Food is one of those things guests remember long after the confetti has settled. A great meal brings people together, keeps the energy up, and gives everyone something to talk about at the table. When it comes to wedding menu planning in Ireland, the most important relationship you’ll have is with your venue’s catering team, and the sooner you start working with them, the better.
Featured image credit: Diego Giusti
Think about the experience, not just the food
Before you get into starters and mains, think about the feeling you want to create. A long, relaxed meal with lots of courses and time to chat feels very different to a lively reception with food stations and grazing tables dotted around the room. Neither is better than the other, but knowing what atmosphere you’re going for makes every menu decision easier.
Share that vision with your catering team early. They’ve seen hundreds of weddings and can tell you straight away what works in their space, what’s realistic for your guest count, and where there’s room to be creative.
Trust the people who do this every day
Your venue’s catering team are genuinely one of your greatest assets. They know the kitchen, they know the flow of a wedding day, and they know how to feed a room of 150 people without anyone waiting an age between courses. When you work with them rather than around them, the whole day runs more smoothly.
Come to menu tastings with an open mind. You might arrive set on a particular dish and leave completely converted by something you hadn’t considered. That’s the tasting doing its job.
Top tips for working with your catering team
- Book your tasting well in advance. It’s one of the most enjoyable parts of wedding planning, and it fills up.
- Be upfront about your budget from the start. A good catering team will help you get the most out of it, not just upsell you.
- Ask about seasonal ingredients. Building a menu around what’s fresh and local is often better value and always better on the plate.
- Mention dietary requirements early, including allergies, vegetarian, vegan, and coeliac needs. The more notice the team has, the more considered those alternatives will be, rather than an afterthought.
- If you’re considering evening food, factor it into your planning from the start. Toasties, Tayto sandwich packs, or a late-night grazing table can be a brilliant moment in the night, but it needs to be coordinated properly.
- While we’re at it, please remember to feed your wedding suppliers!
Don’t overlook the drinks reception
The drinks reception is often the first time guests properly relax and mingle, and the food served during it sets the tone. Work with your catering team on canapés that are easy to eat while standing, varied enough to keep things interesting, and substantial enough to keep everyone going until the meal.
Good food at a wedding isn’t just about keeping people fed. It’s about creating moments, slowing things down, and giving everyone around the table a reason to stay a little longer. Your catering team are the people who make that happen, so treat them like the legends they are.
