A Return to Classic Catering

"Classic" catering, with the focus on simplicity, elegance, and a return to the three-course wedding meal, is making a comeback after being overshadowed by exotic serving stations and bountiful buffets - proving, perhaps, that the biggest mistake couples can make in planning a wedding reception is following the trends, and not their hearts.

For couples seeking elegant over elaborate, endless servings of towering roasted vegetables and composed salads are being upstaged by three classically European courses of soup, entre, and dessert, all exquisitely prepared with delicate accompaniments and beautiful garni.

"You offer one entre to all your guests; after all, you don't serve two in your home," says caterer Jean Christophe LePicart of Feast and Fete in Manhattan, who complements his formal French table service with Limoges china, fine, hand-stitched table linens, and ornate candelabras. "It is up to the hostess to make the very finest selection for her guests, and for the guests to politely show their enjoyment."

LePicart typically begins the meal with a seasonal soup or two, perhaps a chilled five-pea soup and a corn chowder with lobster garnish, alternating the choices between guests to create vibrant bursts of color at each place setting. He recommends that the three courses be served without interruption, so that guests remain seated and visit with the people at their table, "as if dining in a fine restaurant before the dancing and festivities begin."

Hosting a classic dinner does not mean limiting the entre to chicken or beef; in fact, each region of the U.S. has a different interpretation of the traditional wedding meal.

Written by Phyllis Waldman