Once you've hired a wedding catering company, the next thing to do is to select your wedding reception menu. This can be challenging since you'll want to match the menu with your wedding theme while ensuring that your guests will have access to delicious food and drinks. If you're still not sure what to choose, you can browse through these ideas and let them inspire you:

1. Plated Dinner

This is a great choice if you want to have a traditional wedding and create a formal ambience during the reception. It's also an excellent option if you want to pamper your guests and have their meal served by professional wait staff. 

2. Traditional Buffet

A traditional buffet provides your guests with a wide range of options and lets them choose the dishes they want to eat. It also helps you avoid the stress of serving a certain dish and finding out that some of your guests can't eat it due to medical or religious reasons. 

3. BBQ

Many couples want to treat their guests to a good barbie, which is why several wedding catering companies are now offering a BBQ catering menu. Choose this option if you want to give your wedding a casual vibe and/or your families are big fans of grilled meat.

4. Sharing Platters

This menu option promotes a family-style approach to dining and encourages your guests to interact with each other as they pass platters back and forth. It also provides them with a variety of dishes, appetisers, and desserts to choose from and allows them to fill their plate as they please.

5. Carvery Buffet

A carvery buffet is another excellent option if you come from a family of meat lovers or if you simply want to serve something new. Standard carvery menus usually include roast topside of beef, while more deluxe options feature roast lamb and pork. 

6. Cold Cuts Buffet

You'll want to consider a cold cuts buffet if you're looking for a unique wedding reception menu. Don't worry if you have vegans and vegetarians among your guests since salads and vegetable dishes will also be served alongside premium cold meats.

7. Traditional Christmas Buffet

If your wedding will take place in December, it makes sense to treat your guests to a traditional Christmas buffet. It's an excellent way to celebrate your wedding while incorporating the Christmas spirit into your event and spreading good cheer.

8. Cocktail Party

Are you having a cocktail hour before the actual reception dinner? If you are, you'll definitely want to get a cocktail menu. Make sure to book a package that includes both hot and cold finger foods as well as sweets to give everyone a choice.

9. Afternoon Tea

If alcohol is not your thing, why not serve tea instead? Doing this lets you serve high-quality teas (such as Chinese, Indian, and herbal teas) to your guests while giving them the chance to mingle with each other.

10.  Wood-Fired Pizzas

This is another great alternative to the traditional cocktail menu and is an excellent way to impress your guests. If you choose wood-fired pizza catering, make sure that your reception area has enough space for a wood-burning oven. 

These are just some of the best wedding reception menu ideas to choose from. All of these menus are available here at All Seasons Catering so, once you make your choice, contact us to discuss your preferences, requirements, and budget. We're one of the best wedding catering companies in Perth and can help you organise a wedding reception dinner that your guests will never forget.

But how do you choose the best one, when there is a cornucopia of options available? Without a doubt, All Seasons Catering in Perth has to offer the same.

How to pick the best wedding caterer

1. Sample the food to help you make the right choice. Being familiar with the menu is one thing, but letting your palate decide is another. Some food looks good in pictures, but not when served on a plate. Taste, taste and taste some more.

2. Get recommendations or references. Who better to know what a wedding caterer is capable of than an old client? For every caterer you speak to, ask for references and then talk to a couple of them for advice and recommendation.

3. Deal with service providers in person. Doing so is the best way to get a feel about your service provider. Do they communicate well, ensure there's no misunderstanding? Are you comfortable working with them? Do they give off that vibe of trustworthiness?

4. Obtain pictures of past events. Find out how a caterer set's up to the venue, the table setting, and the choice of linen and centrepiece? The tiniest details can make or break the entire setup.

5. Get a list of all available services. The best wedding catering provider should take care of everything you need, on top of the food and food service. They can also organise the vendors for you and coordinate with the wedding coordinator to ensure all the details tie up.

6. See if they ask about special requirements. Good caterers will always anticipate special food requirement, taking into account guests who might have allergies and dietary restrictions. If the caterer doesn't ask about them, they must not be that thorough.

7. See if they're organised and professional. The last thing you want is someone who will add more problems to the wedding drama. So make sure a caterer can handle the event properly, timely and professionally. If they are disorganised and late during the initial contact, they're like to be disorganised and late all throughout.

8. Refer to the event venue. They could have a list of preferred vendors, and bringing your own would require a bit of negotiation. You can also pick one from the list provided.

9. Find out who's in charge. No, not the sales person you spoke with, but the team who will be handling the food service during the wedding day. If anything goes wrong, you should know who to talk to.

10. Read, read the fine print. This is especially true with the price and other inclusions. Make sure you know what is included, what's not, and what's expected of you.