13 Great Wedding Food & Drink Menu Ideas for Your Reception

Wedding food ideas stuck in your mind? The wedding menu takes the cake as one of the most crucial factors in the planning process. Halibut or salmon? Filet mignon or NY strip? What about a snack station? You wouldn’t want to risk a crummy selection—or worse—unsatisfied guests that will be walking out of the wedding hall as soon as the food hits the plate.  

Above all, your wedding food menu should cater to your taste, with a perfect marriage of flavors that will have you wanting to try them all. Luckily, we’ve compiled a list of the thirteen most delectable meals and drinks to make your special day even more memorable (and tasty). Tuck your napkins in and get ready to open wide.

1. Surf & Turf

Surf and turf is an absolute classic. The best-of-both-worlds dish appeals to every fish and steak lover with an elegant combo of steak paired with lobster, shrimp, salmon, and more. Often expensive, this meal gives your guests a mouthwatering experience they may never have had before. This is also the perfect opportunity to introduce a vintage, unique cocktail like the Turf Club

2. Grazing Tables and Champagne

Want to bring more interaction into your horderves? A grazing table is excellent for stimulating conversation while your guests pick at an appetizing selection of finger foods. Your family and friends will be flocking to this table for a bite, making it a yummy topic of conversation! For a quick yet satisfying drink, hand guests a pink glass of strawberry champagne.

3. Seafood Station

Got pescatarians on your guest list? Looking for proteins that are healthier and just as satisfying as red meat? Incorporate a seafood station for all of your fishy friends. This can include bite-sized seafood cooked classics or an exquisite raw bar.

4. Pasta and Wine

You can’t go wrong with pasta! Choose your pick of pasta staples to satisfy any palette: plates of ravioli, spaghetti, penne alla vodka, and more. Pasta can do everything: from a full pasta station to a plated dish—and don’t forget the sauce! Red meat sauces pair well with a nice glass of red cabernet and merlot, and lighter cheese or seafood sauces combine with a pinot grigio or white chardonnay.

5. Lobster Rolls and Rosé

Especially delicious during the summer or at a beach wedding, a toasted roll stuffed with warm or cold lobster is an absolute must to impress your more seasoned guests. Serve it up with a light mayonnaise or butter dressing, with or without lettuce. Drown it down with a summery rosé.

6. Roasted Chicken Entree

Light and hearty, chicken is the most versatile protein of them all. A roasted chicken entree with seasonal vegetables and diced or mashed potatoes is the quickest way to any simple homebody’s heart (and stomach). Want to serve chicken a different way? Have it grilled, fried, barbequed, breaded, or stuffed.

7. Tacos and Margaritas

Are you always looking forward to Taco Tuesday? Make tacos eternal with this simple yet charming choice. Feed large groups with a taco station or prepare them for plating with iconic toppings like pineapple salsa, succulent meat, and salsa spread in guacamole, pico de gallo, cheese, and sour cream. And don’t forget the taco’s best friend: the sugary or salty margarita.

8. Colorful Salads and Cocktails

A crisp salad is a must to be included in your lineup. If prepared creatively, it can be just as exciting as the main course. Choose a savory Cesar with anchovies, Cobb salad, or more with a fun variety of textures, toppings, and dressings. Depending on the salad, your party will love a light cocktail to combine it with, like a mojito with a Mexican salad or a Bloody Mary with a shrimp salad.

9. Fast Food and Baja Blasts

Now, who doesn’t love a good burger with fries? Appeal to your guests with a station that screams fun. Weddings don’t always have to be about tiny portions and caviar—take a sophisticated yet casual spin on your wedding reception food menu with your takeout go-tos. Need a similar drink choice? Taco Bell regulars will love this: Boozy Baja Blast recipe

10. Sushi and Sake

Any sushi fans in the crowd? Pull out the chopsticks because your guests are in for a treat. From simple California rolls to omakase, sashimi to nigiri, your party will be leaving drippin’ in sake, wasabi, and soy sauce.

11. Brunch and Mimosas

Brunchers go wild—there are plenty of pancakes, mimosas, and bacon to choose from! You’re missing out if you’ve never attended a proper Brunch Wedding. Make it a morning to remember with a breakfast taco station, sausage, customized omelets, brisket, biscuits, and buckets of maple syrup! For a boozy twist, offer your guests a selection of mimosa flavors like strawberry, watermelon, berry, or good ol’ classic.

12. Risotto

Don’t forget the sides! Every kind of entree deserves a rich mushroom or cheese risotto. Want to make things interesting? Serve it in a wine glass or small bowl with a table of customizable mix-ins.

13. Dessert and Tipsy Milkshakes

A popular choice for sweet tooth couples, the dessert bar joins your wedding menu ideas as the perfect wedding cake sidekick. A gelato station, make-your-own donuts, bags of candy, cupcakes, and cookies will stuff your guests up with sugary filling by the time the party’s over. Offering mini alcoholic vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry milkshakes is full of exciting sweetness, and a blackberry dessert wine or White Russian cocktail is super yummy.

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