Wedding Food Details

One of the most difficult--and personal--parts of planning Khalil's wedding reception was figuring out the food. Here, he shares his experience.

by Khalil Hymore

Planning a wedding can be an incredibly challenging experience because it is often the first significant undertaking a couple takes on--together. While "wedding-in-a-box" packages are popular at catering halls and country clubs, the couple may have their own ideas about what to include in their (hopefully) once-in-a-lifetime experience.

When my partner, Scott, and I had our ceremony, at his aunt's house in the Berkshires, we had to plan every last detail ourselves, including the rental of port-o-potties (actually they were luxury mobile restroom suites--who knew there were so many temporary toilet options?). Scott can be a touch controlling (have you seen Bridezillas?), so he handled most of the details. However, I clearly insisted on managing the food. From the little boxes of homemade cookies our guests received when they arrived at their inns to the granola bars we packed for a Sunday afternoon hike, I hemmed and hawed about every decision. Food, for me, was a wonderful way to make my wedding specific to me.

Although I do not cater weddings for a living, I can definitely make some suggestions for all you brides and grooms-to-be about wedding food, now that my big day has come and gone. I had initially assumed that unique food meant big bucks but quickly realized that Scott and I could stay within our budget by making our selections carefully. While I may have had a specific vision in my head of the food at our reception, you should be able to rely on your caterer to request some creative ideas that are cost-friendly for your party. So make sure you select a caterer that is creative...and that you feel comfortable brainstorming with.

We helped to create a more personal food presentation by providing our caterers with some old family recipes (that our caterer was happy to receive). Since a portion of my family hailed from upstate New York we used German franks (aka Coneys or Snappys) for our pigs-in-the-blanket appetizer, which can only be purchased in that region. Using food that is grown or made in the same geographic location of your wedding can be a fun and environmentally friendly way to celebrate. Also, instead of a large wedding cake, we purchased individual chocolate cakes for each table; they were made by a local woman operating a small bakery out of her home. In addition, using food that is in season for your side dishes means you'll be able to find it grown locally and it will, most likely, be cheaper.  

For the tables we wrote out the menus on little chalkboards that we purchased at Michael's. This avoided the cost of printing menus for our guests, which has become popular at weddings today, and created kitschy décor for the table, as well.

I often find that it is the small details that make all the difference in the feel of a wedding. At a friend's weekend wedding in Montauk recently, they included a list of restaurants in the area that the couple had grown to love for their guests to explore. The couple included an array of different price-point options so that everyone could find something that worked for them. On the Friday evening before our wedding, we hosted a cookout in a local park where some people played an extremely competitive game of bocce ball while others used the individual s'mores kits we made. Some of the best pictures of the weekend are of kids and adults huddling around the park grill toasting their marshmallows.

One final tip that helped keep our wedding budget friendly was serving only wine and beer. By removing liquor from the list we were able to select some nicer wines and unique beers. For example, we served beer from one of the local breweries and included some Brooklyn Lager to represent our home. The other upside to this is that our guests remained decently behaved throughout the weekend, rather than pounding shots back at the bar.

Looking back now, the organization and planning that went into our ceremony was mind-blowing. But being able to reminisce for a lifetime to come about how personal and special our event was for us is priceless.