Weddings
Rehearsal Dinner Catering in Medellín
Medellin Elite Catering cooks the dinner that opens the wedding weekend, whether that is a quiet table for the wedding party or a welcome party for every guest who flew in. We have catered events across Medellín and Antioquia since 2019, and the night before a wedding is one of the evenings we plan most carefully.
Our clients are couples, parents of the couple and wedding planners hosting groups of 12 to 120 people. Many guests have just landed at José María Córdova, so the menu introduces them to Colombian food in a way that feels generous rather than formal.
From our own kitchen we bring a barrel smoker for asado al barril, a private chef team for small tables and bilingual servers who can explain every dish. One coordinator handles both this dinner and the wedding if you book them together.
- Itemized quotes available
- Bilingual English and Spanish coordinators
Plan your event
Our Rehearsal and Welcome Dinner Catering
Our rehearsal and welcome dinner catering feeds the people who matter most on the eve of the wedding, with food that lets them relax. At a classic rehearsal dinner that means the couple, family and wedding party after the ceremony run-through, while a welcome dinner opens the weekend for every traveling guest.
We plan the evening around arrival times, jet lag and an early night. Service usually starts at 7:00 p.m. and wraps up by 10:30 p.m., so the couple sleeps well and our team has time to reset if we also handle your wedding catering the next day.
Rehearsal Dinner or Welcome Dinner?
A rehearsal dinner is a small dinner for the wedding party, and a welcome dinner is a bigger, looser party for all guests who traveled. Destination weddings in Medellín often merge the two into one evening.
| Rehearsal dinner | Welcome dinner | |
|---|---|---|
| Guest list | Couple, parents, wedding party, officiant | Every guest who has arrived |
| Typical size | 12 to 30 | 40 to 120 |
| Formality | Seated, with speeches | Standing or mixed, mingling |
| Traditionally hosted by | The groom's family in US custom | The couple, or both families |
| Best format | Family-style dinner or private chef | Asado, stations or a cocktail buffet |
Merging them saves a night and lets guests meet before the wedding. Keeping them separate suits couples who want speeches in a small, quiet room.
A Taste of Colombia for Arriving Guests
A welcome dinner is the best moment to introduce foreign guests to Colombian food, because nobody expects formality yet. We build the menu around Antioquian classics that travel well from our kitchen to the venue: bandeja paisa served as small tasting plates, chicharrón, frijoles antioqueños, maduros and hogao.
An arepa and empanada station gives guests something hot to hold while they find each other. Our cooks griddle arepas de chócolo with fresh cheese and fry cocktail empanadas on the spot, served with ají.
A fruit bar is often the surprise of the night. Lulo, maracuyá and guanábana juices, alongside sliced pitaya and mango, introduce flavors most visitors have never tried. For an aguardiente tasting, our bartender pours stamped bottles with and without sugar, plus a tamarind or lulo cocktail for guests who prefer it mixed.
Formats That Keep the Night Relaxed
The three formats that suit a night-before dinner are an asado, a family-style dinner or a private chef tasting menu. Each keeps the pace easy and leaves room for toasts.
An asado al barril is our most requested welcome dinner. We slow-cook pork ribs, chorizo and beef in our barrel smoker for about three hours, then carve on boards with yellow potatoes, arepas, guacamole and salad. Our team arrives 2 to 3 hours before service to set up the carving boards, the buffet and the tables.
Family-style dinners put shared platters down the middle of long tables, which gets two families talking. For 12 guests or fewer, a private chef cooks a four or five course tasting menu in front of the table, a format that fits a rehearsal dinner for parents and the wedding party.
Staffed dinners start at 15 guests, so a rehearsal dinner of 12 or fewer is booked as a private chef evening instead. Welcome dinners for smaller groups can also draw on our dinner party catering menus.
Locations Near the Wedding Venue
The best location is close to where guests sleep, since most will arrive tired and many will not want a long taxi ride. Hotel terraces in El Poblado work well for groups staying around Parque Lleras and Provenza, and venues in our catering in El Poblado zone sit 20 to 35 minutes from our kitchen.
Rental villas in the Envigado and Las Palmas hills give a private setting with views across the valley. If guests are staying near a finca in Llanogrande or Rionegro for the wedding, hosting the welcome dinner at the same finca removes a transfer and lets the planner walk the ceremony site with the families.
Inside residential towers, a dinner in the salón social needs approval from the building administration under Ley 675 of 2001. We send our staff list and van details ahead so the portería has them on file.
Questions and answers
Rehearsal Dinner FAQs
Can the welcome dinner be at our rental villa?
Yes, rental villas are one of the most common places we cater welcome dinners. Our cooks need a clear counter of about 2 m, running water, two standard power outlets and parking close to the door for the van. We bring chafing dishes, tableware and food in insulated carriers, so the villa kitchen only needs to be clean and accessible.
Should the rehearsal dinner menu differ from the wedding menu?
Yes, and we recommend it strongly. Guests eat both meals within 24 hours, so repeating a main course feels flat, and a relaxed format the night before makes the wedding dinner feel special by contrast. Many couples go casual and Colombian on the first night, then formal and plated at the reception.
Reserve your date
Book the Night Before the Wedding
Tell us where your guests are staying and how many will arrive in time, and we will propose a menu and itemized quote within 24 hours. You can also email info@medellincatering.com.
- Itemized quotes available
- Menus, staff, tableware, setup and cleanup in one quote
- Food-handler certified team and labeled allergens on every tray
- Monday to Saturday
- 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
- Sunday
- Closed (events still run)