Generally the first thing served is antipasto and it includes such delicacies as stuffed mushrooms, olives, salami, pickled peppers, calamari and mortadella. Italian receptions include many different courses, sometimes as many as twelve to fourteen. There are sufficient amounts of pasta, salads, soups, meats and fruits for everyone. No one goes home hungry after an Italian wedding reception; in fact it’s generally the other way around- most people feel as if they might burst upon leaving. Wine is available at dinner and so are a variety of other beverages. Symbolic foods that are a part of every Italian wedding celebration because they bring good tidings include twists of fried dough, powdered with sugar called bow ties (also known as wanda) and Italian wedding candy.
Dessert Course
The dessert course includes an array of decadent delights such as pastries, cakes, fruits and as much coffee as a person can drink. Of course there is also wedding cake to enjoy. A Viennese Table is often presented in Sicilian customs to usher in the dessert course, filled with mouth-watering treats. There is a special name for this- Vienna Hour.
Interesting to note about the wedding cake is that in some areas of Italy, no cake is served. Instead, at each place setting guests are treated to decorative boxes or tulle bags filled with sugared almonds. This is thought to adequately portray the wedding or what is also known as the “union of bitter and sweet.”
Spoken at every wedding after many glasses of wine are the words- “Evviva gli sposi”, which translated to English means “hurray for the newlyweds.” The words always bring about applause, enthusiasm and much excitement and can be heard uttered many times throughout the wedding reception.