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There’s a moment near the end of a wedding reception when guests lean back in their chairs and say, “I have never eaten like that at a wedding.” We hear it constantly here at The Waterfall, and it never gets old. If you’re trying to understand what a Delaware wedding venue actually puts on the table, here’s your honest answer.
A four-course wedding dinner at The Waterfall includes a soup or salad, a plated entrée, a wedding cake, and an expansive dessert buffet, all following a cocktail hour with over 30 hors d’oeuvres and multiple food stations. It’s part of an all-inclusive experience designed to deliver a full evening of dining, from the first bite to late-night desserts.
A Four-Course Dinner Is Only Part of the Story
Most couples come in curious about the seated dinner; that’s fair. But before a single entrée arrives, your guests will have spent a full cocktail hour working through more food than they’ve seen at some entire weddings. Knowing how the evening flows from cocktail hour through dessert helps you plan smarter and feel genuinely confident on the day itself.
The Cocktail Hour
We don’t pass a handful of bites and call it a cocktail hour. Ours includes more than 30 different butlered hors d’oeuvres, ranging from baby lamb chops and mushroom stuffed with crabmeat to scallops wrapped in bacon and raspberry and brie tart. Running alongside those is the Toscano Table, a full included spread with caprese salad, an artisan meat board, fresh seafood salad, hummus, grilled vegetables, bruschetta, and more for your wedding dinner.
Then come the attended stations. You’ll choose from a pasta station, Pan Asian, South of the Border, carving, ravioli, smokehouse, Korean barbecue, and several others. For couples celebrating with guests from specific cultural backgrounds, we also welcome outside caterers, especially for Indian weddings and other niche cultural traditions.
The Four-Course Meal for the wedding dinner
First: Soup or salad. You’ll select one for the table from options like Italian Wedding soup, butternut squash, and Tuscan minestrone, or composed salads like the Bosc Pear Tart, served over mixed field greens with chopped pear, candied pecans, craisins, and citrus vinaigrette. Or the Watermelon salad with honey goat cheese and honey balsamic vinaigrette.
Second: The entrée. Some of our most popular selections include the Champagne chicken, a French cut breast topped with spinach, mushrooms, prosciutto ham, and Boursin cheese finished with a champagne honey and grape beurre blanc, and the Isabella, chicken wrapped in bacon with a shallot and scallop cream sauce. For those preferring beef or seafood, the options are equally considered. The Chateau Briand delivers sliced filet mignon with a port wine demi glaze, artichokes, and cipollini onions. Seafood choices include the Filet of Scottish Salmon in four preparations and the Bronzino Acqua Pazza. Vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options are available throughout. We use high-quality produce and meats and source ingredients locally whenever possible.
Third: The wedding cake. Your tiered buttercream cake is handcrafted by one of our trusted partner bakeries and included in your package. We recommend contacting them a minimum of four months before your wedding date for your tasting and design consultation. Cake flavors span vanilla cream, red velvet, lemon raspberry, mint chocolate chip, carrot spice, and more. Fillings include raspberry, Bavarian crème, cream cheese, and others.
Fourth: The dessert buffet. The dessert buffet is where the evening takes its second wind. The Viennese Table alone covers white and dark chocolate mousse, individual tiramisu, crème brulee, and Belgian chocolate torte. It’s joined by a staffed Flambe Station with bananas foster, a Belgian Waffle and Ice Cream Sundae Station, a Chocolate Fountain, a Cheesecake Bar, and an International Coffee Bar with cappuccino, espresso, and liqueur options.
What Comes With Your Booking
Our all-inclusive wedding packages include catering, customized lighting, and a handcrafted wedding cake. You choose a photographer, a DJ, and a florist. On the day, a dedicated bridal attendant, captain, and Maitre D’ are with you throughout, plus valet and coat check services.
Ceremonies take place in our outdoor gardens with marble water fountains, a gazebo, and a bridge, or indoors if the weather calls for it. The Grand Ballroom holds up to 500 guests, the Cascade Ballroom up to 325, and the full property accommodates up to 800.
Conclusion
Your guests will talk about the food of your wedding dinner, chandeliers, marble dance floor, and staff who anticipated every detail before you had to ask. At The Waterfall, that’s the standard, not the exception.
If you’re planning a wedding in Delaware and want to see exactly what an all-inclusive experience looks like from cocktail hour to the last dance, we’d love to walk you through it.
Download our Wedding Pricing Guide or call us at 302.792.2600 to start the conversation.
FAQs
How far in advance should we book?
As early as possible, especially for peak-season Saturdays. Past couples have booked more than a year out. Contact us to check your date.
Does The Waterfall allow outside caterers?
Yes. We welcome outside caterers, particularly for Indian weddings and other niche cultural traditions. Reach out to discuss your specific needs.
What dietary accommodations are available?
Vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options are available across our menu. Contact us to discuss specific guest needs.
Can we hold the ceremony at The Waterfall too?
Yes. We offer outdoor ceremonies in our manicured gardens as well as indoor ceremonies in the reception space if the weather requires it.