Best wedding food you've ever had

Ajuliana · June 2013

There was a thread with worst wedding foods, and since I'm still deciding what to have, can I and other still planning brides get a little insight?

I like lamb and pork, spinach salads, and anything with lemon for dessert. I've never actually been to a wedding with more than average food myself, and I'm not sure if it's even possible to make great food with a 400-500 person event : /

harper0813 · June 2013

A friend last year served really amazing steak topped with goat cheese. Yum.

erinlin25 · June 2013

That is a lot of people! But I always love a nice steak at a wedding with some sort of potato. Every time I have chicken at a wedding it was always dry.

The food at our wedding was amazing. Guests picked from a filet in a wine sauce with au gratin potatoes & veggies; smoked salmon with rice pilaf, or a veggie lasagna. The cocktail hour had chicken lettuce wraps (bite size so they were little lettuce cups easy to eat); pork tacos; mini flatbread cheese pizza's; and these artichoke-risotto fritters that were delicious--even my husband (who hates most vegetables was all over the fritters!). Our cake was awesome too--3 flavors: a chocolate mousse; a white cake with chocolate mousse and raspberry filling or a lemon/ raspberry cake that was awesome too (and I hate lemon desserts, but it was really good!)

Never seen it myself, but someone was talking about having a mashed/baked potato bar that sounded so amazing!! I would love that as a guest

harper0813 · June 2013

I agree with you, @erinlin25, that wedding chicken is always so dry! We're trying to avoid that by choosing bone-in chicken, which tends to retain more of its juiciness, even if it's overcooked.

Ajuliana · June 2013

So, have a real vegetarian option (most of our families are farmers so there likely won't be many takers on this), good serving sizes, and it's okay to have something with a flair. My favorite salad is a spinach with onion, gorgonzola, and grilled peach. Would that be a go or no go for you ladies? I love a good chicken marsala, which I feel is a good basic option for people not wanting to try something more specialized, the sauce would keep it juicy. Maybe a beef bourguignon for the other meat option. What does a good vegetarian meal consist of? Please forgive the block text I'm on mobile tk.

LuckyAloha · June 2013

I've actually never had bad wedding food! I am nervous about our chicken because when I tried it, it seemed a little dry too.

efmcc67 · June 2013

Alaynajuliana said:

So, have a real vegetarian option (most of our families are farmers so there likely won't be many takers on this), good serving sizes, and it's okay to have something with a flair. My favorite salad is a spinach with onion, gorgonzola, and grilled peach. Would that be a go or no go for you ladies? I love a good chicken marsala, which I feel is a good basic option for people not wanting to try something more specialized, the sauce would keep it juicy. Maybe a beef bourguignon for the other meat option. What does a good vegetarian meal consist of? Please forgive the block text I'm on mobile tk.

For the salad, everything sounds good except for the onions. I hate the flavor of raw onions, and once you eat them, you keep tasting them all night. People tend to feel very strongly one way or the other on the onion issue. Your best bet is to skip them altogether. Otherwise, sounds good to me.

TKzilla · June 2013

I haven't been to a whole lot of weddings, so I think I had the best wedding food :P We had beef pinwheels with onion fondue as a passed app. SOOOOOO good and the caterers brought some down to the beach while we were taking pictures.

Weezy56 · June 2013

My bro and SIL had the best food I've ever had at a wedding. Fried chicken, BBQ, hush puppies, Mac n cheese, green beans, sweet tea, and several kegs. Mmmm

Ajuliana · June 2013

Believe me I love comfort foods, but we are having a formal wedding. I would love to have lamb with pomengranate sauce, asparagus and pesto risotto. AKA my favorite meal at our special occasion restaurant across town, but I doubt most of our guest list is that adventurous, in Harry's words.

I believe butter always makes things taste better. I literally put "room temperature butter" on our catering contract, because that's the easiest way to spread it on bread!

libby2483 · June 2013

Honestly, the best wedding food I've had was at my own wedding. Guests could choose from top sirloin, chicken with a dijon cream sauce and herbs, or a vegetarian puff pastry (and chicken strips as a kid's meal option). I know a lot of vegetarians appreciated having a meal that wasn't just a bland pasta. Meals came with a salad, breadstick, garlic mashed potatoes, and veggies. Our cocktail hour just had cheese and sausage trays, but in Wisconsin that's pretty standard and goes over very well. When choosing a venue, we looked carefully at the reviews for the food, and we were willing to pay a little more to ensure our guests were getting a great meal. We also did a late-night snack of pizzas that was a big hit.

I personally wouldn't care for your salad, because I really don't like fruit in my salads. This is just my own pickiness, though, and everything but the peaches sound good to me. I think that the lamb dish you described sounds delicious, but I know in my circle, some would find that too "adventurous".

artbyallie · June 2013

Two years later, I still have people telling me how much they liked our reception. We served simple burgers and hot dogs with fries and a choice of soda, tea, or lemonade. We also had vanilla shakes, four flavors of cake, and a candy bar with retro candies. There's nothing wrong with classics, if they're prepared well.

I also really enjoyed the food at the last wedding we went to. The mini quiches were particularly good, and there were lots of options on the buffet, plus a really good punch. It was still simple overall, though.

Peledreamsofrain · June 2013

I'm going to have to brag up our wedding menu since I was partial to it.

Tri tip roast in red wine mushroom sauce with garlic smashed potatoes.

Grilled chicken with artichokes in white wine sauce.

Quinoa, brown rice, and pilaf blend served in summer squash.

Pengasius fish baked with kalamata olives

appetizers: salmon pastry puffs, summer walnut strawberry salad, and fresh baked sourdough and homestyle breads with garlic infused olive oil dipping sauce.

Ajuliana · June 2013

Yum! I'm getting hungry...maybe because I just got home from drinking ; )

My dad loves this one caterer who I think is mediocre at best, so I specifically chose a venue where they only allow their onsite one, who I have heard rave reviews about. Food to my and FIs family is very important, (and it seems like it is to most people on here!) and I want to have something scrumptious. I like the sound of the stuffed chicken breast, and of course Peledreamsofrain's quinoa vegetarian option. Mostly because I saw that Quinoa pinterest board and know I'm obsessed.

Thanks for all the fantastic replies! I just want to host a proper, delicious meal.

Sassenach1743 · June 2013

The best "wedding food" I've had was, of course, at my wedding!

Our menu was fantastic! Everyone raved about all of the food, from the passed and stationary appetizers at the cocktail hour, top tier entrees served at dinner (generous portions!), to the Viennese dessert display that accompanied our cake... We were extremely pleased. Many also complimented our vegetarian entree option.

Menu

Fully Hosted Premium Bar

(including a champagne greeting)

Cocktail Hour Apps

Baked Brie & Pear Tartlets (tray passed)

Smoked Salmon w/ Dill Creme Fresh Crostini (tray passed)

Charcuterie Display

European Cheese Display w/ Assorted Breads & Crackers

Fresh Fruit and Nut Display

Starter Salad

Butter Lettuces with Fig Dressing

Goat Cheese, Orange Segments and Marcona Almonds

Entrees

Roasted Prime Rib

with Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Lemon Asparagus,

Crispy Onions with Horseradish Sauce and Au Jus

Mediterranean Sea Bass

on Herbed Orzo, Baby Vegetables

with White Wine and Caper Sauce

Grilled Polenta Cakes

with Wild Mushroom and Tomato Ragu,

Baby Heirloom Vegetables

Dessert

Wedding Cake

(Cuban Strawberry Cream; yellow sponge cake soaked in light French brandy w/ fresh strawberry cream) -bottom tier

(Chocolate Decadence; chocolate cake w/ chocolate pudding) -top two tiers

Finished & Detailed in whipped buttercream!

Grand Viennese Display Assorted mini cakes and pastries, mini eclairs, cream puffs, napoleons, cheesecakes, petit-fors, tartlets (apple), chocolates and fruit desserts
Favors Imported Assorted Italian Wedding Cookies!

MairePoppy · June 2013

These are the best courses from different weddings:

Appetizers at at seaside wedding - clam fritters, clam chowder shooters, bacon wrapped scallops, mini grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup shooters, skewered shrimp and pineapple and lobster raviolis. Cocktail hour was the highlight of that wedding.

Salad - spinach with beets, cranberries, mushrooms, toasted walnuts and balsamic vinaigrette - served with hard crusted french rolls.

Best main course - prime rib at a steakhouse, was seasoned and roasted perfectly.

Dessert is a toss up - red velvet wedding cake at one elegant, vintage wedding and a homemade assorted cookies at a Big Fat Italian Wedding : ) that made me wish I was Italian.

edit spelling

winelover123 · June 2013

I haven't been to many weddings, but when we did a tasting with our caterer, the food was amazing. We're having lasagna and a lemon chicken with artichoke hearts. The caterer that we have is a little on the pricey side, but always makes really, really awesome food. I've been to several events where they've catered and have never had a complaint about any of their food.

The lasagna really was awesome. I'm really excited for it.

Peaseblossom55 · June 2013

I"m a vegetarian so the meals are usually disappointing. My sister's wedding last August had the best food. The cocktail hour was amazing. There was a ton of food. My meal was simple but so good flavored rice and grilled veggies, zucchini, portabello mushroom, eggplant and squash. Her cake was ok, but the viennese table today made up for it. There were tons of cakes and different desserts.

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