What Food is Served at a French Wedding?

If you're in the midst of planning a French wedding or you're lucky enough to have been invited to one, then you're probably wondering about the food – after all, France is the culinary capital of the world!

Fortunately, you won't be disappointed by the food served at a French wedding. From canapés and hors d'oeuvres to the croquembouche "wedding cake," there are plenty of delicious options to choose from, and French caterers are known for their creativity and attention to detail.
So, what food can you expect to either eat or see served at a French wedding?

What Can You Expect to Be Served at a French Wedding?

Firstly, it's important to note that eating at a French wedding has two distinct phases. The first phase is the cocktail hour (vin d'honneur), during which guests mingle and nibble on canapés (small, bite-sized hors d'oeuvres) and drinks before taking their seats for the meal.

The second phase is, of course, the wedding meal itself, which usually consists of three or four courses – depending on the time of day and the style of the wedding.

With that in mind, let's look at French wedding food in chronological order and see what's typically served at each stage of the celebrations.

Canapés and Hors d'Oeuvres                                                                                                                       

During the cocktail hour, guests will be served a variety of canapés and hors d'oeuvres.
Common canapés/hors d'oeuvres served at French weddings include:

Mini quiches
Smoked salmon tartlets
Duck foie gras
Pâté on toast
Crostini with various toppings (e.g., tomato and mozzarella)

Once the cocktail hour is over and many of the so-called "fringe" guests leave, the more intimate repas de noces begins – the french wedding meal.

Typical French Wedding Meal Menu

Not much has changed over the years, and both hosts and guests can expect to serve a variation of the items listed below:

Starter

Foie gras (often translated as ‘liver pâté’)
Scallops
Lobster

Main Dish (Meat)

Beef fillet
Duck breast
Medallion of Veal
Lamb 
(all served rare or ‘pink’)
Pigeon or quail

Main Dish (Fish)

Monkfish
Salmon
Red Mullet

Dessert

Macarons
Crème brûlée
Sabayon
Fresh fruit ‘soup’ (fruit salad)
French pastries such as éclair, tart, millefeuille etc.

What Else is Served at a French Wedding?

Of course, conspicuous by their absence above are two food items the French are world-famous for producing – bread and cheese. Don't worry; you can expect to see plenty of both of these served at a French wedding. 

Sometimes they form part of the canapé lineup, whereas, more commonly, they are reserved until later in the wedding reception and left out for guests to help themselves, buffet-style.

Wedding Cake

Another item you'll likely see is the pièce montée or "wedding cake." However, this is not your typical Western-style wedding cake. In France, it's more common to see a croquembouche, a tall, cone-shaped "cake" made from choux pastry balls and filled with cream and held together with threads of caramel.

The croquembouche is usually displayed on a table for guests to see (and drool over!), and it's not uncommon for the bride and groom to feed each other a piece of the croquembouche as part of the wedding "cake cutting" ceremony.

Trou Normand

Something else missing from the list above is the Trou Normand, which is a palate cleanser sometimes served on either side of the main dish. It's usually a fruit sorbet served in alcohol, and it's often served in a small glass.

What Are the Other Considerations for French Wedding Food?

Firstly, you'll have noticed that there isn't much in the way of vegetarian food on the list above. This is because, historically, most French people (especially in rural areas) were raised as meat-eaters, and it's only in recent years that vegetarianism/veganism has become more mainstream.

Of course, this doesn't mean that there won't be any vegetarian/vegan options at a French wedding – you can expect to see some sort of vegetable dish served as part of the main meal, and there will usually be a vegetarian/vegan option for each of the other courses too.

Whether you're a guest or planning a French wedding yourself, vegetarian/vegan options should be clearly marked on the menu so that everyone knows what they can and can't eat.

It's also worth mentioning that the French cook their meat differently from many Western countries. In France, it's more common to see rare or ‘pink’ meat rather than well-done. This is something to bear in mind if you have guests who are not used to eating meat cooked this way or you want your caterers to cook the meat a certain way.

When Should I Make Contact with French Wedding Caterers?

If you're planning a destination wedding in France, then you should make contact with french caterers at the earliest possible opportunity. This is because, depending on the time of year you're getting married, they may already be booked up months (or even years!) in advance.

It's also worth bearing in mind that the French take their food very seriously, so you'll need to give your caterers plenty of time to prepare and plan the perfect menu for your big day. The earlier you can discuss topics such as how pink you would like your meat to be and how many vegetarians/vegans you have on your guest list, the better.

A good rule of thumb is to make contact with caterers at least 6-12 months before your wedding day.

Final Thoughts

French weddings are renowned for being extravagant affairs, and the food is no exception. From the canapés during the cocktail hour to the delicious three-course meal, there's no shortage of delectable food for guests to enjoy.

If you're planning a French wedding, be sure to give your guests a taste of the good life by serving them a taste of local, traditional French cuisine. Bon appétit!