Elevating your Wedding Reception’s Plated Dinner

I’m afraid the days of the wedding buffet are behind us (at least for now!). Couples are opting for a plated dinner for their wedding reception. It’s a safer option because less people are coming in contact with your food! Although we are all hoping the COVID restrictions are heading behind us, I’ve put together some advice for planning a wedding during a pandemic here. All that aside, I’ve personally always loved the more elegant feel of a plated dinner. If you are looking for a way to surprise and delight your wedding guests, this is the post for you!

Creating an Elevated Experience with Menu Cards

As a New Jersey calligrapher, you can imagine how much I love hand—written touches. Your guests love them too! Truly nothing makes them feel more welcome and cared for than a hand written menu card waiting for them when they sit down. Menu cards can also double as place cards telling each individual guest where to sit. When you invest in calligraphy, it’s a great idea to make the special touches you create do double-duty. I break down the difference between seating charts, escort cards, and place cards here in case you are unsure which option is right for you. Place cards create a wow factor in your table decor.

Functional Place Cards Displaying their Menu Selection

One thing that worries couples about a plated dinner is the actual logistics. How will you make sure that your guests get what they ordered? When you are planning your wedding, you hardly want to think about slapping a label that says “chicken” on your guests plates so the waiters know what entree to bring. That doesn’t mean your menu cards or place cards can’t be functional though! For the wedding below, we created a code on their menu cards. The amount of leaves on the top were a signal to what entree they chose, but you would never know by looking at them.

Timeline for Personalizing Your Place Cards or Menu Cards

If you are thinking about adding menu cards of place cards to your wedding dinner, I recommend ordering them a soon as possible after your RSVP deadline. Depending on your guest count, the turn around time can be about four weeks. Because my schedule can get quite booked up, I recommend reaching out before your RSVP deadline so I can save space in my calendar for you! There truly is nothing like hand-written touches, but they aren’t something that can be rushed. That’s really the beauty of them. When your wedding guests see their name in stunning calligraphy, there is truly no feeling like it.

Wedding Reception Dinner Ideas

I hope this has left you feeling inspired and excited to plan your own wedding reception table decor. Although buffets will slowly make a reappearance, I don’t think plated dinners will be going away anytime soon. With menu cards and place cards, they become even more luxurious feeling. Plus, there is something nice about knowing you are going to get exactly what you ordered. If you are not set on a plated dinner, but want a safer alternative to a buffet, consider family style where the staff serve each table (instead of leaving the food in the middle of the table). You can still use menu cards to elevate the experience and have your guests mouths watering in anticipation.

I would be beyond thrilled to help you create that experience for your guests. As I mentioned, the turn around for menu cards and place cards is about four weeks, but please reach out sooner so I can save your spot! For couples booking calligraphy services, I also offer some stunning different rental options to help you plan a low-waste wedding without sacrificing any part of the design. The first step is contacting me to get started!