At a wedding reception, putting together a delicious formal dinner is no small feat. But an excellent sit-down dinner proves over and over to be one of the most memorable experiences of the entire wedding. That’s why at the Wyndham Garden York, we make sure that every bite of our wedding food leaves a smile on your face.
Rules to Follow When Planning Your Plated Wedding Dinner
Amid the chaos of planning a wedding, it can be easy to forget to map out the logistics of your entire wedding reception. However, doing so is important to ensure you and your guests continue to have a great time throughout the evening.
Here are four rules to remember when planning a sit-down wedding dinner:
- Add variety to the menu. While you and your spouse-to-be enjoy certain foods, not all of your guests share the same taste. Incorporate enough variety so everyone will find something they like.
- Time your dinner appropriately. Begin your dinner at normal dinnertime hours. Guests are likely already hungry by the time the reception begins.
- Fit the style of your wedding. Keep your dinner at the same level of formality as your wedding. Otherwise, the experience will feel odd to your guests.
- Take advantage of your venue’s catering options. What could be better than having everything taken care of in one place? Always consider your venue’s catering services when planning your reception — you may be pleasantly surprised!
Among all of the weddings that we have helped brides plan, there are a few plated wedding dinners that stand out as crowd favorites. Use these meals as inspiration for your catered meal!
Grilled Chicken Breast With a Seafood Twist
Grilled chicken breast is an item featured on most wedding menus, but not quite like this new spin on surf-and-turf.
To create this dish, lightly coat chicken breasts in poultry seasoning and lemon and put them on the grill. Then take bits of lump crab meat and bits of shrimp and pan sear them on low heat before adding in bearnaise sauce.
Once the chicken breasts are cooked, remove them from the grill and top them with your seafood bearnaise sauce. Serve with your choice of starch and/or vegetable.
Basil Pesto Crusted Haddock
For this tasty recipe, you will need fresh haddock, basil pesto, and a couple of handfuls of breadcrumbs. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and mix the pesto with the breadcrumbs. Put the haddock on a baking tray and gently press the pesto mixture onto the fillets.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes and then serve with a side salad.
Lobster Risotto With Asparagus Spears
Don’t worry — lobster risotto isn’t as hard as it sounds. All you need is six cups of lobster stock, one cooked lobster, chopped onions and chives, parmesan, salt and pepper to taste and short-grain rice.
Keep the stock warm in a pot while you sautee the onions for four minutes. Add the rice and stir for two minutes. Then, slowly add the stock one cup at a time and simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the lobster meat, parmesan and seasonings. Stir in the chives and serve.
If you’re looking to plan a wedding reception in the York, PA area, contact the Wyndham Garden York for wedding packages and pricing!
