Oh Mom, how we love thee… there are just too many ways! We all call on mom when the times get tough. Mom is there to give unconditional love and support and always seems to have the right answer (even though we don’t always let her know it!). Mom has the pearls of wisdom we seek on more than a few occasions in life. As a women, she provides us the added companionship and support through the awkward years and is a reflection on how we begin to nurture our families. So now its’ your wedding day and you call on her expertise to guide you over the next few months of appointments and decisions for your big day. Even though the wedding planning process is arduous, mom will be there with a big plate of chocolate chip cookies when the times get rough!

Bring on the homemade chocolate chip cookies

Speaking of moms’ homemade chocolate chip cookies provided the inspiration for this blog piece. The word on the street this wedding season is the incorporation of “comfort foods”. You know, the foods we eat for Sunday dinner, the foods we crave in the cooler months or when we need to feel better… mine is mom’s meatloaf! I know, some of you are probably gasping at this comment, but really her meatloaf will always be the best! This year chefs and brides are using these home-spun treats as inspiration for their wedding menus, and I must say they are very intriguing.

An alternative to the traditional h’orderves?

I am seeing a lot of brides and grooms choosing to use these “comfort foods” in a variety of ways; some are serving these foods as an alternative to traditional h’orderves while others are providing a dinner plate, or “Blue plate” specials for sit-down service. Chef’s are taking the traditional comfort foods and adding a “sophisticated” twist! For dinner, they are suggesting gourmet mac-n-cheese with a lobster crumble topping and bacon brown sugar brussels sprouts, individual wild mushroom and pancetta pizzas, and meatloaf with wild mushroom and truffle gravy served with a side of garlic chive mashed potatoes. Anyone hungry yet? All resemble foods we grew up on and love, but are dresses up for a formal dinner!

You don’t have to be throwing an outdoor or less formal wedding to have these foods on your menus, in fact you can use them for any event and for almost all times of day! The worst is when you are at a wedding and you don’t want to eat the food. You don’t have to empty your pocketbook with these alternatives either. Some will be more expensive than others, but you can still choose foods you love without as big a cost. You want beef tenderloin? Fine, have beef tenderloin served on small rolls or on toasted flatbreads. Serve sushi…very chic right now, healthy, and delicious! Plus, it will allow for a wide range of selection; choose from tempura, traditional seafood rolls, or a variety of vegetarian options.

Let your hungry guests munch

If on a budget, choose to have a finger food appetizer reception. Some couples are choosing to have an extended “cocktail hour” allowing guests to mix and mingle instead of the traditional assigned seating. It is a little less formal, but you can keep guests’ appetites at bay with a revolving spread of food and bussed services. Let them munch on mini sliders and fries, soft baked pretzels with dipping sauces, and tempura dipped chicken tenders! Satisfy their sweet tooth by providing a dessert table filled with lemon bars, sugar doughnuts, and apple pie shooters. My husband and I attended a late afternoon wedding with such a reception and it was very chic. The couple still had all traditional events like cake cutting and bouquet toss. After the wedding we hit the local clubs and bars in the area. It was a good alternative to the typical reception activities!

Keep the foods you love close to your heart

Whatever option you choose to go with, you will be sure to have an event that will please even the pickiest of eaters. I love this trend and hope to see it stick around for another season. There are so many yummy selections to choose from and even create! Keep the foods you love close to your heart and share them with friends and family at your wedding reception. It will be a delightfully delicious day!

Images from howto-simplify.com, macheesmo.com, pickycook.com, designspongeonline.com, thevegasweddingplanner.com, foodnetwork.com, ordinaryrecipesmadegourmet.com, manolobrides.com, capetowndailyphoto.com, chicago.grubstreet.com, and cookinglight.com

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 4th, 2010 at 10:01 am and is filed under Trends. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.