What type of catering service would you choose for your Wedding

One of the most complex issues in a wedding is to make everyone feel pleased with the food and drinks that are served, so it is good to leave nothing to chance and to hire if possible, the help of a gastronomic coordinator that makes sure everything will be exactly as we dream it. But with that extra help or without it, here you’ll find some tips to guide you through the process.

When thinking about hiring a service or another, it is important to know that there are as many options as the bride and groom's preferences, although basically there are four types of basic services: cocktail-type weddings, buffet or food stations, traditional silver services or so-called mixed or combined services.

To decide on one or the other, first we suggest to think about the number of guests, the time of year, the venue or at least if you want it (indoor or outdoor), as well as the type of celebration whether elegant, rustic, intimate, casual or formal.

Cocktail weddings are those where canapés, finger foods and drinks are being served all the time, and are ideal for spacious gardens.

This type of service is more successful when the guests are mostly young, and a relaxed, festive atmosphere is desired, with ample spaces for dancing, chill-out furniture, live orchestras and DJs playing live music all night long.

Our recommendation: combine it with one or two support food stations, where the guests can serve themselves to their liking; and also an open bar with varied cocktails.

The buffet or food stations weddings are those in which multiple buffets are set up at stations throughout the reception location. It is a relaxed way of serving food, so that each guest can choose what to eat and drink according to their preferences.

If the couple is not aware of the food preferences of the guests, allergies or intolerances, buffet weddings are an ideal solution, because they allow a wide variety in the menu. In addition, this type of service can give you a lot of creative freedom to themed each station by food type or cuisine style.

These two types of services can be combined with great success and are ideal to include several types of open bars, as long as space allows: cocktails, beers, spirits and wines, or some more fashionable such as gin and tonics.

A more classic service, but no less recommended, is the silver, where a menu for the celebration will be designed in advance, according to the preferences of the couple and the characteristics of the guests.

This service is ideal for elegant weddings, in which the bride and groom prefer a decoration that enhances the tables, with a detailed list of guests, where the allergies or intolerances of the guests are known; although you should always design options on the menu for those who cannot eat seafood, fish, vegetarians and vegans. In this type of service it is vital to have a detailed seating chart that allows guests to organize by affinity or familiarity groups.

Our recommendation: It is ideal for celebrations with guests of the third age, or those that take place at indoor venues, in winter or rainy season.

In recent years, however, it is increasingly common to see young people who opt for a mixed or combined service: an initial cocktail of drinks and entrées, followed by a formal silver style dinner or buffet one, and ending with an open bar of different drinks, supported by a dessert station and another of tapas for the party.

This combination of several types of service requires large venues, but allows to satisfy all preferences and to create different areas where guests can be accommodated according to their inclinations.

Regardless of the type of service that is chosen, the selection of the menu that will be offered as well as the beverages that will be available are two vital points, although this is already a subject for another post :) Then, brides and grooms, which service would you prefer??? We are waiting for comments!

Fotos: Julio Alvite e Ivan Botello para Aire de Fiesta Cuba