What to cook for a wedding? Preparing for a wedding takes a lot of time and effort. This applies not only to the choice of outfit and venue for the evening, but also to the organization of the banquet itself. The newlyweds invite all guests to the festive table, where they try to treat everyone.
I don’t want anyone to leave the event hungry. Therefore, the spouses order a large number of dishes, which are subsequently thrown away. It’s so difficult to find and maintain that balance of dishes for a wedding.
Wedding menu
Every bride knows that 90% of success with guests is a good table. At the ceremony they will evaluate the beautiful bride, the groom’s suit and decoration, but at the banquet they will evaluate the dishes: their quantity, quality and presentation. Therefore, after choosing a dress, rings and a banquet hall, the newlyweds have another question - how to feed the guests so that everyone likes it, and at the same time not cost a pretty penny. According to Russian tradition, it is not customary to arrange light buffets; guests should leave the holiday well-fed and satisfied, only then is it considered that the Russian wedding was a great success.
Wedding table: menu, recipes
There are no specific rules about what to serve on the table on the day of the celebration. However, there are unspoken rules that, as a rule, are observed if this is not a completely informal celebration. For example, drinks should not include beer. Perhaps wine, champagne, vodka, cognac, martinis or cocktails, but not beer.
All restaurants have their own menu, with a wide variety of options and for any amount. The administrator and chefs will tell you what is best to choose and how to please your guests. This includes several cold appetizers and two hot ones, as well as tea and cake. This is the minimum that is usually present everywhere. Let's look at the most popular dishes at Russian weddings.
- Appetizers usually include seafood (fish, shrimp, mussels), sausage, cheese, meat, and sliced fresh vegetables.
- The wedding table menu should include several salads. It’s better to have a little bit, but a lot, than one big bowl with one salad. Olivier, herring under a fur coat, Caesar with chicken, salads with mushrooms, and vegetable variations are popular in Russia. You can mix just 2 ingredients, for example, green beans with chicken, tomatoes with cheese.
- Tartlets with various fillings are also popular. It's always satisfying and tasty. You can put almost anything inside.
- Guests will also enjoy stuffed vegetables and eggs.
- Meat must be served as a hot dish. It can be a fish, pork or beef steak with a side dish of rice or vegetables, or chicken julienne. Despite the beautiful name, julienne is simple to prepare. To do this, you only need chicken fillet, milk, cheese, butter and seasonings. It turns out very tasty, satisfying and inexpensive.
- Don't forget that in addition to alcohol, there should also be non-alcoholic drinks, such as fruit juice, mineral water, sparkling water.
- Cake is usually served for dessert. You can also make a sweet table for guests to come up to and take sweets. Sweets, cupcakes, cakes, and cookies are suitable for treats. Tea or coffee is required.
What should you consider when choosing recipes?
If you are holding a celebration at home, then you need to think about the wedding menu itself. Pay special attention to him. Guests should not feel discriminated against, because the task of the newlyweds is to feed everyone present deliciously.
- Food Service Stages – Not all wedding food is served at the same time. Be sure to keep in mind that appetizers and light salads are placed on the table first, and then hot dishes are served.
- Think ahead about when you will serve each dish. After salads, it is not customary to immediately bring hot food. It takes time for the food to be digested and the body to be ready for new dishes.
- The meat requires special attention, so it’s worth marinating it a day before and figuring out how to cook it. The ideal option would be shish kebab, which is suitable even for home cooking.
- If you decide to cook unusual dishes, try them in advance by making a small portion. Try to avoid particularly original food combinations. As a rule, men do not like it when sweet fruits and meat dishes are combined.
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Wedding menu calculation for 1 person
The basic rule of a successful holiday is that everything should be delicious and there should be enough for everyone. But at the same time, it is undesirable for a large amount of untouched food to remain, because the young people spent money on it that they could have spent on something else.
When calculating food and drinks, consider not only the number of guests, but also the duration of the holiday. The longer the banquet lasts, the more they eat and drink. The average wedding lasts 5 hours. In this case, the best option would be 1.5 kg of food per guest. Cold appetizers, salads and meat with side dishes should be in approximately equal proportions; you can make more hot food, but less salads. On average, there should be 250-300 g of food for each item per person, that is, 250 g of salad, 300 g of snacks, 400 g of hot food, etc.
There should also be 200 g of fruit and cake per guest. If you have small children, you can reduce the volume.
There should be plenty of drinks. This is something that does not spoil for a very long time, and if there is any unopened alcohol left, it can be left for another celebration. Strong drinks (vodka, cognac, whiskey) are taken in half a bottle per person, weak drinks - one bottle per person, of course, children are not taken into account. You don’t need a lot of champagne, they drink it only at the very beginning, so take 1 bottle for three. There should be more soft drinks, especially in hot weather, approximately 1.5-2 liters per person.
Serving order
Dishes at any festive celebration are served strictly according to the regulations. Arriving at the table, you will notice the presence of common appetizers and salads.
Often the bride and groom also order a so-called compliment from the chef. Initially, the toastmaster says the first toast, the guests drink and snack on what is on the table. This works up an appetite.
After the first course, the waiters bring out portioned salads. They usually contain a lot of vegetables and herbs. The guest should not be full of salad, because there are other dishes ahead of him. Therefore, the salad portion is usually small.
1.5-2 hours after the salad, hot dishes come and snacks are replaced. For example, instead of sausage with cheese, it would be more appropriate to serve sliced vegetables. After all, it is with vegetables that meat is much easier and easier to digest by the body.
After the hot meal, guests can eat salad, which is presented as a shared salad on the table.
Then the wedding cake is presented. It is brought out at the end of the entire celebration. As a rule, tea is not served at weddings. However, this point can be discussed separately with the restaurant administrator. If desired, he can serve both tea and coffee for those guests who so desire.
Wedding menu: how to create
When choosing dishes, be sure to take into account your budget, time of year, number of guests, and duration of the feast. If your budget is limited and you have invited a lot of guests, there are a few tricks that will help you feed everyone and save money.
Be sure to clarify which foods the invitees do not eat, whether they have food allergies, and whether there are vegetarians present. An allergy in one of the guests can seriously ruin the event and frighten the young people. But vegetarians are not troublesome people. Vegetable dishes are inexpensive, and they are quite tasty; meat-eaters will also enjoy them.
Don't forget about age. Children do not want a lot of spices, and representatives of the older generation will not appreciate newfangled dishes such as rolls, Chinese salads and carpaccio.
- Wedding menu for 15 people . This is a modest wedding, where only family and friends are present. Such banquets can be completely arranged at home, prepared by yourself. You can prepare 5 different salads or 2-3 salads, but in several dishes so that it is convenient for everyone to take. Salads should have different ingredients. You don't need to put just chicken or mushrooms everywhere in case someone doesn't like something. Be sure to have 2 hot ones; to save money, you can take chicken. For snacks, any sandwiches, cheese and cold cuts are suitable. For dessert, you can offer traditional cake, pastries, chocolate, ice cream, fruit jelly, muffins or any other sweets. Guests will enjoy fresh coffee brewed in a coffee maker.
- Wedding menu for 20 people . Accommodating 20 people at home is already more difficult if you do not have a cottage. Most often, modern newlyweds still prefer to rent cafes and restaurants. There is no need to cook, wash dishes, or serve food. To make it convenient for everyone present to take food, distribute each dish onto 3 plates. It turns out that for every 6-7 guests there will be salad, cold cuts, etc. Then you won’t need to run to the other end of the table for the desired snack. Consider the gender of the guests. If there are more men than women, increase the amount of food. There must be 3 salads, several plates with various snacks: vegetables, cheese, meat, sausage, fish, as well as 2 hot dishes (preferably meat and fish) and desserts. For such a number of invitees, it is better to have at least 10 bottles of wine and the same number of stronger drinks, as well as at least 5 liters of juice, not counting soda and mineral water.
- Wedding menu for 30 people . This is still a small wedding, but already requires renting a banquet hall. If you want to save money, then choose more budget-friendly products rather than reducing portions. So, for example, you can replace the pork chop with chicken, choose cheaper varieties instead of red fish, pancakes will be inexpensive if you choose a simpler filling, canapés and various light snacks will also help you save money. Chicken can be prepared in any way you like - grilled legs, stuffed, baked, fried, stewed. Hot food can be either portioned or shared on a platter. The cake should be large enough for all guests. Total weight – at least 7.5 kg. In summer, instead of a cake, you can present ice cream with fruit.
- Wedding menu for 40 people . Lunch for 40 people will not be cheap. It is advisable to place snacks on small plates so that everyone can try everything and do not have to reach too far for food. Appetizers may include eggplants, fish and cold cuts, pickled vegetables, olives, and mushrooms. Among the inexpensive salads is “Stolichny” with chicken breast, potatoes, cucumber and green onions. For main course you can serve pancakes with meat filling, chicken julienne, chicken tobacco, baked pike perch. Instead of a cake, you can make a pyramid of muffins with the initials of the newlyweds on them.
What should be on the menu?
Regardless of where you will celebrate the occasion, you will be advised to start from the menu. In a cafe or restaurant, the administrator can help you choose, but he is interested in you ordering as much as possible.
Often, the salary of such specialists depends on the amount the young people order. Therefore, the bride and groom must imagine in advance what items a simple wedding menu should consist of, and what points can be excluded.
- Snacks - dishes are already on the table as soon as guests enter the hall. These are all kinds of fish, meat, cheese and vegetable cuts. They are present on every table. Calculate 1 plate for 4-5 people. Anyone can use a fork to take their favorite pork or a piece of cheese, carefully placing it on a personal plate. If you want to be original, you can choose cheese balls as a snack. This is a classic grated cheese mixed with mayonnaise and garlic. For the external component, it is dipped in herbs, caviar or ground nuts.
- Salads – There are various options for serving salads. They can be either portioned or shared (to the table). It is best to focus on two options. Give each guest a portion and place a common dish for 5-6 people.
- The main course - no celebration is complete without a hot dish. It is a type of meat or fish, a side dish. As a rule, most people prefer meat, since it is universal and suits absolutely everyone. Grilled vegetables, French fries or country-style potatoes are used as a side dish. The main course should definitely be served with salad and various sauces. It is better to have several sauces to choose from on the table. The first classic option is considered to be tomato, kebab. Then there is a choice of garlic or cheese sauce.
- The wedding cake is considered the final and final moment of the celebration. At the end of the evening, the bride and groom bring out dessert, which they cut and distribute to all the guests who came.
In addition to main courses, wedding menus include bread, fruits and vegetables. They also need to be cut and placed on common plates on the tables.
Outdoor wedding menu
A summer wedding outdoors has its pros and cons. Taking waiters out into the countryside, arranging tables and getting rid of insects will not be easy. But what beauty is all around, the birds are singing, the air is fresh. Typically, outdoor banquets involve a small number of people, barbecue and quiet relaxation. It will be difficult to think through a wedding menu for 60 people in nature, especially considering the complexity of food delivery.
The first rule of such a banquet is that appetizers must be fresh and drinks must be cold. You are outside with no air conditioning, so make sure you have plenty of ice or portable coolers in advance. It is better to refuse powdered juices, replacing them with natural lemonade or just water with ice and lemon slices.
There should be a lot of greens, fresh fruits, vegetables, and berries on the table. For salads and snacks, it is advisable to choose lean fish and chicken, so as not to overload the body with fatty foods in the heat. Tartlets, fresh vegetable canapés and olives are also welcome. For main course, kebab made from any meat, barbecue ribs, steaks, and fish are perfect. Prepare sauces for this treat in advance.
Cream cake is not the best choice for nature, preferably ice cream or fruit. For dessert, you can serve shortbread baskets with jam or fruit mousse, soufflé and, of course, tea.
To prevent guests from feeling too tired in the heat after drinking strong drinks, serve refreshing cocktails with ice and mint. You can even replace strong alcohol with them. Chilled sangria with fruit is perfect. The less alcohol there is, the easier and more fun the wedding will be. As you know, heat and strong drinks do not go well together.
Try to put more cold snacks on the table; they are often used to snack on alcohol.
