By Keely Coxon

Ah, the wedding reception. It is more often than not, especially here in Utah, the pinnacle of a wedding guest’s experience… and why wouldn’t it be? Family and friends are gathered together to celebrate a beautiful event, there’s often music or dancing, and then, of course, there’s the food.

Here in Utah, reception food is usually more dessert-centered. Part of this has to do with the nature of most Utah weddings, in which the bride and groom (and close family) tie the knot in relative privacy, and then hold a big reception for all attendees. Since it is typically not an all-day affair, and the cost of feeding so many guests would be breathtaking (and not in a good way!), menu selection must be given careful consideration.

Instead of going to the “pros” for this article, I decided to take a different approach, and poll a large group of people, both those that I knew, as well as random people I managed to corner (politely, I promise!) on ski lifts, at the mall and even in the checkout line at the grocery store. Although none bear any official matrimonial certification, with the often ridiculous number of weddings that most people in Utah attend during their lifetime, I can say with some assurance that they probably have more credentials than half of the wedding planners in this country!

Here are some great basic “do’s” and “don’ts” that I picked up from my trusty sources, followed by a list of their favorite wedding foods (note: don’t read this list while hungry, because all of the foods listed sound incredible!).

Wedding Reception Menu “Do’s”

DO: Select foods that are neither messy nor embarrassing to eat. Anyone who has been on a first date can probably list off a handful, but in case you skipped that stage of courtship, here are some of the typically blacklisted foods:  Corn on the cob (anyone carrying dental floss?), baby back ribs (okay, Britney Spears may be able to pull off chicken fingers and ribs at her wedding, but she also got married in a velour sweat-suit in her backyard. Do you really want your guests’ expensive duds smeared with BBQ sauce??), and anything laced heavily with garlic and/or onions (unless you want to provide heaps of those melty mint candies that are so popular in Utah, providing your guests with this certain inroad to bad breath is not exactly kind…).

DO: Select foods that are environmentally-stable. No, I’m not talking about organic or sustainable (although those are nice options as well!). What I’m referring to is the fairly extraordinary weather that often graces Utah during spring and summer, with scorching temperatures, blazing sun and hurricane-force storms that are prone roll across the valley at a moment’s notice.  Although your reception will probably be inside, take into account the air-conditioning capabilities and possibility of power outages at your venue, and plan accordingly. Weak AC? Probably better skip the individually-wrapped chocolates and cream-puff pastries.

Wedding Reception Menu “Don’ts”

DON’T: As mentioned above, skip messy and/or embarrassing foods. People love the food at wedding receptions, and will eat it no matter what, out of hunger, politeness or, Heaven forbid, boredom. As such, if you insist on having your corn on the cob or baby back ribs, try to balance the menu out with other stand-bys, such as cookies, crackers and  cheese or some of the gorgeous fruit and veggie trays on seen on the catering market today. Believe me, your guests will thank you!

DON’T: Fight the seasons. As I pointed out in my second wedding “DO,” trying to make hard chocolate and finicky finger foods survive hundred-plus degree temperatures in the middle of August is going to be a losing battle. Work with the weather, not against it! Chocolate fondue, anyone?

DON’T: Serve entirely one kind of food. Yes, food is going to be expensive, and yes, it is not like going to be something that you will be able to keep after the wedding, but who wants to show up at a reception, only to be greeted with five different kinds of stuffed mushrooms and nothing else (true story, this happened to a friend of mine!)?

… And  finally, the TOP FIVE FAVORITE WEDDING FOODS of those polled, in order of popularity:

1. Chocolate, especially fondue. This was, no surprise, a favorite across the board. Almost everyone I surveyed listed chocolate or chocolate fondue as one of their all-time favorite wedding reception foods. Thankfully, as popular as chocolate is here, the ability to rent fondue stations is fairly easy and financially do-able for all!
2. Puff pastries. These were another high-ranking favorite. Best of all, they are nearly as versatile as chocolate in their uses; they can be filled with anything from fruit to chicken and broccoli, and are able to be served warm or chilled.
3. Mini fruit tarts. Enough said—they’re adorable, easy to eat and very adaptable to hot Utah weather.
4. Raspberry lemonade. This was a favorite drink among all, other than the hard-alcohol concoctions that several of my subjects cracked jokes about. However, as alcohol is definitely not as popular at Utah weddings, and often falls into the “messy/embarrassing” category (raise your hand if you’ve ever seen a guest get way too drunk at a wedding!), I left it off of the list.
5. Finally… crepes. I was surprised by this, as I’ve never seen crepes at a wedding. According to those who listed this, crepes are an excellent way to provide guests with a variety of options, at a relatively low cost. This makes sense, as you could hypothetically put any sort of filling in the shell. Great idea!

Mmmm, doesn’t that list sound amazing?! And, may I remind all brides- and grooms- to-be, definitely don’t forget the most important part of selecting food for your reception: menu tasting! Happy hunting!