Your wedding or special event is a time for celebration and creating lasting memories. One way to make your event truly exceptional is by paying attention to the finer details, particularly when it comes to the dining experience. Elevating your dinner table can add a touch of sophistication and luxury to your celebration, creating an unforgettable experience for your guests. Today, we’ll explore six ways to elevate your dinner table, ensuring that every aspect of the meal is nothing short of extraordinary.
Request a Bread and Butter Service
When it comes to bread service, not all bread is created equal. Elevate your dining experience by requesting a proper bread and butter service. This means fresh, warm bread brought to your guests’ tables, not just room temperature rolls with frozen butter pads melting on their B&B plates for hours before. Opt for a French-style tableside service to ensure your guests enjoy the aroma and taste of freshly baked bread with creamy, spreadable butter, setting the tone for a delightful meal.
Offer Wine With Dinner
To enhance your guests’ dining experience, consider offering a glass of red or white wine with their dinner. Wine complements the flavors of the meal and can be a great conversation starter. You can work with your catering team to select wines that pair well with the menu and create a memorable wine experience for your guests. Pro tip: keep your bar open during this time, as well, for those guests who would prefer a spirit, mocktail, or beer over a glass of wine.
Never Preset Champagne
Opt for champagne to be poured at the table rather than preset to ensure it’s enjoyed at the perfect temperature with all its delightful bubbles intact, providing a more memorable and enjoyable experience for your guests.
Serve Freshly Dressed Salads
Pre-plated salads with dressing sitting on the table are a thing of the past. Instead, have your salads dressed in the kitchen prep area just before guests start seating. This ensures that the greens stay fresh and crisp, and the dressing is evenly distributed. Serve the salads only when guests are comfortably seated, avoiding the common practice of placing them at empty seats.
Eliminate Salt and Pepper Shakers
In fine dining, you won’t find salt and pepper shakers on the table. Seasoning is a delicate art, and your caterer should have it under control. If you desire extra seasoning, it can be discreetly added by a server who will promptly respond to your request. This small detail adds to the elegance of the dining experience.
Ensure Spotless Water Glasses
Avoid sweaty water glasses on the table. Think through how a table is set at a fine dining restaurant and aim to mimic those standards. Water glasses should be impeccably clean and without any unsightly condensation, enhancing the overall aesthetics of your table. Kindly ask your caterer to fill water glasses after your photography team has captured the room. Ask servers not to pour on your tabletop, but to remove while filing, to ensure no water is accidentally splashed onto your table, menu, or napkin.
Increase Server Count and Eliminate Tray Stands
To provide seamless and efficient service, it’s essential to have an adequate number of servers. This will eliminate the need for trayjacks, where dirty dishes are placed. Instead, increased runners can take the used dishes straight back to the kitchen discreetly.
Elevating your dinner table at your wedding or special event is about attention to detail and prioritizing the comfort and experience of your guests. While some of these enhancements may come at an additional cost, they can truly make your event unforgettable and create a sense of luxury and sophistication. So, when planning your special day, work closely with a catering team that understands the importance of these finer details, ensuring that your event stands out for all the right reasons. After all, it’s worth investing in creating an extraordinary dining experience that will be remembered for years to come!
If you would like help designing your perfect dinner table that wows, let us know! We’re happy to help you plan every detail.
