Weddingbee Blog

After some back and forth with our reception venue, we have officially decided on the menu for the evening. I am so excited about what we’ll be serving! This Hippo loves to eat, so just talking about these tasty offerings makes me happy. Want to hear what our guests will be noshing on? Just for full disclosure, these pictures aren’t from our venue, but I figured it would be a crime to not show pictures while talking food. Let’s just pretend that our food will look like this or even tastier, shall we?

First, the cocktail hour. Guests will be served two varieties of passed hors d’oeuvres and there will be two stationary hors d’oeuvres.

Passed Hors D’oeuvres

Petite Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes. Served resting in an ancho lemon aioli in individual bowls.

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Angus Beef Sliders. Open faced with roasted roma tomato, homemade dill pickle and smoked cheddar.

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Stationary Hors D’oeuvres

Fruit and cheese platter. Fresh fruit hand picked from Dallas’ Farmers Market with imported artisan and domestic cheeses rustically displayed. Some cheeses will be cut, some sliced and some left whole for guests to slice.

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Spinach and Parmesan Au Gratin. Served hot with cumin dusted crostinis, flatbreads and savory wafers.

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After the cocktail hour, guests will proceed into the main reception room. Instead of a traditional seated, served dinner, we’ve opted for a more relaxed set-up of food stations. Similar to a buffet where guests serve themselves, stations allow guests to have several different food options, but instead of one long buffet table of protein, starch and vegetables, each station is like a mini-meal. Guests can choose to eat from all of the stations, or just snack on one or two. Since the stations will be set up throughout the reception space, it will (hopefully) create more of a mix and mingle type of feel for the reception. There will be five different stations, and I think we have a nice variety to fit a wide-range of tastes.

Food Stations

Authentic slow roasted brisket and pulled pork taco bar. Fresh corn tortillas cooked to order by chef attendant with your choice of roasted tomato salsa, tomatillo salsa, crème fraiche, chopped cilantro, white onions, pico de gallo, sour cream, pepper jack cheese, lime wedges and a Mexican goat cheese.

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Mac ‘N Cheese Station. Served in stemless martini glasses to order with eight toppings to swirl in, including double smoked bacon, green onions, sun-dried tomatoes, ground beef, roasted garlic, caramelized onions, sweet peas, chopped maple ham, herbed bread crumbs, pico de gallo and roasted red peppers.

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Asian Salad Station. Green leaf and romaine lettuces julienned and tossed with julienned red bell pepper, shaved carrots, bean sprouts, green onion, baby bok choy, red cabbage and fresh pea shoot, fresh mint and fresh basil. All tossed with a sesame ginger vinaigrette and presented with chopped cashews, toasted almond slices, crunchy chow mein noodles and sesame seeds for guests to choose from. Served in Chinese takeout containers.

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Carving Station. Smoked Top Sirloin, seasoned and hickory smoked. Medium rare, medium and medium well temperatures will be available, served with a creamy horseradish sauce. Sweet Chili Marinated and Grilled Pork Tenderloin, carved to order and served with a coconut chili sauce.

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Grilled Vegetable Display. Eight fresh vegetables marinated, seasoned and lightly grilled, beautifully displayed.

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I’m hoping guests leave sufficiently full even though they won’t have the formality of a waiter served dinner. We are also having an open bar, so guests will be able to get their drink on, too. All in all, I think it will be a great night of tasty food and flowing libations. Basically, the recipe for a perfect party!

Anyone else going the food station route as opposed to a seated dinner or traditional buffet? What are you serving?