Wedding Receptions: Menu Magic

     Your tastes and personalities will have as much an influence on the menu choices as your budget. If you’re informal kind of people, you can serve less expensive food that fits in with your lifestyle: barbeque, for example. You might even tell your guests there is a relaxed dress code, in this case.

Or maybe you have a passion for a certain kind of ethnic food, or it fits your heritage, such as Tex-Mex, Eastern European, Italian, Chinese. These can be crowd-pleasers as well as frequently less expensive choices. Throw a gourmet dish into the mix of the fare that most people know, and the mundane will become memorable. Or add a piñata to Mexican and specially ordered fortune cookies to Chinese, and have some fun with your off-beat menu choice.

     The unusual can be dressed up as exotic and take on an air of connoisseur elegance. Thai, Spanish, or Indian cuisine all offer both mild and spicy appetizers and entrees; and your reception will would be a topic of conversation for weeks to come.

A fascinating variation on the buffet theme is to set up cooking stations, where food is served up freshly prepared and piping hot, perhaps even made to order. Suggestions in this category include:

• Pasta, with a choice of sauces

• Omelettes, with a choice of fillings

• Waffles, with a choice of sweet toppings

• Crepes, with a choice of savory toppings

• Sushi, with a choice of fish and vegetarian

• Grilled meats and vegetables, plain or fancy

     Finally, if it’s a summer wedding, you may want to lean toward dishes that are best served cold. Greek and Middle Eastern cuisine comes to mind, while cold meats can range from classy roast beef or poached salmon to everyday deli meats for overstuffed sandwiches. Crudites (fresh vegetables) served with rich dressings, fresh fruits (perhaps with sorbet) and selections of cheeses complement this menu well.

     A no-brainer if you go this route is to have a make-your-own ice cream sundae table.