While planning our wedding earlier this year, it quickly became very clear the food we served would be one of the most important aspects of the day. As a recipe developer and avid cook, this seemed only appropriate! In fact, choosing the menu was probably the most difficult decision out of all the details and decisions that go into planning a wedding! While it was difficult, it was also so rewarding and fun for my fiancé and I. He loves to eat just as much as I love to cook, and with similar ideas of what “good food” really is, we had such a wonderful time deciding what would be served at our small intimate wedding in Sewanee, Tennessee.

The recipes for this month are completely inspired by the food we chose to serve to our guests in July of this year. We wanted the menu to be an extension of the food we love, but we also wanted the dishes to appeal to the young and the old, as well as the pickiest of eaters!  Because we do not eat a lot of meat ourselves, we did not want a typical “meat and three” dish. While these are the usual dinner-type meals served at evening weddings, we went with multiple heavy heures-de-vours for a filling, yet versatile menu.  While we could only hope for the best on the actual wedding day, we were overjoyed when our friends and family told us how much they loved the meal. We heard multiple comments such as, “This is the best wedding food we have ever had!” That truly made us happy.

Below is our recipe for the Bruschetta Bar.  For the next few Mondays, find the other recipes we served at our wedding, right here on validitymag.com.

Bruschetta Bar:

A cheese bar with crackers, Italian meats and cheeses and spreads paired perfectly with the red and white wines we served. This was not only inexpensive, but guests were able to mingle and drink while nibbling on this appetizer before the heavier dishes were served. Do not worry so much about the type of meats and cheeses; simply having a variety and displaying it in an aesthetically pleasing way is perfect for hungry guests!