The Dish with Mr Herringbone - Your Wedding Menu

Emmaline and Mitchell’s Elegant Sydney Wedding Image by Nerida McMurray Photography

One of the most important things for me at my own wedding (apart from marrying my lovely lady in front of our friends and family of course) was our menu. I wanted to be proud of the food our guests were served, and I wanted them to talk about it for years to come. I pride myself on only preparing and presenting friends with great and tasty food, so our wedding had to go above and beyond. I think this is why we settled on a non-traditional venue for our day.

We didn’t want the old “meat or fish” options, and we certainly didn’t want plated meals that all looked and smelt pretty bland. We also knew that we wanted our guests to get to know each other and enjoy chatting, so we looked for a venue that offered a sharing menu. Big plates of fabulous items, from succulent meats to gourmet vegetables, and everything in between. We chose Raw Materials in Footscray as they were primarily a cooking school of sorts, and sell their own produce. They tailored a menu to our requests (some vegetarians, pescetarians, celiacs – the lot) and the end result – amazing. Everyone tucked in together, passed around the fantastic feast, and we loved watching what looked like a big dinner party.

One Course of Deliciousness From Our Wedding Image by Luke Lornie

My top tips for selecting your venue are as follows:

Choose a venue that cooks the type of food you love
Choose a venue that cooks food you’d recommend to friends
Think about the type of wedding you’re having, what style or theme it is. Match accordingly
Don’t settle. Food is so important at a wedding (even if you’re having a cocktail reception – don’t go for cheap and nasty – choose fewer items of better quality options)
Taste test! And when you go, take one of your bridal party too, as you’ll find they are inclined to be more honest than you might be with your beloved
Ensure you’ve got your dietary requirements covered. Yes, people can be finicky, but these are the people you have asked to be at your wedding, so the least you can do is find them something nice to eat!
Make sure you eat on your big day! I don’t know how much my now-wife ended up eating, but she certainly didn’t get a bit of everything as she was meeting, greeting or otherwise toasting. Make it a point to ensure you and your new husband or wife take the time to eat and enjoy your food together. It will be a moment you’ll cherish.