Megan Holt

[caption id="attachment_141940" align="alignnone" width="900"] photo by Denny Culbert[/caption] When planning a wedding, couples envision an event that truly reflects their relationship, and often they want their menus to be a part of that overall concept. However, creating a custom menu brings a whole new batch of things to consider. If a couple wants to use fresh, seasonal ingredients, does that impact the wedding date? Are there any cultural dishes that will be a must? How do they take into account guests’ food allergies or religious dietary restrictions? Newlyweds Sami Slovy and Jono Goodman, whose wedding was featured in the December 2022 issue of Avenue, and Sarah Hall, President of Joel Catering and Event Planning, offer advice. Hall notes that it’s important to include all the wedding’s decision makers from the beginning. Couples should keep in mind the style of their event (seated, family style, cocktail hour, etc.), as well a general idea of the style of food (casual, formal, Southern, New Orleans, healthy, indulgent, traditional, inventive, etc.). Slovy and Goodman echo that advice: “We didn’t want to serve ‘typical New Orleans food’ but still wanted our guests to be excited about and enjoy the food. We kept that in mind while we were working with Black Pearl [catering] selecting our menu, things that we would like that we knew our friends and family would love, and it worked!” The couple choose Black Pearl because of its flair for creative dishes presented in a fun and elegant way, such as crabmeat fried rice served in Chinese takeout containers. Hall notes that, when selecting a caterer, two important questions to ask are “What are the best items on the menu?” and “What items are the most popular with guests?”. These two questions will get the ball rolling, and couples can then start to bring more of their personality to the planning process. She strongly recommends starting the process at least six months prior to the wedding date and finalizing the menu at least four months out.  [caption id="attachment_141941" align="alignnone" width="683"] Photo by Daniel Marquez[/caption] Location should definitely factor into the planning process, stresses Hall: “[The] caterer is in charge of food safety, but if I was having an outdoor wedding in a hot or cold month I would ask about food quality. Meaning, how are we going to make sure that hot food is hot if it’s a cold night or cold food is cold if it’s a warm spring or summer day?.” Furthermore, the time of year may play a role. “[Think about what] guests might be craving based on the time of year--prime rib and risotto are great, but they’re a more natural fit in November than June. An heirloom tomato salad, though, is perfect for the warmer months,” advises Hall. Slovy and Goodman definitely took into account what guests might be craving with the addition of a late-night delivery of Pizza Delicious to their menu. It was a huge hit, proving that the perfect plate comes in all shapes and sizes!