Wedding Menu's are tailored to fit your venue and style

Choosing the perfect Wedding Caterer is the key to an unforgettable reception.
Cater Express offers personal consultation, private customized tastings and individual service from beginning to end.

We book only one Wedding per day to give attention to every detail for our Bride and Groom’s special day. We offer a few helpful tips to guide you in finding just the right amount of service and foods for your biggest event day.

Style of food presentation at your reception:

Should you have Brunch, Luncheon, Dinner or Hors d' Oeuvres? There are many options to choose from based on the time your wedding starts.

Menu	Savings conscious	Service conscious
• Brunch • Luncheon • Dinner	• Buffet • Appetizers • Small Plates	• Formal plated service • Carving Stations • Action Stations • Themed Food Stations

How do you choose which style to have?

• What are my favorite foods?

• What foods would my guests enjoy?

• Dining out, what is the menu item I order most?

• Which style fits into my food and beverage budget?

• Which style will follow the theme of my wedding?

• What mood and atmosphere would I like to portray at my reception?

You may want to combine styles once menus and budgets are decided upon.
Don’t forget to involve the Groom and his preferences as well.

Savings minded? A Buffet will be less expensive than a plated dinner as it uses less staff. Buffets also give your guests the opportunity to get up and mingle with the other guests, and they may pick exactly what they would like to eat. Appetizers and “Small Plates” allow a menu item that may be expensive as an entree approachable for a menu on a budget. We offer custom menu design to consider the best options for every event.

How to choose your menu

It’s very important to understand your budget for food and beverages as it will help you and your caterer choose the menu and services that would fit your Wedding perfectly.

Unsure what you would like to serve? Ask your caterer what are their most popular menu items. If you want something extraordinary, ask your caterer for unique menu items to choose from.

Tell your caterer your wedding theme and ask for menus to choose from that will compliment your design. For example; we had a Mardi Gras theme and the Bride loved Muffalettas but didn’t want to serve a big sandwich. Our Chef created a Muffaletta Bruschetta as a passed Hors d’ Oeuvre which was a big hit with their guests.

Another popular way to pick food selections is to think of a favorite dish from a restaurant and ask if your caterer can provide a dish along those same lines.

On many occasions we have taken a childhood favorite of the Bride and/or Groom and reinvented the food to be more modern and upscale. For example; a Bride shared that she loves Pigs in a Blanket but didn’t think it was elegant enough to serve. Our chef re-created the dish by using an imported Italian Sausage, Puff Pastry and a Spicy Brown Mustard Drizzle. The Bride was so appreciative we took the time to listen to what she wanted and raved about the flavor and presentation.

Tips and Ideas

Start your planning with a budget and a theme. A budget tells you which vendors and venues you will want to work with. A theme helps you coordinate everything from the choice of music, colors and decorations as well as your food and drinks.

Keep organized with timelines and checklists.

Vendors and venues will require deposits. After your initial deposit is made, ask your vendors if they will allow you to pay a little each month up until the time your final payment is required. Not only will this help with budgeting, you won’t have to worry about several final payments right before or on your big day.

Many people need to keep costs down. How to stay within your budget?
Getting married during the week and/or during an off season month such as January or February will help. Many venues charge premium rates in peak season such as May, June and October as well as on Fridays and Saturdays. Some vendors will even give discounts for mid-week events.

Choosing a venue – Do they allow outside catering? Do they allow outside beverages whether non-alcoholic or alcoholic? Is there an added fee for outside catering? How early can you start to set up decorating? Most venues have a list of rules and regulations. Make sure to provide that list to any vendors you hire.

More Ways to Save

Consider Beer & Wine instead of a full liquor bar.

Champagne toasts are very traditional, however not necessary. You may toast using any beverage you are serving your guests. Just as long as they have something to lift and toast with - then you are set.

Provide your own decorations and centerpieces. Not only will this save you money, but you may use your personality to create the feeling you want to portray to your guests along with the theme you have chosen. Example; we did a wedding where the Bride and Groom were environmentalists. We provided eco-friendly elegant disposable table wares and they provided centerpieces that they could plant in their garden after the reception was over.

*** Delegate tasks before, during and after your reception. Rent your own linens, china, silver and glass, have family and friends set up. Have your caterer take care of clearing tables during event service and then have family and friends finish the clean up after the event ends.

What's Trendy?

Drizzles… Cater Express’s presentation of the “Dipping Sauce”. We offer a new way to avoid double dipping. Drizzle our house-made sauces and compliment an array of Hors d’ Oeuvres and Small Plates that we offer.