When I hosted a ladies' luncheon for fifty in May on the verandah at Fox Hall, I chose to slip the menu card inside the top of each napkin so that a breeze would not blow it away.
With the upcoming Salvation Army of Palm Beach County’s “Paradise Ball”approaching, we will be designing a menu card. After the food and wine tasting have taken place, we can then choose what the menu will be on the menu cards. Having a menu card for an event elevates the occasion and honors the celebration.
A menu card enables guests to know what courses to expect, which also allows them to know what will be served and to avoid potential food allergies.
A menu card can become a keepsake for guests to take home, which is a good reason to indicate the date and occasion on the card. It can also commemorate a guest of honor.
Menu cards are printed vertically and are approximately 5" x 8" in size (give or take an inch in each direction). My menu cards are a custom-made, 120-pound stock white paper with an image of Fox Hall printed on the top center and are 4 1/4" wide x 5 1/2" high.
Round edges on the card, which is a European touch, are an aesthetically pleasing detail. Black is the most classic and formal ink color, although gold or colored ink can be used to complement the design on the card and the theme of the occasion too.
Menu cards can be placed in various positions on the table setting: to the left of the forks, on the butter plate (sans butter), on the dinner plate, or on top of the napkin. It may also be placed upright in a menu card holder which is similar to a place card holder, and stand above the dinner plate or the butter plate. For large charity functions, it can be printed within the program to be more cost-effective.
Include the date and year on your menu cards as a memento of the celebration.
My husband, and two other darling friends, share a similar birth date in April with the zodiac sign of the Ram, hence the title "Rambunctious Rams!” As our guests adjourn from dinner, often Stuart will create a festive firework display that can be viewed from the verandah at Fox Hall.
This menu card represents a VERY memorable dinner for me at Dr. and Mrs. Paul R.C. Sullivan's stunning home. I was seated next to Jerry Franklin, the CEO of Connecticut Public Television. How serendipitous! Jerry and I ended up creating a pilot TV episode in that very same house, which led to my television series. This menu card is a “keeper!”
These are two royal invitation images I found:
Grandmillennials:
Menu cards, without the menu, can also be doubled as impromptu note cards.
Remember, as a gracious guest, take responsibility to alert your hostess well before the event date if you have food allergies. Nothing is worse for a hostess than finding out one of the guests is a vegetarian or has allergies after they have been seated at the dinner table!
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Holly