Creating a cohesive menu is key to ensuring you give your guests (and yourself) a delicious and delightful dining experience. Striking a balance between taste and texture, decadent and comfort and hearty and bite-sized is the first step in elevating your wedding day cuisine.  Another significant factor in meal planning for your wedding is tapping into the season.  Offering seasonal favorites can set your wedding menu apart from the rest, giving your guests something new and different is fun and exciting and sure to be a hit!

A fall wedding is all about warm color palettes, cozy vibes and rich flavors; it embraces change and what a tasty way to highlight the transition from summer,  but to offer a menu with hearty options that are flavorful, creative and comforting.  If you are planning a fall wedding and want some advice on raising the bar on your menu, read on for some of our favorite fall foods.

Entrees

For a fall wedding, think cozy and comfort when it comes to entrees.  The weather can be crisp and cool and we begin to change our eating preferences when the season transitions out of summer.  Chillier weather can make way for more comfort foods and we think bringing this to your dining table is a touch that your guests will appreciate and absolutely covet.  Some of our favorite options are roasted chicken with apple cider glaze, braised short ribs with root vegetables or butternut squash ravioli.  Enhancing these dishes with seasonal sides such as sweet potato mash and quinoa salad with cranberries and pecans will warm your guests’ bellies, as well as their hearts.

Appetizers

When it comes to cocktail hour we love giving the guests interactive options and creative displays.  Starting your night with bite-sized appetizers can set the tone for the entire evening. Offering something unique, inviting and season-inspired while your guests mingle is the perfect opening to your event.  Cocktail hour can offer so many options and while we don’t want our guests to ruin their appetites, offering them a variety of flavors is a surefire way to jumpstart the night.   Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup or butternut squash soup topped with blue cheese and bacon are excellent starters if you had an outdoor ceremony and your guests need to warm up.  A fall inspired charcuterie spread can  boast heavier cheeses, seasonal fruits and vegetables as well as nuts, grapes and apples. Getting your guests involved in interactive stations is also the perfect way to get your guests moving, mingling and trying new things.  A popcorn station offering seasonal flavors such as pumpkin spice, buttered maple and savory spices or a wood fire pizza oven where guests can choose toppings they fancy are delicious and enjoyable for guests.

Dessert

Dessert…the perfect ending to a rich, flavorful meal.  Aside from the wedding cake, which in itself is a work of art, offering other sweet treats is the way to your guest’s hearts. Giving your VIPs a variety of sugary options after a hearty, savory meal can go a long way.  If you are tying the knot in the fall, we have some delicious and decadent desserts that are a bit out of the box.  Spiced churros and hot chocolate, a sweet treat that can also act as the stirrer for your cocoa. Praline pie or spiced carrot cake, and apple butter donuts with a maple glaze are all ideal seasonal additions to your dessert menu.

Late Night Snacks and Fun Additions

End of the night snacks are an awesome trend and we couldn’t love it more.  After dancing the night away, you and your guests will definitely work up an appetite. So having some options for your guests to snack on at the end of the night will be a hit. Late night snacks can be passed or interactive, whatever you fancy.  We love the idea of a s’mores station, you can even elevate it by using gourmet chocolate and artisanal chocolates. And because it is a quintessential fall favorite, a caramel or candied apple bar with toppings is also a sweet way to end the night. Meatball skewers, chicken biscuits, empanadas and mini donuts are some  bite sized snacks that can be passed around while guests are still celebrating.

Food can be such a fun part of the wedding day. Wedding food options have grown leaps and bounds from the days of venue catered meals consisting of chicken, beef or fish.  When we have the opportunity to plan a menu inspired by you, we can’t help but be excited by your guest’s reactions.  Seasonal inspired ingredients, especially in the fall, will help create a menu that is both savory and sweet and beyond delicious. Your falling wedding is bound to be a  showstopper if you try out some of these tasty ideas.

Fall weddings can be so exciting to plan.  We love the moody colors, hearty foods and gorgeous blooms that represent fall.  If you are planning a fall wedding and need some inspo, take a look at our blog, Things to Consider When Planning a Fall Wedding for the lowdown on all the things fall inspired.