Winter wedding food should be warm, comforting, but not too heavy—you don’t want your guests napping instead of dancing. We asked Main Event Caterers in Arlington to create the perfect winter wedding menu, and here’s what they came up with:

The fall season has a style of cuisine all its own, and if you’re hosting a wedding during this time, it’s a great opportunity to incorporate autumn’s bounty into your menu. We asked Occasions Caterers in DC to create the perfect fall wedding menu, and here’s what they came up with:

The fall season has a style of cuisine all its own, and if you’re hosting a wedding during this time, it’s nice to incorporate autumn’s bounty into your menu. We asked Charles Levine Caterers & Events in Owings Mills to create the perfect fall wedding menu, and here’s what they came up with:

The fall season has a style of cuisine all its own, and if you’re hosting a wedding during this time, it’s nice to incorporate autumn’s bounty into your menu. We asked Windows Catering, in Alexandria, to create the perfect fall wedding menu, and here’s what they came up with:

Just don't think about Kermit. Photo courtesy of the Catering Company of Washington.

In Caterer’s Choice, a local caterer highlights a trendy hors d’oeuvre or mini-dessert to spark ideas for your own reception.

The dish: Frog’s-leg tempura with lemon butter, garlic, and parsley, created by chef Tom Berry at the Catering Company of Washington in Northwest DC.

The scoop: The chef deep-fries frogs’ legs—a traditional French delicacy—in tempura batter and tosses them in butter flavored with lemon, garlic, and parsley; you grab one from the hors-d’ouevre station and pop it in your mouth in one rich bite.

Get it while it’s hot: “The feel of the French bistro is back in a big way,” says Drew Lepp, an event coordinator for the Catering Company of Washington. With top chefs here, in New York, and across the country adding so much food straight from the French countryside, brides and grooms are opting for more French-inspired hors d’oeuvres like this one.

Chips and dip, only classier. Photo courtesy of Occasions Caterers.

Within 24 hours of setting a date, you were probably online looking for wedding advice. (When should I book the caterer? What flowers are in season in October?) But tip after tip isn’t enough to plan your big day—you also need some inspiration. In Caterer’s Choice, Bridal Party asks local caterers to highlight a trendy hors d’oeuvre or mini-dessert to spark ideas for your own reception.

The dish: Hand-cut Potato Chips Three Ways; created by Occasions Caterers in Northeast DC

The scoop: You get a plate with a small serving of three types of hand-cut potato chips: classic Idaho with seasoned salt, waffle-cut sweet-potato chips, and spicy Yukon Gold potato triangles, all served with a sour-cream/chive mousseline.