In
a country that enjoys eating as much as the Philippines, food
plays an integral part in every special occasion we celebrate.
This is especially true in Filipino weddings, where the reception
is more than half the celebration.
Because of this, what you serve at your reception can make
or break your wedding. You might have spared no expense in
your decorations, gown and souvenirs, but if you serve bland,
ordinary food, then chances are that is what your wedding
will be remembered (and mocked) for in years to come.
To avoid this disaster, consider the following tips and ideas:
Exploit the Filipinos'
sweet tooth
One of the rising trends in wedding nowadays is the inclusion
of a dessert station in the reception.
The
popular add-on offers guests an overflowing selection
of home-made pastries, cakes, bonbons, candies and everything
and anything sweet. Hizon’s
Catering, Josiah’s
and Manila
Catering are just some of the catering companies
that offer the dessert station add-on in their packages.
Having a chocolate fondue fountain is another sweet
option you can explore. You can either have one large
chocolate fountain (a true attention grabber) or you
can
Grand
Dessert Station by Hizon's
opt
to have small ones placed at each table (thus automatically
also as a centerpiece.) In terms of flavor, you can choose
from Belgian dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate.
If you are up for something a little more different, you can
also check out Hizon’s pink (yes, pink) strawberry-flavored
fondue fountain (observe how your guest will flock towards
the fountain, totally fascinated by the sight of a multi-layered
tower of cascading pink liquid.)
With the Filipinos’ innate love for anything sweet,
no guest will ever say anything bad about your wedding.
Stick
to a particular food theme
Most wedding reception menu is a smorgasbord of food of different
influences, origins and flavor.
In most Filipino wedding, it is not unusual to find
seafood carbonara served along side lechon
or beef steak. To make your wedding reception stand
out a little more, why not set a theme for your wedding
feast? Or serve a menu which has one common secret
ingredient, ala Iron Chef America :)
You can also try serving food from a particular region.
Why not go with an Asian theme and serve a Hanjoungshik,
the full-course Korean meal or Josiah’s shabu-shabu
or exotic Mongolian barbecue? If Mediterranean cooking
is more to your liking, then check out Alba
Restaurante Español’s, for
authentic Spanish cuisine (think: paella, gazpacho,
lengua) or Cuillère
for French food.
Add
fun and unusual elements
One sure way to make your wedding reception memorable is to
incorporate unique and fun elements that will not only satisfy
you guests’ discriminating appetite but will also leave
them grinning broadly from enjoyment. Why not try adding an
ice cream station? Arce Dairy Ice Cream offers sherbets, the
Filipino sorbetes or, if you’re diabetic, sugar-free
ice cream. You can also try serving gelato, a more
sophisticated version of the ice cream that traces its origin
back to 16th century Sicily. Fiorgelato, the Italian ice cream
maker in the country, caters to parties (weddings, birthdays,
etc.) of clients with a penchant for the cold delicacy.
If you and your future spouse are not big fans of sweets or
if you just want to be different, then why don’t you
consider setting up a cheese station, like that of La Tasca’s,
in lieu of a dessert buffet? Make your wedding stand out by
offering your guests a lavish spread of various cheeses they
can savor and enjoy.
You
can also consider setting up a coffee station in your
reception. Serve espressos, cappuccinos or good ol’
kapeng barako. This emerging trend will not
only ensure that they are alive and active for the entire
program, but its extravagance will also give them something
to talk about for the next few weeks. You can take a
look at Better Pan Catering’s enZuno Coffee Bar
if you want to explore this option.
If coffee is not your “thing” but still
want something more special than the straight-out-of-the-bottle/pitcher
serving of the drinks, then consider a more ornate and
elaborate presentation. Take for example, Manila
Catering Service’s fruit punch fountain.
Fruit punch may not be the most unique drink in the
world, but the number of ways the product can be “dressed”
(from a simple “Zen” manner to a lush and
colorful arrangement) and its versatility to adapt to
each occasion what makes it a lovely and memorable addition
to a wedding.
Fruit
Punch Fountain by Manila
Catering Services
Your
wedding is a reflection of you and your husband’s tastes
and personalities. The details you choose, the elements you
incorporate, all these tell your guests who you really are.
Now, wouldn’t you want them to have only good things
to say about it?
