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Does the idea of an overly traditional wedding make you cringe? Do you want to bring your own unique flair into the planning and day of your reception? Try customizing the your catering.

There are many common food and cake traditions to avoid if you want your reception to be unique.

1. Vanilla cake with white fondant icing. White cake, white frosting, white wedding dress…can we ask for a little variety here? And that fondant icing (a special kind of frosting preferred by cake decorators because it looks elegant). Unfortunately, it tastes, well, not quite as good as it looks. Is that cake even real?

2. Red roses on the cake. Red roses symbolize love. Everybody knows that, but for crying out loud, you’re getting married—we already know you love each other.

3. Freezing the top layer of the cake until the first anniversary. How many couples actually get to each much cake at their reception? It’s too bad you spent all that time picking out the perfect cake because you won’t be able to eat it until it’s been in the freezer for a year.

4. Separate groom’s cake. Chocolate for the groom? Is that really a good way to start a marriage?-Denying the bride her chocolate?

5. Sit-down dinners. Unless you have a world-famous chef for guests to watch, it may not be the best idea to make them sit around tables for the majority of the reception.

6. Typical chicken or fish meal with a roll and veggies or salad. Everyone is growing tired of this question, “Would you like chicken or fish?” Why not try to shake things up with a nontraditional option? Why did your sister-in-law wait until the day of to mention that she was vegan?

7. After dinner mints. Originally intended to keep children quiet until the dancing begins when kids can exercise off those sugar highs. Why not try something a little less predictable?

How many weddings have you been to that include these elements? We’re not saying these are bad ideas. We’re just saying that everybody does them. Break out of the mold. Try something different.

Non-traditional Wedding Cakes

There are a multitude of ways to make the wedding cake unique. “The non-traditional cake topper is very popular,” explains Marjorie, owner of Azucar Bakery in Englewood. “I’ve also had requests for mad hatter cakes and custom icing and decorations.” Mad hatter cakes boast an artistic lopsidedness. Layers are not cake-pan-perfect but look like they’ve been slightly and artistically squashed. The overall look, however, is surprisingly pleasing. Then, there’s the trend of non-traditional cake toppers. Instead of a bride and groom standing in each other’s arms at the top of the cake, try a cake topper in which the groom is running away and the bride is holding him by his tie. Too close to home? Try a topper that has the bride and groom sitting on the side of the cake cuddling in each other’s arms. At Azucar Bakery, couples can bring their own cake designs. Marjorie showed me pictures of the themed cakes she had created based on designs drawn by the couples ordering the cakes. One cake was poker-themed with a king and queen of hearts as the topper. And my personal favorite was a cake with a theme of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. Non-traditional cakes and toppers like these are showing up at weddings all over Colorado. Couples are seeking ways to make their cakes uniquely representative of their relationship.

Four to five months before the wedding, ask yourselves what flavor and design of cake you want. Brides, make sure you talk to the groom about this one—he may have opinions in this arena. Instead of a white cake, try a chocolate one or layered cheesecakes. Non-traditional wedding cakes are all the rage this year, and guests will often enjoy them more than a traditional cake. Cake designs can range from a traditional layered cake to cupcakes.

Unique Catering

The cake and topper are only two ways to customize your wedding reception. There are numerous options for feeding your guests, and many questions to answer before the day of the reception. Most couples opt for hiring a caterer rather than providing the food themselves, so here are some tips for picking the caterer who will give you the wedding day of your dreams.

A good place to start with caterers is to ask around. Ask your friends and family if they’ve heard of anyone they’d recommend. Ask the other specialists you’re hiring for your wedding like your photographer and DJ if they’ve worked with good caterers they’d recommend. Ask your favorite restaurant if they cater. You can find a lot of good information through networking that you may not learn simply going to tastings or bridal shows. And you can get the opinions of people who’ve seen these caterers in action serving anywhere from 50 to 500 people.

After narrowing down your selection of caterers, it’s important to interview each one. I interviewed Hyland from Biscuits & Berries Catering in Golden. I asked her questions about Biscuits & Berries as well as asking her what questions she felt were important for couples to pose to their caterers, whoever they may be. Hyland’s answers set a high standard for caterers everywhere, but couples should expect this kind of service from their caterers. When I asked her if she had ever received bizzarre requests, she answered, “We have definitely had some unique requests, which we always welcome. It’s exciting to tackle the challenge and continue learning and expanding what we do at Biscuits & Berries.” According to Hyland, an important question to ask your caterer is, “What menu would you recommend based on the type of reception we’re having and the time of year?” When I asked her this question, Hyland explained that Biscuits & Berries is unique in that it offers a wide selection of menus using the freshest ingredients available at the time of year. The chefs at Biscuits & Berries have many suggestions, but are willing to work with you to make the food for your special day exactly the way you want it. When it comes to your wedding food, don’t settle for anything less than what you’ve dreamed of. Caterers like Biscuits & Berries can help you to plan the perfect menu for your wedding day.

Here are some questions to ask yourself as you plan the food for your reception:

What type of food do you want at your reception? There are so many options today for wedding food. You can have food of many different cultures or you can mix two cultures to create a completely unique banquet for your guests. Try using traditional foods like chicken and rice to make unique dishes. If you like Mexican food, try chicken spiced with peppers and paprika rolled in a tortilla with rice and salsa. Give suggestions to your caterer and, if you want to, bring a family recipe that you want made and served at your reception.

Do you want to have a buffet or a sit-down dinner? Or perhaps you’d rather have servers offering hors d’oeuvres to your guests as they chat. Sit-down dinners are often the most expensive option, but can provide a nice atmosphere for the wedding reception by encouraging toasts and making sure everyone is eating their fill. But buffets and hors d’oeuvres can lend an air of informality and comfort to a reception that might be decreased in a sit-down meal.

What type of catering, cake and alcohol service is feasible with the number of guests you have? This is always an important questions to consider. You may want to think about focusing on one aspect of the recption more than the others. Perhaps you want to put energy and money into your beverage service and offer a full bar served throughout the entire reception, and the catering is not as important to you. Prioritizing like this is a good way to save money and make the wedding truly your own unique event.

Do you want foods that match your wedding colors? A nice twist to the traditional wedding foods is to pick menu items that match your wedding colors. Pumpkin dishes can match the orange of a fall wedding while eggs and edible flowers might be excellent picks for a spring wedding.

Do your guests have allergies or preferences you must cater to? Consider your own and your guests’ allergies and preferences as you plan your menu. Should you avoid monosodium glutamate or food coloring in your dishes? Do you have vegetarian or vegan guests? These are all topics to bring up when you meet with your caterer.

Chocolate Fountains

A chocolate fountain can be a lot of fun to have at your reception. Not only are these elegant to look at, but they taste delicious. You can get dark, milk, or white chocolate and often, chocolate fountains come in other colors as well—white chocolate can be colored to match your wedding colors. Warning: if you’re going to have children at the reception, you may want to avoid chocolate fountains; if anyone touches the chocolate in the fountain, most companies require you to purchase the fountain and chocolate which can be pricey.

Beverage Service Suggestions

Often, a full bar of standard alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages is the best option even for a non-traditional wedding. Trendy beverages may not please the majority of your guests. But there are some options for altering the serving of drinks that can make your reception not only different, but can also save you some money. Serve beverages in stages: offer beer, wine and soft drinks before dinner and mixed drinks after. And try using champagne only for toasts; that way, it is a tasty highlight of the reception. You also have choices in how the wine is served. Many receptions have a split bar, but you can serve guests well by having one bar with two bartenders, or you can have your caterer serve beverages with dinner.