Whether for your second time around you want to go extravagant, quirky or keep it simple, the wedding meal is often the deciding factor. Gone are the days of the classic chicken or salmon option, now brides and grooms are turning to more unusual options such as tapa-style eating, food bars, and barbecues.
Although catering for a large number of people is, of course, a difficult task, it does not, however, rule out creative or unique options. Whether a winter or summer do, indoors or outdoors, there are plenty of options for all styles of weddings. We have gathered a few ideas for inspiration below:
Food trucks
Having a selection of food trucks or street food vendors at your wedding is a wonderful idea, especially for larger occasions. It can also work for smaller weddings. Food trucks are a wonderful way to add some personal flare. From burritos to oysters, and crépes to dumplings, there is no shortage of food truck ideas.
A Themed Dinner
Assigning a theme to your meal is a great way of not only engaging guests but of also adding a fun touch to an already festive time. Themes can take many forms. You could stick with something simple like a uniform color scheme for your food, or you could be more intricate and base everything around a central narrative, like Alice in Wonderland for example. If you choose the latter, then it’s important that you pay attention to little details – place a Cheshire cat on the table to grin at guests as they walk in; have small bottles of “DRINK ME” labelled wine on the table; desserts could be individual cakes with the words “EAT ME” drawn in icing; place a pocket watch from IWC to represent the famous rabbit’s one on the table of the bride and groom. The only limit to a themed party is how intricate you want to be with your decorations, food, and props. If in doubt, always go for more intense rather than less!
Barbecue
For those in sunnier parts of the world, a barbecue can be a great and casual way to go about your wedding meal. Bear in mind, that a wedding barbecue does not necessarily have to be meat-centric, there are plenty of veggie and fish options. You can even barbecue a whole fish, a seabass for example. There is also the decadent option of a whole hog roast, to really celebrate.
Wood-fired oven
For the pizza-lovers out there, and you are many, the wood-fired pizzas are undeniably delicious and can be quite a social setup too. With a few different stations, everyone could perhaps choose their own toppings and then wait just a couple of minutes until it’s ready. This is also a great opportunity for your guests to mingle and get to know each other – sometimes a 2-hour sit-down meal can be a bit formal.
Tapa-style sharing plates
One of the most disappointing parts of a wedding meal can be the amount of food wasted. With tapa-style sharing plates, everyone can get a taste of everything, but less food goes to waste as people can choose what exactly they want on their plate. These sharing plates don’t necessarily have to consist of Spanish food, you can also experiment with the likes of Asian cuisine, regional food, Mexican, etc.
