Tiny Details for Your Big Day: Alternatives to the Typical Reception Menu

If you've been to a few weddings, you’re familiar with the fare. You've eaten your share of rolls, side salads and chicken breasts. Moreover, you likely either served yourself from a buffet or received a sit-down, plated meal. If the experience was predictable and a little tedious, the meal probably wasn't anything to write home about.

While there's nothing wrong with these options, many couples now opt for something more distinctive and memorable instead. Here are a few alternatives that are sure to make an impression on your guests.

Skip the formality of a sit-down meal and book a few food trucks, instead. Think tacos, subs and ice cream. Ask the owners if they'd be willing to customize the menu or offer vegetarian and vegan options, too. Hiring trucks with decent menu variety will ensure no one goes hungry.

If you aren't sold on the idea of hiring food trucks but you still desire a casual reception, plan a big picnic. Hang string lights, lay out a few dozen blankets and adorn each one with a basket of food, pillows, wedding favors and maybe even a bottle of bubbly.

Pizza makes for a great late-night reception snack. However, if you'd rather not serve guests yet another pepperoni pie, consider putting an Asian spin on things with BBQ chicken pizza. Sub BBQ sauce or hoisin sauce for marinara and add sliced shiitake mushrooms and green onions for flair.

Serve your guests a meal they'll never forget and roast a whole suckling pig. Slow-roasting the meat will take six to eight hours, so be sure to plan ahead. When the pork is tender and ready to eat, serve it alongside potatoes, vegetables and wine and watch your guests as they giddily pig out!

The food you choose to serve at your wedding is one of the most important parts of your day. Therefore, the menu should reflect who you are as a couple. If that means "walking tacos" and margarita pitchers, so be it!

In the end, your guests will appreciate the time and effort you put into both serving a delicious meal and staying true to yourselves and your tastebuds.