Planning for Your Wedding Feast

The Filipino wedding celebration will not be complete without the wedding feast. If you’re going to celebrate your wedding, it’s best to spend a little extra on the food. Because no matter how pretty the wedding venue is, bland food and food in disarray is a wedding disaster you need to avoid.

To help you plan for your wedding feast, Hizon’s Catering, one of Manila's top wedding caterer, has come up with a list of things you need to consider:  

Duo of Pork and Mango Appetizer by Hizon's Catering

1. Budget – Do not skimp your budget on your wedding food. If you have a limited budget, it’s best to cut down on other wedding details than the wedding feast. You need to find a caterer that fits your budget but does not sacrifice the quality of the food. Take time to find the best caterer that will fit your budget.

2. Time of the wedding – Before anything else, book the time, date and venue for your wedding reception. The right kind of food is dependent on the time of day and location of your venue. If it’s a 11am wedding, then a lunch menu is best. The season or climate is also important. A December wedding in Tagaytay, will be perfect with warm and hearty meals including a delicious soup. A Boracay wedding in April should include cocktails and fresh fruits.

Watermelon Feta Cheese Salad
by Hizon's Catering

3. Menu – Ask yourself: What type of food would you like to serve at your wedding? You have to consider various factors such as the theme, time of day, and your budget before deciding on a menu. Don’t forget that your choices for each part of the menu should complement one another.

4. Banquet Service Style – A big decision you have to make is with your Banquet service style. It will determine how your reception program will play out and will also have an impact on your budget.

A Sit Down service is more expensive basically because of the extra service charge for the waiters that will be preparing and serving food to your guests. It is difficult to achieve this kind of style for your wedding banquet if you are planning on doing the preparation on your own and only with the help of your family and friends. It would be safer to hire people who are trained for this task to avoid problems during your wedding. Also, the choice of food on the menu will affect the cost. But what you are mainly paying for with this type of service is the convenience that your guests would feel on not having to stand-in-line to get food, and the elegance that it reflects to the totality of your event.

A Buffet banquet is quite cheaper than a sit down style. You can also give your guest more freedom to choose what food they want to put on their plates. The downside of a buffet though is that it can be a hassle to your guests, especially to the elderly, if lines become long and they have to stand-in-line for a couple of minutes to get some food. The key here is to anticipate this scenario and provide enough buffet areas where your guest can get food. For example, if you have 200 expected guests, have a two-way buffet instead of just one. It will help avoid the formation of long lines in the buffet area.

Spaghetti with Aligue and Lemon Sauce Pasta
by Hizon's Catering

Lauriat style on the other hand is like a combination of the Sit down and buffet services. With this type of service, your guests will also have the option to choose the food they would like to put on their plates and at the same time they won’t experience the hassle of standing-in-line to get the food. A possible problem that may occur with this type of service is that the food per table may not be enough for the guests if not properly monitored by the waiters. Make sure that the waiters in-charge per table will be attentive to the needs of the guests.

Cocktail style is the cheapest of all the banquet services because it only serves cocktail or bite-size food items. If your event falls on a lunch or dinner, this option may not be your best bet. But if you should insist on this, make sure that you advise your guests beforehand so that they will not expect a heavy meal during your reception.

Beef Cheek and Crispy Tripe Kare-Kare by Hizon's Catering

5. Number of Guests – Having a lot of food wastage or having insufficient food is a no-no in weddings. Make sure you know the number of guests attending your reception. An estimated number is okay for a buffet style banquet but a plate banquet would need a specific number of guests.

6. The Theme of the Wedding – Knowing the theme of your wedding can help you decide on the menu. A Zen or Japanese-inspired wedding would go for Japanese food like tempura, sushi, sashimi and Japanese tea. On the other hand, if you’re wedding is classic Filipino, Filipino cuisine will be a perfect match.

7. Catered vs. Do-It-Yourself – If you have enough resources, cooking equipment, and people to help you prepare the food then this may work for you. But if not, then it is best that you consider getting some professional help.

For more wedding guides, download Hizon's Catering free e-book today. 

Wedding Table Setup by Hizon's Catering

Wedding Table Setup by Hizon's Catering

About Hizon's Catering:
Hizon’s Catering has been in the wedding catering industry since 1987. What first began as a small family business grew into one of the best catering businesses in the country today. With an average of 1,588 weddings a year, Hizon’s catering has prepared an e-book to help soon-to-weds plan their own weddings. With owners who love merry occasions and sumptuous dishes, Hizon’s Catering dedicates itself to taking the stress of their client’s shoulders and make sure that the planning is as enjoyable as the event itself.

Contact Hizon’s Catering today for your wedding needs or drop by at their upcoming schedules of food tastings.