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The French wedding meal
Whatever your diet may be, we will take care of your french wedding meal.
The venue for the reception has been decided: wedding hall, wedding restaurant, wedding castle, or even in a wonderful outdoor setting with a wedding tent rental.
You have also defined the number of guests, you will now have to tackle the wedding menu.
Welcoming your guests with a gorgeous room and perfectly set table is essential, but it is as well the set of what all invitees are waiting for, the wedding meal.
The set up of your French wedding
It is not for nothing that it is among the most important parts of your day in terms of expenses. It is therefore important to not neglect it. But there is also no need to feel obligated by conventions according to which a wedding meal must necessarily take place seated around a table with plate service. There are many possibilities and we are here to help you find inspiration.
The traditional version
For the french wedding meal, the most common and traditional version of the wedding meal is obviously the sit-down meal where each of the dishes is brought to you by waiters. This formula is always very popular with guests because it is true that they feel fully taken care of, pampered, comfortably seated around a table around which they take the time to chat.
But it’s also the most expensive formula because it requires a large number of servers if you don’t want dinner to drag on and you will need a starter, a main course and a dessert per guest. The bill can therefore quickly go up.
The conviviality version
Without breaking all the established codes, there is a possibility that will allow you to regroup and have the table service that many prefer. This is the dinner system in which the dishes are not served on the plate but directly in the center of each table, either individually or as a version to share. Perfect if you are looking for something convivial and less “uptight” but you still do not want to disorient your most classic families.
The practical version
With the buffet, exit the conventions. Do you want your guests to move and choose for themselves what and how much to eat? The buffet is for you. Because it is true that there is nothing better than a large, beautifully scripted table with all those things that make you want too much to whet your appetite.
What to keep in mind for your wedding meal diet wise
Choosing your caterer can be a stressful step but it doesn’t have to be, your wedding planner can help you with this step by recommending trusted businesses.
Nevertheless there are few things to take into consideration, which is the particular diets your guests must be on.
Dinner reunites all of your close relatives. It’s a safe bet that some of your loved ones have a diet. Because of pathologies a particular diet may be needed. It is a fact, allergies are more and more present in industrialized countries. It is an important matter to look into the subject when planning your wedding menu.
However diets do not just concern these people. Vegan, pescatarian and vegetarian feeding regimes can be incorporated just as easily to your french wedding meal to ensure everyone has they need met. It has been done before, and with success, plenty of recipes exist !
Vegetarians are a person who does not eat meat. The diet mainly consists wholly of vegetables, fruits, grain and nuts, and sometimes eggs or dairy products.
Pescatarian is a diet that include fish but no other meat
Vegans are strict vegetarians who consume no food (such as meat, eggs, or dairy products) that comes from animals. They also abstain from using animal products (such as leather).
Examples of typical french wedding meal
Before your french wedding meal, the first appetizers will be served during the “Vin d’honneur”. It is made up of about a variety of pieces of finger-food made out of duck foie gras, slicing of smoked salmon, but this can be changed and adapted depending on what you decide.
The Vin d’honneur served as an aperitif is more and more popular with long wines of honor which replace the entrance. More convivial, the guests take the opportunity to chat over a drink instead of sitting at the table.
A french wedding meal usually consists of a starter, a main course and a dessert. In the past, a fish dish preceded the meat dish but it has become rare today.
The traditional trio for the starter consists of scallops, lobster and duck foie gras.
For the main course, you can opt for beef tenderloin, grilled tournedos or duck breast, but if you prefer to opt for a fish-based dish, we will choose sea bream, a perch fillet or crayfish.
When it comes to dessert, it is difficult to ignore the mounted piece. We will complete with petits fours and a pastry buffet. Do not hesitate to reformulate the names of the dishes to add a little poetry and make the mouth water.
Here some ideas for french wedding meal, vegetarian version
Vegetable cocktails are a classic, as are vegetable soups, cherry tomato skewers with mozzarella, bruschetta goat cheese toast, vegetable wraps or pieces of bread to dip in sauces. The options are endless, and your restaurateur will know better than anyone what can be done.
For the starter, eggplants with feta baked in the oven, a vegetable quiche, a soup (made from vegetable broth), all accompanied by mushrooms, spinach ravioli and goat cheese would make a wonderful and tasting start. As well, it is possible to make great starters using samosas, makis, falafels in order to add spice to your french wedding meal.
For the main course, use meat substitutes like tofu, chickpeas, or cheese like Halloumi and Berloumi. Opting for a buffet where everyone can compose their own plate may prove to be a safer choice to satisfy diners who do not eat meat. By offering vegetarian options in addition to meat dishes, everyone will be happy. Be careful, however, to ensure that there is a sufficient quantity of vegetarian dishes. Some of these dishes will simply be so delicious that they may sell out very quickly.
As for the dessert cherry heart chocolate muffin, pistachio creme brulee, lemon pie revisited are savoury options that would be to everyone’s liking. The gastronomy in alternative diets is full of delicious recipes with which you can hardly tell the difference with the most common ones.
What to remember
If you plan to have an upcoming wedding in Paris, a wedding in France or a french themed wedding, it is important to think about how the food will be served according to your needs, at the table, on the table or in a buffet.
For the meal, the tradition is to have a three course meal preceded by the Vins d’honneur. This tradition has proved its worth as time went by, however, today’s time is vibrant with new ideas, new recipes and new norms. Incorporating other diets is thoughtful and the insurance of making everyone happy.
Catering professionals are used to this kind of situation and can offer you several options.
The Maître d’hôtel will be informed as well of any particular needs so your day goes smoothly. We don’t take allergies and diets lightly.
Our tip : Ask in your wedding announcement card whether someone has any diet they would like to have incorporated and taken care of during the celebrations.
Check out our other article on caterers to learn even more tips and trick
If you enjoyed this article, please feel free to contact us if you want to start planning your dream wedding in true french fashion.
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