Choosing Wedding Menu Opinions Needed!

melon_collie

At the moment we are trying to choose the wedding menu from the list of options that were given to us by our hotel. We have narrowed it down to 3 options but we need to pick 2 from this. The choices are:

1. Medallions of Irish Fillet Beef.
Served on a bed of herbed mash, flat cap mushroom stuffed with with a red onion marmelade with a bordelaise jus.

2. Pan Fried Breast of Chicken
Served with a cream cheese stuffing and a whiskey cream sauce.

3. Pan Fried Fillet of Seabass
Served on a ragout of new potatoes, asparagus, red onions and cherry tomatoes.

At the moment we were kinda thinkin' about choosing the beef with one of the other 2. Obviously we want to try to cater for as many tastes as possible, but we would love to get as many peoples opinions as possible. Thanks in advance.

BenEadir

Beef & Sea Bass without question.

Roisinbunny

Hiya Melon Collie,

We're kind of debating over the same thing here. When I asked around for opinions, people pretty much shot down the chicken suggestion. The consensus always seems to be for a red meat / fish combo.

popppy

beef and fish option defo !

Toots

I'd also go for beef and fish. There's a lovely leg of lamb on our menu, and we're going for that and seabass. I think the usual if you're having a choice is a red meat and fish option. Don't ask me why though! I'll be having the seabass anyway!

curlybob

I would def go beef and fish!! I was at a wedding recently which was beef and chicken and the other guests at our table made some comments about "Sure you get chicken at home!". I think chicken can be perceived as a cheap option also, but then again perceptions won't be bothering me as we are just picking our two favorites for our wedding; Beef and turkey and Ham. If they don't like it Lump it!! But then again they are safe options so i'm hoping there won't be anyone that wont like it! But at the end of the day its what you want yourself. I stopped trying to please people, as you cant please all of the people all of the time!

Good Luck

Clareman

If you are going for the fillet of beef make sure they cook it to people's likings, different people like their steaks cook differently, I was at a wedding where there was beautiful beef cooked perfectly (for me) but other people didn't like the fact that it was pink in the middle. Sea Bass is also a great option, most fish lovers like Sea Bass

antiskeptic

Beef and fish.

I'm not mad on seafood myelf but apparently a lot of people like it so you offer a wider choice (by offering more extreme a difference).

Chicken lies in the middle between beef and fish; it's dense like beef and light flavoured like fish.

clint_silver

antiskeptic wrote: »

Beef and fish.

I'm not mad on seafood myelf but apparently a lot of people like it so you offer a wider choice (by offering more extreme a difference).

Chicken lies in the middle between beef and fish; it's dense like beef and light flavoured like fish.

This is an excellent point.

beef and seabass for diversity. Can I ask is this still considered giving a choice to guests and acquires the appropriate pricing load? So they have to order more of each food and therefore put a loading on each one?

Was at a friends wedding recently and he just ordered the beef and asked on the invites who was vegatarian and would be ordering fish or veggy meal, told the hotel and saved the costs of having to offer choices.

Toots

Some hotels have a €2 per person add on if you want a choice on the menu. I think it's the cost of the pricier dish, plus €2. Some hotels we looked at were charging up to a €10 supplement for a menu choice, which is a complete farce! I'd say if you're negotiating with the hotel, this is probably something you could ask them to waive.

clint_silver

Toots* wrote: »

Some hotels have a €2 per person add on if you want a choice on the menu. I think it's the cost of the pricier dish, plus €2. Some hotels we looked at were charging up to a €10 supplement for a menu choice, which is a complete farce! I'd say if you're negotiating with the hotel, this is probably something you could ask them to waive.

Yeah, this is what I thought, I can understand a 2-4e loading to cater for the choices but 10e? thats nearly what they're making each meal for.

thankfully turkey and ham isnt considered giving choices.

Clareman

The hotel I had charged extra for more than 2 choices of main courses, or more than 1 starter or other course, also (just remembered) the hotel charged the same price for both main courses, charging the more expensive price of course.

How Strange

I'd choose Beef and Seabass. IMO, some people (like me) would choose fish at a wedding because it's lighter than meat. The meat eaters I'm sure would prefer beef to chicken. I eat chicken all the time at home but when I see it on a menu my initial reaction is blah and I'd rarely eat chicken in a restaurant.

smelltheglove

Toots* wrote: »

Some hotels have a €2 per person add on if you want a choice on the menu. I think it's the cost of the pricier dish, plus €2. Some hotels we looked at were charging up to a €10 supplement for a menu choice, which is a complete farce! I'd say if you're negotiating with the hotel, this is probably something you could ask them to waive.

Very true, I didnt have a choice because of this, I was having a Christmas wedding so wanted turkey and ham so to have a choice would have cost close to an extra €10 per head so we went without.

Its not actually as common place as you would expect to get a choice menu, I have only been a guest at one or two with a choice. In that choice general consensus seems to be beef and fish, either way I would definitely include the beef in the choice, whether to go with fish or chicken then is another story, I dont know too many fish eaters to be honest, none in my family or my husbands if you think it would be a popular choice then go for it.

neilthefunkeone

chicken and fish.. mushroom stuffed with red union marmelade with the beef sounds a bit meh..

Everyone likes chicken...

amdublin

neilthefunkeone wrote: »

chicken and fish.. mushroom stuffed with red union marmelade with the beef sounds a bit meh..

Everyone likes chicken...

IMO people see chicken as the "cheap" option (rightly or wrongly)

I would suggest the beef and seabass - sounds lovely!

BC

Beef and seabass. However bear in mind that its highly unlikely the hotel will cook to order (ie rare/medium etc). Its too hard for them with large numbers. They will ask you to choose how its done for everyone. Our hotel recommended well done but we're thinking we might go medium/well. Haven't decided yet though.

clint_silver

It really shouldnt be but one chef's "medium" is another chefs "rare" or "pink". Id recommend "well done" every time.

Toots

smelltheglove wrote: »

Very true, I didnt have a choice because of this, I was having a Christmas wedding so wanted turkey and ham so to have a choice would have cost close to an extra €10 per head so we went without.

Its not actually as common place as you would expect to get a choice menu, I have only been a guest at one or two with a choice. In that choice general consensus seems to be beef and fish, either way I would definitely include the beef in the choice, whether to go with fish or chicken then is another story, I dont know too many fish eaters to be honest, none in my family or my husbands if you think it would be a popular choice then go for it.

Funnily enough, I think every wedding I've been to where there's a choice has been in the North All the weddings I've been to in the south have just had the one main for everyone.