and then hitting the thesaurus to get the 'normal' name of any food item I suspect to be hiding behind a grandiose wedding menu name and fixing it up. The verbosity of wedding menus really gets my goat. I can't remember what the vol au vent was called on the menu at the last wedding I went to but it had 2 adjectives and the word pillow in there somewhere

I'd have that gripe about regular menus as well... anything "resting on a bed" of something would be a red flag.

MissFlitworth

Just found the straw that broke the camels back!

Corn Fed Chicken & Wild Mushroom Pillow, Tarragon & Leek Veloute.

It was a really lovely vol-au-vent and the tarragon in the white sauce was also really lovely but c'mon!