From custom illustrations on stationery suites to one-of-a-kind performances by the wedding party, it’s no surprise that the popularity of personalization at weddings is only on the rise. But how, exactly, do you go about personalizing the food and libations you offer family and friends at your event? We’re offering up our top tips for personalizing your wedding menu. Read on for three easy ways to add some serious style to that sustenance you’re serving up. 

1. Serve up bits and pieces of your story.

Think about incorporating wine from your favorite vineyard, coffee cake from your favorite shop, or ingredients that are local to where you live (or the place you met) as part of your wedding menu. Every single item on your menu doesn’t need to have a story behind it—but pick a few key areas where you can use menu items to tell your love story or share some anecdotes guests might not know about you as a couple. Maybe you took an amazing trip to Italy over summer, when the lemon trees were in full bloom—try incorporating lemon into a dish or dessert and noting something about the trip on your menu. You can note which food items are part of your love story by a simple parenthetical aside on the menu: (This wine is from our all-time favorite vineyard—cheers to that!) or, you can work with an illustrator or stationer to incorporate these fun-facts through custom illustrations in the margins of the menu.

2. Name items after people, places, and pets you love.

Whether it’s a cocktail named after your cocker spaniel or late-night bites named after your ring bearer (think: Jack’s Mac), naming items after people, pets, or places that are a part of your love story is a super simple way to personalize your wedding menu without much effort. This is a great option for couples working with traditional wedding venues with in-house catering departments, where you only have a set menu of items to choose from for your wedding menu—because, rather than having to customize the dish or ingredients, you can simply customize the name of the items you're serving. From “Ponderosa Point Pasta” named after the hike where you got engaged to “Scrappy's Spritzer” named after your favorite four-legged friend, there are endless opportunities to incorporate clever names and bits of your love story into cocktail hour, dessert, and every bite in between.

3. Recreate a meal you can't forget.

Whether it’s the incredible meal you had on that trip to Mexico or the pasta you had on your first date, recreating one of your favorite meals is a great option for couples who really want to weave their love story into their wedding menu. You can go all-out—serving guests an exact recreation of your favorite meal. But, at the same time, this doesn’t have to be a one-of-a-kind, unforgettable meal (that local fish you had on the Amalfi coast). It can be something more approachable, down-home, and less expensive instead—maybe you’re big fans of breakfast for dinner; try serving up late-night pancakes or breakfast burritos with a note about how often the two of you eat breakfast after working hours. Or, if you're known for hosting great gatherings, maybe you make your wedding menu a large-scale version of your famous Sunday night family-style barbecues. The options truly are endless with this one!

Hero Photo Courtesy of Megan Welker