The Perfect Wedding Menu

“True love is always delicious.”

— Anonymous

Food is a metaphor for love. Flavorful, sensuous, sweet and savory, food brings people together and connects them in deep, meaningful ways.

There is perhaps no other day in our lives where the intersection of love and food carries so much meaning as our wedding day. Family and friends around a table, breaking bread in celebration of your love, is a cherished moment and is why a carefully crafted wedding menu is so important.

The wedding menu is so much more than the sit-down meal says Randy Araiza, Catering Sales Manager, Parker Palm Springs. “The right pace and flow of food and drink help keep your guests satiated and connected throughout the day.”

As one of the most exclusive wedding venues in Palm Springs, our private, thirteen-acre oasis offers the perfect indoor/outdoor setting for a memorable day worthy of the love you share.

Here are Randy’s tips and words of wisdom for the perfect wedding day menu.

Plan early. Randy works with couples three or four months in advance to develop the menu. She invites couples to come to the property, meet the Executive Chef, and enjoy a tasting. “Our tastings are full portion, plated as they will be for your guests, so you can truly experience what the meal will be like,” she says.

Make it personal. “This is your day,” says Randy. To that end, she suggests incorporating menu items that reflect who you are, personally and culturally. “I want the meal to reflect the couple and their love story.”

Keep the flow. Think of the day as a long, slow meal, one that begins when your guests arrive. “Champagne and a canapé are a great way to start,” says Randy. “Many of your guests may have traveled to be here. You do not want them hungry during the ceremony.”

Signature Cocktails. The cocktail hour following the ceremony, when the couple and the wedding party are getting photos, is the perfect time to personalize the menu. “Couples love to choose a cocktail and provide a name for it,” Randy says. Sometimes, couples like to have a cocktail that ties into their background or they already have a favorite beverage. “Whatever your choice,” she says, “make it meaningful.”

Hors d’oeuvres. The cocktail hour is where Randy says couples have the best opportunity to share their cultural background. Randy works with the couples to learn if they have some favorite flavors they wish to offer guests. “Recently I had a wedding where we had both Ethiopian and Greek canapés shared before the meal.” The Chef and team created something both personal and unique. “It was really special,” says Randy.

Dinner. For the main meal, Randy finds that couples often know precisely what they want. Some request a plated meal, others ask for stations, so guests can choose what they like. A recent trend is family-style meals at the table. “It provides guests a chance to choose what they wish, and it serves as an icebreaker if guests at the table don’t know each other,” Randy says. Whatever your choice, variety in a menu is important. “Between food preferences and dietary restrictions of your guests, it’s good to offer a breadth of choice.”

Dessert. Always a popular topic of discussion, Randy says this part of the meal is a wonderful opportunity to make a statement. “Often couples will want a dessert station, or several, so their guests can choose the sweets they enjoy.” Chocolate stations are always well appreciated and chocolate fountains, once a wedding staple, are making a comeback.

Late Night Snack. Later in the evening, hunger can start to creep back for your guests. This is the time for a more casual bite, one that reflects a couple’s history. Often, Randy asks couples about a memory they shared over food. “It could be from your first date, or where you became engaged, or something from your past.” One couple, from the Midwest, asked the chef for a Chicago-style Hot Dog stand, so their guests can enjoy a memory with them at their wedding.

There are many reasons why we are considered the best wedding venue in Palm Springs, CA. For Randy, it is a combination of location, amenities, attention to detail, and delicious food. “The right menu helps you celebrate better,” she says. “Along with what the couple wore, people never forget a good wedding meal.”

For more information how Parker Palm Springs can host your wedding day, please contact Randy here.