Shades of Green: Your Reception Dinner

One place couples spend an extraordinary amount of money is on their reception dinner. From flower arrangements to gourmet catering, your bill can easily run $300 a plate. The cost of organic, hormone-free, free range and local foods can raise your costs substantially … but what if you take out the meat?

It isn’t rare for meats, seafood and poultry to make up most of the cost of the basic reception dinner (minus the champagne and cake). You may find you’re able to save on your overall dinner expenses by taking meats out of the picture entirely, giving you enough wiggle room to afford higher quality fruits, grains and vegetables.

The following is a partial list of meal suggestions from Hudson Valley Weddings:

Sides, Hors d’oeuvres, Buffet Foods

artichokes filled with fennel and yellow and red tomatoes
baba ghanouj
black bean spread
empanadas
falafel
finger sandwiches
fluted tomato and basil tarts
fruit trays
grilled Portabello mushroom sandwiches
guacamole
hummus
mushroom and leek empanadas
potatoes (baked, mashed, fried)
rice pilaf
roasted vegetables
samosas
sesame noodles
stir-fried Sugar Snap peas with shiitake mushrooms
stuffed grape leaves
stuffed mushrooms

Entrees

fusili primavera in marinara sauce
garden lasagna
marinated vegetables
mini-quiches
morel-stuffed enchiladas
mushrooms with asparagus and a melange of sweet bell peppers and herbs potato pancakes
pasta with creamy or tomato based primavera
penne with marinara
spicy ratatouille served over rice
stuffed cabbage
stuffed peppers
stuffed squash
vegetable stir-fry
vegetable skewers with garlic and rosemary
wild mushroom ragout with fettucine