The rules can be very confusing to those who have not been raised in a highly observant kosher household, and since we’re in an era where more young couples are returning to their faith roots, with strong desires to adhere to the laws of kosher food preparation, having an informed catering expert to guide you is a must.

The rules vary depending on whether you observe Orthodox, Reform, or Conservative Judaism, with further delineations such as Glatt kosher food rules. For instance, Orthodox Jews subscribe to different kosher food rules than Conservative or Reform Jews. Eddie Levy, owner of Signature Creations in Linden, New Jersey (signaturecreationscaterers.com), shows the need for an in-the-know caterer: “We may be in a position where we can’t cook on Saturdays, according to rabbinical law, or we can’t cook before sundown. In December, that would be 5 p.m., and in June, that would be 9 p.m. We don’t mix meat and dairy, there’s no pork…the rules are very involved. We will even go into a kitchen to sterilize the entire facility in case any pork has been prepared there. We have a meat kitchen and a separate dairy kitchen, and we use and prepare only products that have been supervised by a rabbi, under the rules of rabbinical law.”

Your caterer will know and explain to you the ins and outs of every aspect of preparing your menu. For weddings today, this behind-the-scenes rule-honoring leads to a menu that is every bit as upscale and beautiful as any wedding menu served at the top five-star restaurants. “A kosher wedding menu is sophisticated and looks pretty, the epitome of upscale catering,” says Levy, who hires Culinary Institute of America graduates who have been trained in the laws of kosher food preparation. So you’re not limited to traditional dishes such as brisket and chopped liver for your wedding, but rather a vast range of mouth-watering menu options.

Evan Bernstein, owner of Classical Caterers in North Brunswick (classicalcaterers.com) says that the modern conservative Jewish couple wants to incorporate traditional kosher foods with more trendy items. “So they may want the more traditional kishka, stuffed cabbage, and kasha served along with more trendy items like ahi tuna over Oriental slaw, salmon, sushi, and iced martini bars,” says Bernstein.

Your guests will appreciate that you provided the kosher menu options, and they’ll marvel at what a phenomenal job your caterer did in preparing them.