The first decision in a wedding menu: format
At a wedding, the format is chosen before the menu. The same menu can run flawlessly as a plated dinner for 40 and turn into cold, late plates for 150. So before discussing dishes, pin down three things: guest count, the time of day and the venue kitchen.
We cover the general framework in the dinner party menu guide and the operations side of weddings in wedding and engagement catering. This article focuses on the menu itself.
| Guests | Recommended format | Menu structure |
|---|---|---|
| 20–50 | Plated dinner | Welcome + 3–4 stages |
| 50–120 | Cocktail welcome + plated main | 6–8 bites + starter + main + dessert |
| 120+ | Stations or buffet | 3–4 stations + dessert table |
Three sample wedding menus
Boutique wedding for 30 (plated)
- Welcome: Sea bass ceviche, mini içli köfte, goat's cheese and fig
- Starter: Artichoke heart, broad bean purée, dill oil
- Middle course: Lamb dumplings (manti), yoghurt foam, browned butter
- Main course: Beef tenderloin or sea bass fillet, seasonal vegetables, jus
- Dessert: Pistachio katmer or ice cream alongside the wedding cake
Countryside wedding for 80 (cocktail + plated main)
- Cocktail (45 minutes): 8 kinds of bites, 6–8 pieces per guest: 2 cold, 2 hot, 2 seafood, 2 vegetarian
- Starter: Sharing meze platter at each table
- Main course: Slow-roast lamb or a grilled chicken option, iç pilav, charred vegetables
- Dessert: Wedding cake and fruit
Wedding for 150 (stations)
- Cold station: Meze, salads, cheese
- Grill station: Köfte, chicken skewers, vegetable skewers (cooked live)
- Hot station: Hünkâr beğendi or baked pasta, rice
- Dessert table: Wedding cake plus 3–4 small desserts
Set up one station line for every 50 guests to keep queues short.
Adjusting for time of day and season
- Lunch weddings: A lighter menu with more cold dishes; avoid heavy sauced meats.
- Summer evenings outdoors: Mayonnaise- and cream-based cold dishes are risky in the heat. Olive-oil dishes, grilling and citrus dressings are safer and suit the season.
- Winter weddings: Opening with soup and serving oven dishes warms guests up; chestnut, quince and root vegetables bring the season to the menu.
Is a tasting necessary?
For boutique weddings, a tasting is the only way to see the menu on the plate. At the tasting, look beyond flavour to portion size, plate temperature and the balance between stages. Small changes after a tasting prevent big surprises on the wedding night.
Questions to ask about a menu proposal
- 1Which dishes will be cooked on site, and which prepared elsewhere?
- 2How many cooks and servers will work? What is the server-to-guest ratio?
- 3What are the options for vegetarian and allergic guests?
- 4Are plates, cutlery and service equipment included in the price?
- 5What is the plan for leftover food?
The answers show whether two proposals are genuinely comparable.
A chef-led menu for boutique weddings
At a boutique wedding, the menu is expected to feel personal and to carry the couple's story onto the plate. Our special event design service plans the menu, service team and flow of the evening together; for villa or home weddings, our private chef service takes over the kitchen entirely. Send us your date and guest count, and we will share a suitable format and a draft menu.
