Planning Your Wedding Menu

When it comes to planning your wedding, one seemingly daunting task is planning the wedding menu for all your guests. You may have even asked yourself “why is this so hard?” - and we completely understand. That is why we wanted to give you a few tips to help make your wedding planning just a little easier by helping you create a delicious menu for your special day. 

Seasonality

As you begin thinking about your menu options, keep in mind what produce will be ‘in-season’ at the time of your wedding. This will help ensure you are serving your guests the freshest and tastiest options. 

Style of Service

One of the first things to do is for you to determine the style of service that you envision for your wedding. One of the more traditional options, yet still widely seen, is the plated meal. This service style tends to showcase as a more formal option. Alternatively, if you are interested in a more casual option that allows your guests to get up and move about to mingle, then a buffet or food stations option might be the right fit for you!

Dietary Needs & Restrictions

Be sure to ask your guests to let you know of any dietary restrictions in advance. When you start planning the menu you, may not have all the restrictions from the guests. However, you can still talk with your caterer about including a variety of options that may cover the most commonly requested dietary restrictions: vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free, and nut free.

We understand that everyone has a budget, but being able to offer as much variety as possible will help you feel confident in your menu selections. As a starting point, a good rule of thumb is to offer two types of proteins (ie: a chicken and beef option), at least one vegetable and one starch side, and a salad.  

Make It About You

Yes, offering a menu that all your guests will love is the ultimate goal. However, it is more important to remember what the day is really all about … YOU! So, make sure to not let the stress of trying to please every single guest get to you - and make sure you are creating a menu that you will love on your special day! 
Here is a sample menu we put together from our tips in this blog:

A True Wedding Menu

Braised Beef Empanada
Savory beef, pastry, chili de arbol vinaigrette, cream, cilantro.

Lemon Thyme Chicken Skewers
Seasoned grilled chicken with lemon zest and fresh thyme served on a bamboo knot pick with by fresh citrus aioli.


Seared Ahi Tuna
Fresh Ahi tuna coated with black and white sesame seeds and a sweet soy glaze, served in a wonton cup and garnished with wasabi crème.


Vegan Tostones
Twice cooked green plantains tossed with garlic and agave syrup, topped with sweet potato avocado Pico de Gallo.


True Bistro Salad
Baby field greens, fresh seasonal berries, and almonds, served with balsamic vinaigrette


Mediterranean Chicken Breast
Served with lemon zest, oregano, garlic, and Jerusalem salad. Accompanied by Fresh Asparagus with Grape Tomatoes and Roasted Cauliflower.

Citrus Salmon
Served with organic extra virgin olive oil. Accompanied by Yukon Gold Potatoes and Tangerine & Black Kale Salad.

Pan Seared Beef Tenderloin Filet
Served with a balsamic demi-glace and garnished with micro arugula. Accompanied by Fresh Asparagus with Stemmed Carrots and Roasted Fingerling Potatoes.

For more inspirations or ideas, give us a call today. You can speak to a catering professional about other ways to enhance your next catered event at 312.724.6000 or info@sbrevents.com.

Or for more photos & menu options, head to our catering menu page!

A Taste of NOLA: Our Andouille & Smoked Chicken Gumbo Recipe

By nat rosasco • 24 Feb, 2022
The Perfect Balance of Flavor and Heat.

Managing Your Micro Wedding

By nat rosasco • 24 Dec, 2020
1. Guest Count & Venue The first area we must address is the guest count and your venue requirements. Depending on your venue, you will have to adjust your guest count while of course following the state guidelines. From there- we can get planning! Moving from a venue to your private residence? No problem! If you are using True Cuisine & Sweet Baby Ray’s as your catering vendor, we adjust to your venue with no problem. Here are some general areas to consider when adjusting to a new venue: Guest seating / overall new floor plan Food service style Menu & Bar Custom décor These areas will be explained next! 2. Floor plan Planning your floor plan can be tricky for micro weddings as we are still enforcing social distancing as much as possible- even at private residences! Limiting tables to 6 guests each is one way to enforce social distancing during dinner service. Allowing for as much space as possible between each guest table is also important for social distancing. If you are working with different rooms or a backyard- we make it work!

12 Days of Entertaining Tips

By nat rosasco • 20 Nov, 2020
Tip 1: Spice Things Up with a Seasonal Cocktail! Looking for a simple, fun way to spice up your intimate holiday gathering? Adding a signature cocktail is a great way to kickstart your celebration. The Fall and Winter seasons are full of distinct flavors like nutmeg, cinnamon, rosemary and cranberry that pair beautifully with y o ur favorite spirits! Two of our favorite cocktails are the White Christmas Margarita and Jingle Juice. You can find the recipes for these by clicking here . Or, keep it simple by adding some peppermint flavored schnapps or spiked creamer to your favorite hot chocolate or coffee. Any of the spirits can be omitted or substituted with a non-alcoholic mixer for your younger or non-drinker guests. Cheers to a safe celebration!
Show More
Share by: