African American Weddings

What's Your Menu

Alright I've found a photog. Now It's time to look for a caterer. So what are you eating at the wedding??? How did you find your caterer? One caterer said that she would draw up a contract for me to sign before the tasting. Is that proper protocol?? Help me out ladies. TIA

Re: What's Your Menu

  • edited December 2011
    Girl I didnt taste my food until the day of! The venue didnt do tastings... Luckily I had good reviews from everyone about the venue before so the food really ended up being wonderful!We had...Green SaladPrime RibStuffed Chicken BreastTwice Baked PotatoGreen beans and Honey Carrots
  • tamtam7tamtam7 member
    1000 Comments
    edited December 2011
    I would recommend tasting before signing a contract.  We are having our wedding in the middle of the afternoon.  After lunch time and before dinner so we are just doing heavy hors' deuvres.  We are having crab stuffed mushrooms, parmessan chicken salad on a crostini, fruit and cheese platter, spinach dip with pita points, samosas with a mango chutney dipping sauce, and shrimp cocktail.
  • edited December 2011
    The venue we are going with lets you bring in your own food. My ma's bf does alot of catering so we only have to buy the food for her to cook. We are having baked chicken, baked ham,slice turkey and gravy, mash potatoes,mac and cheese,corn,greenbeans, maybe a side salad,dinner rolls and butter.
  • edited December 2011
    Appetizers:Assorted Fruit DisplayCrab Cakes (FI's favorite)Assorted Cheeses and CrackersDinner:SaladChicken Breast Stuffed with Broccoli & CheeseLong Green BeansWild Rice PilafDinner RollSweet and Unsweetened TeaPunch (caterer's special brew, it taste pretty good)WaterDessert:CupcakesWedding Cake
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  • edited December 2011
    The place where we are having our reception doesn't have any restrictions on vendors. A guy that I work with has his own catering business and he cut us a good deal! We are having the vege and fruit buffet before dinner wih crap salad.  For dinner we are having prime rib, grilled chicken breast, mashed potatoes, and green beans, and yeast rolls.
  • edited December 2011
    We found our caterer at a bridal show. He was cooking on the spot at the show and it was wonderful. I would taste before signing a contract. We did a formal tasting and he came to our home and used our kitchen to cook. Our menu is...2 dips  (creamy spinach and roasted peppers / sundried tomato with chicken) 2 passed items (crab cakes with spicy remoulade / coconut prawns with tangy sauce) 4 tapas (BBQ chicken crustini / twisted potato skins / panko breaded chicken chunks with spice pepper mustard sauce / roasted pork burritos with avocado peach salsa) 1 dessert shooter (triple chocolate mousse with a caramel chaser) Assorted desserts (lemon bars, cookies, mini cheesecakes, mini brownies)
  • edited December 2011
    We are having our reception at a Marriott so we had to sign contract. Most Marriotts are pretty good with the food so we didn't have that much apprehension. A contract before a tasting can be common, most go on word of mouth or recommendation from reception site.Cream of Portebello Mushroom soupChicken Picatta and Crab Cake orFilet Mignon and Shrimp ScampiStrawberry Field Salad fresh vegetable and starch selection yet to be determinedMango SorbetWedding Cake and Grooms Cake
  • edited December 2011
    Were we supposed to list cocktail hour too??
  • edited December 2011
    Thanks Ladies Sure Lovie what are you having durng the cocktail hour?
  • edited December 2011
     Sangria is siggy drinkgrilled balsamic vegetablescocnut shrimpspinach and goat cheese mezeplaintanosempanadas
  • edited December 2011
    I have a venue that allows us to bring in our own food. I will say that it is a good Idea to taste the food if possible. I wanted to find a AA caterer. My menu is going to be: Fot the Cocktail Hour: Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs with Peppers Bacon Wrapped Scallops Mashed Potato Martini Station Assorted Fresh Fruit Display for the Cocktail Hour and For the Dinner: Garden Salad Marinated Chicken Breast with Mushroom Sauce New York Strip Steak Rice Pilaf Veggie Medley Dessert: Sweet Potato Cheesecake Candy Buffet Wedding Cake
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  • edited December 2011
    Definitely do a tasting; there may be some things that don't taste how you imagined they would and the chef can adjust to suit your taste.  We paid a small fee for our tasting. Cocktail hour: mini grilled cheese sandwhiches shrimp and grits Dinner: Tomatoe and mozzarella salad with a vinagerette dressingpetite filet and grilled seabassvegetable risottoDesset:Wedding cakeice cream sundae bar  
  • ladylumladylum member
    500 Comments Fourth Anniversary
    edited December 2011
    I saw my caterer all around town and found out that my aunt used them for her own wedding, my hairdresser used them for her church, etc. It was hard because I am a huge techie and they had no website but after going over the deposit (none!), all the food I could get, the fact they do not charge for children under 5 (big help) and the low price, I was hooked. It's southern style buffet:Deviled EggsPotato SaladPasta Salad?Mac & CheeseGreen BeansBaked ApplesDressingFried ChickenBaked CodProbably turkeyAlong with rolls, butter, and drinks. $11.00/person.
  • ladylumladylum member
    500 Comments Fourth Anniversary
    edited December 2011
    No alcohol. I have recovering alcoholics in my family and I don't feel right with people drinking at my reception and then driving home.
  • edited December 2011
    Found my caterer b/c the chef goes along with the venue for the wedding/reception and we can't bring in anyone from the outside. We're having a cocktail reception with 3 types of hot hors d'oerves (chicken satay, spring rolls and something else) and fruit, cheese and vegetables, then seated, plated (non-buffet) meal with two meats. Before the entree, we are having soup/salad, and after the entree, the wedding cake is dessert. Entree is salmon and chicken florentine for everyone, rice pilaf (or wild rice, can't recall), asparagus and something else, I think. :) There will be a vegetarian plate for the vegetarians. FI and my parents don't eat red meat so we had to move away from the filet mignon (which I kinda wanted), then lots of folk that we know don't eat shellfish or pork so we skipped those options too.We haven't signed a contract yet but it's as good as done b/c we can't bring in an outside vendor.  We don't do our tasting until about 30-60 days before the wedding.
  • Crook251Crook251 member
    100 Comments
    edited December 2011
    I would definitly taste and shop around before signing any contracts! Our wedding menu is: Potatoe SoupAssorted Fruit and Chese Tray Chicken Cordon Blu Seasoned Roast Wild Rice PilafGreen BeansMix VegetableTea Punch Wedding Cake
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  • edited December 2011
    We were going to do a dessert reception but have decided to go ahead and do a meal.Cocktain HourAssorted Popcorn BarSalad Crisp Iceberg Wedge with Balsamic Bleu Cheese Dressing, Parsley, Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Red Onions Main Entrée Honey Barbecue Chicken Barbecue Baked Beans Sweet Corn on the Cobb Sweet Potatoes Fresh Baked Dinner Rolls and Whipped Butter Dessert Trio of Fountains White Chocolate, Dark Chocolate and Milk Chocolate Fresh Fruit Skewers, Pretzel Sticks, Peanut Butter Cookies, Cream Puffs, Strawberries, Marshmallows and Graham CrackersBridal cupcakes and a grooms cake
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