Image by enluce Photography via Solage Calistoga
Pick three from the list below.
Prompted by that, brides and grooms select their cocktail party dishes or reception menu elements from a list of pre-selected dishes. Coconut shrimp? Check. Ceviche? We’ll skip that. Sea bass or salmon? And on it goes. This is what used to be how choosing a menu for your wedding was done.
But there’s a new trend in town, and it doesn’t leave you with a menu looking extremely similar to other weddings you and your guests have attended. It’s quite revolutionary, in fact, as trend-making chefs and wedding venues throw out that ‘pick three from the list below’ menu and invite you to sit down with them to create the perfect menu for you.
At Solage Calistoga, Napa Valley, California’s eco-chic contemporary property, Michelin-starred Executive Chef Brandon Sharp meets with the newlyweds-to-be – which is always exciting for foodie couples who revere professional chefs – and begins not with a printout of appetizers, salads, entrees, and cocktail hour stations, but with a list of questions. “I ask them to describe their ideal wedding, favorite foods, least favorite foods, and their favorite food memories from during their love story,” says Chef Sharp, who takes copious notes while the couple reminisces about the first meal the groom-to-be ever cooked for the bride-to-be, the dessert they shared while on their first date, and especially family recipes like a grandmother’s signature dish or a cultural food their families always enjoy during holidays.
Image via Solage Calistoga
If you eat gluten-free, your chat with your chef is going to load your wedding menu up with far, far more gourmet gluten-free dishes than other wedding couples might be able to mark on a checklist of just a few options, and the same goes for other dietary needs, like vegan, vegetarian, kosher, and other specifics. When your chef gets the message that you want a tasty array of dishes that you can actually eat at your wedding, he or she is going to wow you with menu ideas that might be dreamed up right on the spot. So, again, while other wedding couples are checking off foods on a list, you’re observing that chef’s creative process as one-of-a-kind dishes are conceived just for you.
Just like the thrill of having a custom wedding gown that no one else has, or custom rings, your wedding menu will also be created just for you, which you can write about on your personal wedding website, getting guests excited about the celebration to come. And forget about being one of those brides who doesn’t get to eat at her wedding. With this menu, you’re going to make time to eat.
If you love the idea of a chef-customized menu, but don’t see that option listed on wedding venues’ websites, just ask for it when you contact venues. Many sites will be happy to accommodate your wish to ultra-personalize your menu via a meeting with the chef, and maybe your request will create a new offering at that venue so that future brides and grooms find themselves inspired to meet with the chef for their own custom wedding menus. You’ll be the trend-setter then!
Ms Gingham says: With food being a hugely important element to many couple’s weddings now, this sounds like the norm for the future rather than the exception.
About Sharon: Sharon Naylor is the author of over 35 wedding books, including her newest: “The Bride’s Guide to Freebies” and “Bridesmaid on a Budget.” Her two books for the mothers of the bride and groom are bestsellers, and she has appeared on such top shows as Good Morning America, ABC News, Lifetime, Inside Edition and more – sharing tips and insider secrets to help you plan your dream wedding on a budget, personalized to your love story. Visit her site Sharon Naylor for more on her books, free worksheets and appearances. She lives in Morristown, NJ with her husband Joe and is at work on her next two wedding books.
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