Wedding Catering Choices to Decide Before the Big Day

So you’ve made the ever-so-important decision of who you’d like to spend the rest of your life with—congrats! Now comes a (fun) barrage of new decisions regarding your wedding day, covering everything from guest lists and venues to wedding catering.

Sometimes, having to make so many decisions in a relatively short period of time can feel overwhelming. However, you shouldn’t take your wedding catering choices lightly since most of your guests are looking forward to a nice meal as they celebrate your everlasting love. Here are some valuable details to keep in mind as you make your wedding catering choices.

Mealtime for the Event

The first thing to consider is what time of day you plan to serve your guests a meal. If your ceremony is in the morning and the reception is in the early afternoon, you’ll want to choose a lighter fare that is lunch appropriate. For afternoon weddings followed by dinner, something more substantial might be better.

Keep in mind how long your guests will wait between events. If it’s more than an hour or so, consider including small snacks and beverages to keep them satisfied.

Number of Guests

Knowing approximately how many people will attend your wedding can help you decide on what style of meal would work best. When it comes to wedding catering choices, you have options for plated meals, buffet, serving stations, family-style service, or hearty appetizers served by a waitstaff.

It helps to think about the space available at your reception location, as well as how formal or informal your event will be. It’s also wise to keep your budget in mind when you’re selecting a serving style to accommodate your guests.

Time of the Year

As you’re choosing specific dishes or flavors, let the season influence (or even dictate) your choices. The more local, fresh products your catering can include, the more delicious and cost-effective the meal will be. Plus, the overall theme of your wedding likely matches up well with the time of year, so why shouldn’t your food do the same?

For instance, if you’re planning a winter wedding, serving warm, creamy soup and hot chocolate will complement the season nicely. But if you’re having a summer wedding, guests won’t be thrilled with steaming hot appetizers and drinks. Instead, consider light salads, cheese platters, and lemonade.

Overall Budget

The average cost of wedding catering is around $70 per guest. Of course, your wedding catering choices could be well above or below that average. That’s why it’s essential to know what percentage of your wedding planning budget will go toward catering before you start to decide on details like serving style and types of food.

Naturally, a sit-down meal will cost more than a buffet-style one. And serving steak or fish will be pricier than hearty appetizers or chicken. Even though you don’t want money to make your choices, you also don’t want to end up going way over budget.

Serving Up Incredible Wedding Catering Choices

Do you live near Annapolis, Maryland? Would like delicious, homemade Italian food as part of your wedding catering? Get in touch with us at Spizzico Italian Kitchen. Our owners are from Italy and grew up in the Arnold/Annapolis area. So we know our community, and we make quality Italian dishes with authentic recipes.

We love when families come together over a meal. What better reason to have that happen than celebrating the union of two individuals? You can choose from various appetizers, salads, pizzas, and homemade pasta. We even have gluten-free options to keep all of your guests happy on your wedding day. Contact us to see how we can help out on your big day or visit our catering page for more details.