A wedding is a celebration of the couple of honor, of course — but it's also a nostalgic salute to their roots. As such, many couples see their big day as the perfect opportunity to showcase the best food their state has to offer. From sea to shining sea, we spoke to the country's top caterers to pinpoint each state's quintessential dish, ingredient or flavor. Read on to ensure that you treat guests to a true taste of home.

Americans have been enjoying fried green tomatoes since the 1800s, but it was the 1991 release of Fried Green Tomatoes starring Kathy Bates that cemented the fried vegetable in Alabama's culinary identity. For a wedding, give this dish the full Southern treatment by serving them with a classic remoulade sauce and gulf shrimp.

Behold, the Alaskan King Salmon: monarch of the Pacific coastline and state fish of "the last frontier." Just one of them can weigh 20 to 50 pounds and measure 3 to 4 feet long, and they're revered for their decadent buttery flavor. Smoking is the most-popular way to prepare the prized fish, although it's just as delicious grilled, baked or seared.

Beneath its spiny exterior, this desert dweller is pure sweetness. The prickly pear cactus has three edible parts: the pad of the cactus, which resembles a vegetable, the petals of the flowers, which are great in salads, and the pear, which can be treated like a fruit. With a similar taste to watermelon, the fruit can be eaten raw and is often served chilled. Consider treating guests to prickly pear margaritas, or send them home with some prickly pear jelly.