All wedding attendants, bride and groom included, build up quite an appetite during the ceremony. Getting the chance to munch down on some specially prepared food can really do a body good, especially when preparing for a jam packed night of dancing. But before you can let your guests dive into their first course, you must present them with their wedding menu cards. This stationery is meant to be consistent with your invitation and ceremony stationery, but it does have rules and standards of its own. Here is a quick look at what should and shouldn’t be on your cards, as well as a taster of where you have a little more freedom to express yourself:

WhatToIncludeOnMenu

Design
Any design for a menu card works, as long as it goes with your wedding. If your gala is a romantic affair, consider Ann’s Bridal Bargains’ Romantic Details menu card. This card features floral lace that can also make it appropriate for a vintage ceremony. If you happen to be hosting a country or rustic affair, be sure to check out Ann’s Bridal’s Charming Birds menu card.  Regardless of wedding theme, one of my absolute favorite menu card designs is Ann’s Bridal’s Happily Ever After. This card has romance, mystery and elegance written all over it with a delicate castle design and elaborate script.

Words
What you write on your menu card is mostly dependent upon your menu. At the top of your card be sure to write either “menu” or another signifier so that guests know this stationery contains the night’s choices. It can be a nice touch to write your name and your groom’s name underneath “menu” so that you or your guests can keep the menu as a memento. If personalizing is important, include the date of the event as well.

Organize the card by course: Salads or soups go first, followed by your various entrees and desserts. If you happen to have more than one entree, feel free to list the courses by number. Be sure to capitalize the beginning of each line, and do not include any punctuation except for commas.

To bring a little personality to the stationery, rename your food options in your own clever way. As long as your guests can understand what the basic ingredients of the meal are, be creative. If you happen to be serving wine with each course, be sure to mark the wine pairings under the dish with which it is meant to be served. Write out under each dish “served with” followed by the type, vineyard and year of the wine.

Menu favors
Add another touch to your menus by placing your party favors on top of each. It is best to relate this gift back to the menu. If you happen to be serving a dish that features truffles, or sea salt, give your guests a cork-topped clear container of truffle salt or Hawaiian salt. Canned fruit or vegetables are also another cute touch for the menu, but be sure that it is a fruit or vegetable that is featured in the night’s dishes.