TIPS CATERING

In Chicago, Blue Plate Catering handled the catering for a September wedding at Prairie Productions. The food-loving couple wanted to keep presentation clean and simple, and they served appetizers at several stations. One held charcuterie, including spicy salami, speck americano, and prosciutto piccante.

Another station held local cheeses, including smoked butterkäse from Illinois and a blend of cheddar and Gruyere from Wisconsin.

The couple also had a station—under a "Treat Yo Self" sign—that served artisan donuts. Flavors included passion fruit and triple chocolate.

The Four Seasons Hotel Chicago hosted a showcase of wedding trends in September. Menu items included three variations (and presentations) for tuna tartare.

The hotel showcase served "Queen Anne's Punch" in crystal champagne coupes garnished with edible flowers.

At the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, takeaway gifts were petit fours shaped like miniature wedding cakes.

In New York, Naturally Delicious recently catered a fine-dining wedding. Instead of a more typical seafood entrée, guests were presented with scallops atop wild mushroom risotto.

A vegetarian dish was poached eggs served with asparagus.

Dishes also included small portions of honey-blossom mascarpone with clementine granita.

Desserts included tiramisu with a shot of espresso on the side.

In Toronto, Eatertainment serves custom bottled cocktails for weddings held at its venue, the One Eighty.

Eatertainment has served mini bowls of ramen noodle salad as appetizers at weddings.

As an alternative to traditional wedding cake, Eatertainment offers layered cakes served in jars.

Sarah Banasiak, chief creative officer for the Revel Group, recently got married in Chicago. Limelight Catering, the company's catering arm, prepared the dinner. Passed appetizers included Kobe tartare on potato crisps with capers, Dijon mustard, and frisée lettuce.

Banasiak's dinner began with Kumamoto oysters on the half shell with crème fraîche and caviar.

The couple served grilled Kobe beef with foie gras butter, hedgehog mushrooms, and sauteed spinach. Each course was paired with Cream wines from Sonoma and Sicily.

The pasta course was handmade strignoli with torn Tuscan kale, shaved Parmesan, truffled chive butter, and Meyer lemon cream sauce. After dinner, guests headed to a whiskey and cigar bar replete with bacon swizzle sticks; there were also after-dinner snacks of boozy milkshakes, Patty Melt sliders, and cones of French fries.