Eating Out with Kids

If you or your soon-to-be spouse has Italian heritage, planning an Italian-style wedding reception, complete with a traditional Italian menu, is a great way to acknowledge that heritage and delight wedding guests who also have roots in Italy. Take a look at some common American wedding standards to skip and the Italian touches that will give your wedding a more authentic feel.

Skip the Champagne

If you want a truly Italian-style wedding feast, why would you choose a wine that comes from France? Sure, everyone enjoys a nice glass of sparkling wine at a wedding celebration, but Italians have their own varieties of sparkling wine that will be more at home in your Italian atmosphere.

Metodo Classico, for example, is a style of Italian sparkling wine that is very similar to champagne, even using the same varieties of grapes. Because of the warmer temperatures in the Italian growing regions, Metodo Classico wines tend to be richer and fuller-flavored than champagne. You may also want to try Prosecco, which is a sparkling Italian wine that has floral notes and peach flavors with a hint of vanilla bean.

Skip the Multi-Tiered Cakes

The tall, multi-tiered cakes that show up in bridal magazines and Pinterest boards are not the norm in Italy. Instead, choose a more traditional Italian wedding cake that can be displayed on an attractive cake stand. There are three types of cakes that are traditionally used for Italian weddings:

• Crostata di frutta: This is a type of fruit tart, with seasonal fruits artistically decorating the top of a pastry crust filled with cream. It's particularly suited for spring or summer weddings.
• Millefoglie: This is a cake made from layers of flaky crust interspersed with layers of your favorite fillings, like pastry cream, fresh berries, whipping cream, lemon curd, chocolate, or even fresh berries.
• Pan di Spagna: This cake is a type of sponge cake that's soaked in a syrup made of sugar, water, rum, and lemon, and filled with fresh fruit, jam, or cream. It's covered with whipping cream or fondant and then topped with chopped hazelnuts or almonds.

Skip the Long Speeches

At a traditional Italian wedding reception, long speeches or toasts given by the wedding couple, the parents, or the best man and maid of honor are not typical. The usual custom is to cheer the bride and groom with the words evviva gli sposi! (three cheers for the bride and groom) then get on to the business of eating and celebrating!

There are plenty of meaningful moments during the reception, from the cutting of the cake to the launching of the bouquet. Chances are that neither you nor your guests will miss the long toasts.

It's the small touches that will give your Italian wedding a more authentic feel. A good Italian caterer will help ensure that you have an excellent and authentic menu that suits your theme.