One universal thing about weddings is that there will be wedding food. And, in most cases, a lot of it.
Every culture has their own spin on wedding food, but in general, there are ample opportunities to eat. For example, at American weddings, there may be food at cocktail hours, a dinner with a variety of options, dessert, and even late-night snacks. And while it all may seem straightforward, there are decisions to make at every spot food may be found.
The great thing is that with the right caterer, and a little knowledge, your wedding can be filled with food that everyone will enjoy. Now, let’s be clear about wedding food. Most of the time it’s rather forgettable. However, as long as it’s enjoyable to eat in the moment, it’ll be a success. And, as long as it’s available, your guests will be happy.
Guide To Wedding Food: From The First Bite To Last Call
It can be overwhelming to make decisions about what to serve at your wedding, so this post is going to help you out. It’ll go over the main opportunities you’ll have to feed your guests, and tips for each one. Hopefully it helps you make general decisions about your wedding food, and will enable you to feel confident in your choices.
Bon appetite!
THE FIRST WEDDING FOOD: COCKTAIL HOUR
For the majority of American weddings, the first chance that guests get to eat is cocktail hour. Now, I go over how to have a DIY cocktail hour in this post, including why you should have a cocktail hour at all, but I’ll summarize for you.
Essentially, a cocktail hour is after your wedding ceremony, but before dinner. It’s a time that allows your guests to relax into your wedding. They usually have a chance to enjoy some refreshments, and you have a chance to take photos and regroup. Cocktail hours are not mandatory, but they do serve a purpose. And, they are so common that your guests may be expecting one.
Typically, there are two types of appetizers served at cocktail hours, passed appetizers, or stationary. Neither one is wrong, they are all about your budget and personal preference.
PASSED APPETIZERS
Passed appetizers can be a lot of fun.
Just as the name implies, passed appetizers are brought around by servers. The benefit of them is that the food is typically more interesting. The temperature of the food may also match the season you’re in. Because they may come strait from the kitchen, they can be served very fresh and warm. Or, chilled, if that’s what they call for.
The downside of passed appetizers is that they may be more expensive. Having servers walk around with them means that you’ll be paying for that service. Also, some guests may be in a better location to grab the appetizers than others. This means that some of your guests may miss out on the appetizers you deliberately chose for them, while others get to over-indulge.
STATIONARY APPETIZERS
Stationary appetizers can be your basic charcuterie, or cheese board. It could be seafood, veggies, fruit. At some weddings stationary appetizers may even be a self-serve bar, like mashed potato or mac and cheese. As long as it’s stationary, it qualifies.
The great thing about stationary appetizers is that guests know where the food is, and they can help themselves. It’s also easier for any guests with dietary restrictions (which I write all about in this post). This is because they can easily see what’s available, and take what suits their needs. Of course, guests will appreciate signage or information about the food.
The downside of stationary appetizers is that if you only have one space, or station, for the wedding food to be available, it can get crowded. Plus, people tend to overserve themselves, meaning that there is more food waste, and you have the potential to run out of some items.
THE MAIN WEDDING FOOD: WEDDING DINNER
For most weddings, when it comes to wedding food, the main event is often dinner. Now, it doesn’t have to be dinner that you’re serving. It could be brunch, lunch, or anything that works for you. I’ll just use the word “dinner” to refer to the main course.
There are many ways to serve dinner, so I’ll let you know the biggies. It’s important to note that these aren’t the only options, though. But there’s more on that later.
PLATED DINNER
A plated dinner is often also referred to as a sit-down dinner. It’s essentially having your guests eat dinner as they would in a restaurant, with servers bringing their food to them.
For a sit-down dinner, many guests have already made the choice on what they would like to eat, when they returned their wedding RSVP’s to you. At some weddings, guests may be able to order off of a limited menu, but this is less common and depends on your caterer and venue.
Another sit-down dinner option would be to have all guests served the same thing, but there are risks to this. For example, guests with dietary restrictions may need something different. If you go this route, still be sure to ask guests, on your website or insert in your invite, if they have any food restrictions. This will allow you to make accommodations for them ahead of the wedding, rather than them going hungry.
BUFFETS & STATIONS
A buffet, or stations, is where guests get up to get their food. Buffets typically have a row of options for guests to pile on their plates. Stations may be spread out around a room, and have a specific food at each one. For example, one station could serve pasta, another meat, and another mashed potatoes. Some weddings may even have expensive and elaborate stations with sushi or carving options.
The upside of buffets and stations is that guests have the option to eat whatever they want. So, if they don’t like something, they can choose something else. The downside is that if you have too many options guests can easily get overwhelmed. And, buffets and stations are not always accessible. This means that older guests, younger guests, or those who have trouble getting around, will need help to get a plate of food.
FAMILY STYLE
Family style may bring to mind images of Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. And for good reason. It’s essentially eating a meal, like a family would, at a large gathering.
For family style dinner service, one big serving of each dish is brought to each table, and guests help themselves. Guests are able to choose what they’d like to eat, but they don’t have to get up at all. The downside is that tables need to be big enough to hold all the plates and serving dishes. If you don’t plan ahead for this, and you have large centerpieces, room can fill up very fast at the table. It can also be tricky to pass heavy platters around and share the food.
THE SWEETEST WEDDING FOOD: DESSERT
Alright, so after everyone has had appetizers and dinner, there is usually a break from eating and then it’s time for dessert.
Now, historically wedding cake has been the default dessert of choice at most weddings. And it’s still incredibly popular. However, many weddings these days are opting for a dessert bar, or alternative desserts to wedding cake. Let’s go over each option below!
WEDDING CAKE
There are so many great things about wedding cake.
Not only do they taste great, and have a zillion different options as to flavors, size, and style, but they can be a focal point for your wedding. A gorgeous wedding cake can be a piece of art. With the right baker, it can be decorated to match your wedding theme or colors.
The downside of wedding cake is that not everyone likes cake. Plus, they can be expensive. To make a large cake requires skill, and transporting it can’t be taken lightly. Of course, you can DIY your own wedding cake, as is laid out in this post. You can also serve sheet cakes, which are not as expensive or difficult to transport, and can still be visually appealing.
DESSERT BAR
Another popular dessert option is a dessert bar.
A dessert bar can be filled with many different options, or it can have one focal point, like ice cream, and guests can add their own toppings. The great thing about a dessert bar is that they are easy to create yourself, by buying or making desserts and laying them out. Many professionals are available to help create them, too. You could even have some guests bring desserts, if your venue allows for them.
The downside of a dessert bar is that you may feel you’re giving up some wedding cake traditions. It creates quite a photo opportunity when newlyweds cut into a large cake and feed it to each other. And, it may feel awkward to create this scene with something other than cake. So, if you’re okay skipping any wedding cake traditions, and a dessert bar appeals to you, this may be the way you should go.
THE LAST WEDDING FOOD: LATE-NIGHT SNACKS
Ah, the wedding food that has become more and more popular over the years. The late-night snack.
Late-night snacks are not mandatory, and it’s very easy to skip them. However, they are super fun. I wrote all about them in this post, but there are a ton of different items you can serve late night that your guests will love.
Late night snacks tend to be a little unhealthy, and they are meant to appeal to guests who have been dancing and partying for the previous few hours. Common foods that you’ll see here are taco bars, sliders, french fries, or even popcorn. Some weddings may have a food truck arrive to up the ante.
ALTERNATIVE WEDDING FOOD IDEAS
Now that we’ve gone over all the common and traditional wedding foods, let’s explore a few alternatives. Not every wedding is the same, and you may want to try out something else. Here are some ideas that may appeal to you:
- Serve snacks before the ceremony, or drinks for guests to enjoy. This is especially thoughtful if it’s hot out and the drinks or snacks are cool.
- Have an appetizer only, or tapas, cocktail reception, and skip serving a full dinner later on. Just make sure guests know about it, so they can prepare to not have a full dinner.
- Celebrate with a dessert-only wedding. This could be a small wedding, or reception, that only goes for a couple hours. Invite guests to have drinks and sweets with you, and avoid having to serve all the other wedding food.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
As I started off this post with, wedding food is essential. Almost anyone will tell you that the food served at a wedding is important to them. It doesn’t have to be the best meal ever, but it should be fresh, accessible, and served at appropriate times. Don’t let your guests become hangry at your wedding, and they will enjoy themselves even more.
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7 Wedding Budget Myths, Busted!
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