A menu card is an all too often overlooked piece of function stationery. It may seem unimportant...until you get to your event with 100+ ravenous guests. It’s true that one of the things guest remember most about a wedding, or any event, is the food (sorry, it’s not your French manicure!). As a make or break for the guest experience, it’s important to really nail it.
Matching your menu card to your stationery
When it comes to wedding and event menus, there are a few ways to play it. You can go 100% matchy-matchy, or mix it up by choosing a colour or style that complements your invitation suite but isn’t the same. For example, if you’ve selected a floral wedding invite with one of the flowers a baby pink, you might choose plain baby pink menus with black writing.
Because menus, place cards and table numbers are often the only stationery seen at a wedding, your menus can also be more in line with your overall decoration theme. If you find that the idea of all-matching stationery sends you to sleep, why not break it down into sections: before the wedding, ceremony/reception, and thank you cards. Technically these things are not being seen together so there’s no reason why they can’t vary in style. You could even use this variety to please both yours and your spouse-to-be’s tastes. As long as the guests have all the necessary information, there is no wrong answer.
Venue and theme
Most venues lean toward some kind of style or theme, so pay close attention during your pre-event site visit. The theme isn’t always immediately obvious, but the place may have an urban chic vibe and greenery motif, or it might be a beachside marquee. The venue’s level of formality also indicates the most appropriate menu style. For example, a rustic menu on kraft paper might look somewhat out of place in a hotel ballroom complete with chandeliers and a string quartet.
Wherever you are hosting your event, a caterer should be booked around the same time you book your venue. If your venue is the one catering then you can skip that extra research. Remember that almost all menus set by caterers are flexible – if you don’t ask you don’t receive!
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Confirming your caterer
No matter who your caterer is, it is important that you do a tasting before making a decision, especially before signing anything. The first decision is whether you want a sit down meal, roaming canapes or a buffet. At your tasting, be frank with the chef about what you like and don’t. If your palette differs from your fiancé(e), try to include some items you both like.
Many caterers will let you confirm as late as three weeks prior to the big day, but we say it’s best to get it done as early as possible. Why compound your stress? You can usually confirm guest numbers about seven days prior to the wedding so that the caterer has time to adjust amounts and arrange for dietary requirements. If you’re worried about late RSVPs (which you should be!), set the date earlier than you actually need it so you have time to follow people up if necessary.
Tip: Carefully review your contract before signing in case of any hidden / ‘assumed’ costs that weren’t explicitly mentioned. A common example is a ‘cakeage’ fee.
What's the 4-1-1?
How much information to include on your menu is up to you, but here are a few ways to approach it. If you are coming from a design point of view, minimal information will look best laid out on a page. A real foodie? Maybe you want to describe each course in delicious detail. There’s no harm in playing around with an online template to see what works.
For dietary requirements such as vegan, vegetarian, gluten/dairy free, allergies, coeliac, kosher and halal, make sure you allow a section on your RSVPs for guests to inform you. While you technically can write each dietary requirement option on the menu, it might make people feel a little singled out. The best idea is to give your seating chart to the venue complete with notes about guests who have dietary requirements. That way they can be discreetly accommodated without overcrowding your menu.
Whichever design you choose, whether you opt to match or mix, the most important thing is that the menu you customise fits well with the vibe of your event. People like to know what they’re eating and drinking, so as long as their curiosity is satisfied and everyone has enough to eat, the details are really just a chance to express your personality. Bon appetit!
This guest blog post was written by Lil van Wyngaard from Paperlust.
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