After the invitations are mailed and the compliments are pouring in, it’s time to start considering your wedding day paper – often known in the industry as simply “day of paper.”
Day of paper encompasses quite a long list of stationery items, but today we plan to focus on one item in particular: the wedding menu. After the tastings are done and the food selections are made, you’ll need to decide how to present that information to your guests.
Some couples, especially in the South, choose to do a buffet or station style meal. Often, with stations, couples don’t assign seats and don’t have menus at the place settings. Instead they might just do some cute signs at the stations themselves sharing what’s being served. It can be a very nice idea, though, to still do a menu for each guest at their seat as it gives them a great idea of what the full suite of options is for the night – shrimp and grits over here, steak over here, etc.
Another common catering option is to do a “duo” where each guest receives the same thing because it’s sort of two entrées in one. This is a great way to have a seated dinner but have it be a bit simplified.
More commonly with a seated dinner, guests will pre-select their entrees on the response cards that were included with the wedding invitation. This means that a menu serves more to inform them what the beef entrée they already chose actually is as well as probably a first course and dessert course. Sometimes with a printed menu, couples choose to list all the entrees with an “or” in between. Other times, we will list only the entrée that that guest chose, and the planner will disburse them accordingly.
If the entrees were pre-selected, the seats must be assigned as well, of course. Occasionally, we will combine the place card and menu to create one personalized piece. The menu might read “Mrs. Jane Doe” at the top and list only the chicken entrée she chose, while another might say “Ms. Alison Smith” and list the fish entrée. Sometimes these menus will even have designations for allergies.
After you decide the logistics, there is still the matter of design. Below find 8 examples of various designs and content for some wedding menu inspiration.
Timeless Wedding Menu with Stations
This menu is a timeless design that matches the couple’s wedding invitation color and theme. It lists the dinner stations that are available at the reception and also denotes which options are gluten free.
Oval Floral Menu
This menu design is in a sweet oval shape and features the bright, summery florals the couple used throughout the reception. It lists all the menu options with an “or” between, indicating the guests already chose their entrees ahead of time.
Classic Green Wedding Menu
This rectangular style green menu features classic and timeless typography. It also lists the full set of options that were given for entrees with an “or” in between.
Personalized Floral Menu
This 5×7 menu features florals that match the wedding invitation exactly, and is completely personalized to each guest’s name and entrée choice. In other words, it lists only the food that this guest will be having.
Wavy Round Menu
This menu has a fun shape and beautiful typography. Space is left at the top for a calligrapher to write each guest’s name, and only the entrée for that guest has been printed.
Blue Flower Wedding Menu
This 5×7 menu is an unusual combination in that it lists all the dinner stations and is also personalized. So this couple assigned seats and used the menu as a place card, but it is not a seated dinner. Guests will visit the various dinner stations to fill their plates full with their favorite options!
Wedding Menu Thank You Note
This 3.5×8.5 “menu” isn’t a menu at all, but rather uses the place setting to share a beautiful note of gratitude from the newlyweds.
Custom Half Arch Menu
Finally, this custom menu project is truly one-of-a-kind. The guest’s names are featured on the front of the folded card. A handwritten thank you note (the pale pink half arch) from the couple tucks into the special pocket on the inside. Behind the note, a full menu is written out for the convenience of their guests. This one is a true showstopper!
Overwhelmed yet? That’s what we’re here for! We know all the ins and outs of wedding menus, stationery and more and are happy to help make it happen for your wedding. Menus have to be printed and done in the last two weeks before the wedding, normally, so that’s the last thing most couples want to be tackling at that point. Let us take it off your hands! Reach out here or follow along on Instagram for more information.
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