When you begin to plan your wedding, there are so many choices to make.  Basic things like when and where are established first. Time of day and year, themes and colors are established. The rough sketch of the big day starts to come together. Then it comes time to nail down some details. You will start to think about vendors like photographers, florists and entertainment.  You may have tried on some dresses and veils and are thinking about your wedding party.

Now let the fun begin when choosing your food and drink!  This is often the most important part of the wedding planning process. Of course your guests will be buzzing about how beautiful you looked and how lucky you got with such wonderful weather that day. Later their recollections will include more.  Many guests recount how good (or bad!) the food was, how original the signature cocktail was, and many other comments or critiques on the food and drinks served at your wedding.

When the reception begins, the first things your guests will be greeted by are usually hors d’oeuvres and cocktails. Now is the time to really make a positive lasting impression.  Maybe you want to do a signature cocktail that will reflect your personalities or commemorates a significant event in your lives. Perhaps your menu is going to be Mexican themed because you became engaged on Cinco de Mayo.  Whatever your approach, now is the time to show your friends and family that you appreciate them by thinking about a few small things that will make a big difference. Ultimately, how well you and your guests enjoy the food and drink at your wedding may lie solely on one thing: size.

Size?  Why yes, size. When planning your menu, consider this: size does matter. As the reception begins, many guests head right to the bar for a refreshing drink. Now they have just one free hand left to place that gift card in the birdcage. Off to the terrace to find a server with a silver tray of nibbles to quell that stomach that growled so loudly between “I Do’s”. It seems like everyone at your wedding hasn’t eaten all day and here they are trying to balance a glass of chardonnay in one hand and dip their shrimp into cocktail sauce with the other. Forget about the napkin. That’s jammed under their arm.

What I am trying to say is, think logistics. Think size. Plan a menu that includes hors d’oeuvres that don’t require two hands to eat.  One bite items are well received by guests and help to make the cocktail hour fun, relaxing and enjoyable. Nobody wants to worry about where to stash a shrimp tail or how to get honey mustard out of silk shantung. Discuss these issues with your caterer and you will be surprised how many options there are to please your palate.

The same goes for dessert, but in a different way. Often the wedding cake is served as a dessert, but not the only dessert. Many brides choose to offer a dessert station or Venetian table. When planning this, be sure to remember that many guests have had their fill of food and drink by now. They may want to sample a mini éclair or one bite of lemon torte, but couldn’t possibly wolf down a slice of New York cheesecake.  Offer miniature versions of a variety of flavors and textures. This method helps to save you money on dessert, since you will not need to serve nearly as many as you would if you served each person at the table. You can set out small take out boxes for guests to make goodie boxes for the ride home. Everyone can enjoy as much or as little as they like. This will send your guests home with sweet dreams of the newlyweds and your thoughtful menu planning. So, size does matter! At least when it comes to planning your wedding day menu.