We don't want to dictate what they have. They don't have to pick what we're offering . . First we discuss food and beverage minimums, then if they ask more detailed questions, we tell them about menu choices and wines. After the couple sign a contract for the wedding reception, the hotel prepares a tasting menu for them, with up to four entree selections, one or two months before the event, Stillwell said. At the Milwaukee Hilton, representatives from hotel management, catering and food and beverage areas are on hand to answer any questions and, in general, ease any fears or concerns the couples may have about the reception and the many choices relating to it.
Bridal couples attend the event for free.
For the hotel and staff, it's a way to showcase their food and decor for several couples at once, instead of offering a smaller scale event for each couple. With a larger tasting event, all appropriate personnel can be on hand to greet the couples and provide personal answers to questions that may have been lingering in the bride or groom's mind about the event. Arriving guests are greeted with a glass of champagne as they enter the luxurious Empire Ballroom, the site of many of their planned receptions. Straight ahead is the head table, laden with presentation plates containing entrees and side dish combinations. Many couples do not realize that they have that option, he said.