After the houppa, place at the party... And at lunch! In a Jewish marriage, the menu counts as much as music: it is he that the guests comment years later. Cocktail, dinner, desserts, henna buffet, budget: here's how to compose a hidden wedding menu that delights your 150, 250 or 400 guests.
The cocktail: the first highlight of the wedding
Just after the ceremony, the cocktail welcomes guests while the bride and groom make their photos. In Jewish marriages, it is often very rich: many guests consider it a meal in its own right.
- The cocktail pieces : count 12 to 20 pieces per person, hot and cold, salty and sweet.
- The animated workshops : plancha, meat cut, sushi bar, minute pasta, falafels. They create animation and unblock the buffets.
- The bar : kosher wines, champagne, alcohol-free cocktails, aromatized water.
A board of land: in many families, the married fast to the houppa. Ask the caterer to prepare a plate, served at the time of yihud or their arrival in the room.
Dinner: entry, dish and the blessing of bread
The dinner opens with the blessing of the bread (hamotsi) on a large 'hala, often entrusted to a relative whom one wishes to honor. Next comes the entrance and main dish, served at the table or buffet.
- The entries : smoked or marinated fish, carpaccio, mixed salads, fish pastilla.
- The dishes : veal, lamb, poultry or beef, accompanied by roasted vegetables, rice or purée with olive oil.
- The children's menu Think about it, families often come with their children.
The meal ends with the Birkat Hamazon (the blessing after the meal) and the seven blessings (Chevé Berakhot), recited on a cup of wine. Plan it in the run with the caterer and the DJ.
Lactation or meat: the question to be decided from the outset
Almost all wedding dinners are meat. Consequence: all desserts must be achieved, i.e. without milk or butter. The good kosher caterers have perfect control over the pastry: vegetable creams, sorbets, chocolate mousses, cabbages, intermets.
If you prefer a milky meal (for a day wedding or brunch, for example), you can serve cheeses, gratins and butter desserts, but no meat. In any case, agree between the two families on the level of cacheroute (Beth Din, Consistory local, Mehadrin).
Sefarade, Ashkenaze or both: a menu to your image
The menu is a great opportunity to highlight the traditions of both families:
- Sefarade side : cooked salads (taktouka, carrots with cumin), pastilla, tajines, couscous, and oriental pastries (corns of gazelle, makrouts, montecaos).
- Ashkenaz side : stuffed fish (gefilte fish), knishes, strudel, babka.
- For a mixed marriage : a stand for each tradition at the cocktail, it's friendly and everyone finds their memories there.
The henna: a full buffet
In the Sephardic and Maghreb families, the henna takes place a few days before marriage. Its buffet often follows Eastern traditions: salads, brigs, tajines, honey pastries, dried fruits and mint tea. It is a more intimate meal, which can also be entrusted to a hidden caterer: plan it in your budget.
Desserts and the room mounted
After dinner comes the buffet of desserts, very expected: ignardises, verrines, fresh fruit, chocolates, pancakes or ice cream. The mounted piece or the wedding cake is still the great moment, often staged with cold sparks and music chosen with the DJ.
Drinks : kosher wines and bar
Count about one bottle of wine for three adults on the whole evening, champagne to hide for toast, and a well-stocked soft bar. Check that all wines are hidden, including those from the cocktail: it is often the caterer who supplies them.
What budget for a Jewish wedding menu?
| Formula | Order of magnitude per person |
|---|---|
| Cocktail alone (dining room) | 50 to 90 € |
| Cocktail + dinner served + desserts | 90 to 180 € |
| Children menu | 30 to 50 € |
| Henna buffet | 40 to 80 € |
These amounts are indicative: they vary by region, level of cacheroute, service, dishes and workshops chosen. Only your caterer's quote is valid. The caterer and the room often represent more than half of the budget of a wedding: follow each expense in the tool My budget Your space.
Questions to ask your caterer
To go further, read also our article How to choose your caterer hide? : menus, tasting, service, everything you need to check before signing.
- What is your level of cacheroute, and is the supervisor (machguia'h) included?
- How many rooms per person do you plan on at the cocktail?
- Are service, dishes, napping and drinks included?
- Can you work in our room, and have you ever worked there?
- Do you propose a tasting before signing?
- Can you also provide the henna and the Berakhot Chevé of the week?
Frequently Asked Questions
How long in advance to book his wedding caterer?
Ideally 12 to 18 months before, at the same time as the room, especially for Sundays and spring dates.
Can we serve a wedding cake with butter cream after meat?
No. After a meat meal, the cake must be served: vegetable cream, milk-free ganache, sugar paste. Hide pastrymakers can do wonders without butter.
Do we have to have a caterer hide?
For a religious marriage, that is the norm, and many guests will not eat otherwise. Also check that your room accepts an outside hide caterer.
Ready to compose your menu? Compare Hide caterers and reception rooms from the directory, find all the claimants for Jewish marriage, and read our guide The 7 steps to organize a Jewish wedding. You're also preparing a Bar Mitsva? Here are our menu ideas from Bar Mitsva. Mazal Tov!