If you don’t care to serve the fancy plated dinner, then don’t. Wedding food has switched from the typical plated meal to a reception filled with food stations and a selection of several foods. When considering a stylish food option, think about your own preferences, your guests’ taste preferences — and your budget. You should also consider the time of the reception and how eager the guests will be.
Downsize to Minis
Guests love picking up bite sized minis. Food items like a cheeseburger slider that they can eat in one bite. Mini sized tasters have become one of the hottest trends in wedding food, from shots of soups to large spoons of macaroni and cheese or whatever you prefer.
Comfort Foods
Dress up conventional comfort foods. Mashed potatoes look absolutely stylish at a martini potato bar. Guests create their own potato mixture in a martini glass and get both a side dish and a conversation piece out of it.
Food Stations
Giving your guests the option of visiting food stations creates a comfortable and informal atmosphere. Guests will enjoy the variety and being able to converse with people not seated at their table. Personalize your wedding by creating a food station that says something about you and your spouse. If one of you loves grits, then feature a grits station with different toppings — anything from cheese to spicy shrimp.
Fondue Station
Fondue isn’t new to weddings but it still feels new and fresh. Provide bread and vegetables for dipping and if you can, offer more than one fondue. Less courageous guests will enjoy a basic cheese offering, such as the traditional Gruyère, while other guests might prefer trying something unusual, such as a goat cheese fondue.
Cross-cultural Cuisine
Marriage is often a fusion of two cultures. Embrace it and create a wedding menu to reflect it. Creating a theme such as East meets West (Asian-Mex food, anyone?) can inspire creative and delicious dishes that will impress your guests. Be sure to talk to your caterer to see what they can create and make sure they can carry out your wishes.
Ordinary Transformed
Many foods can be elegantly transformed into an innovative entrée for wedding guests. Instead of serving the traditional filet of fresh fish, have the chef serve it as stuffed roulade medallions.
Sushi/Raw Bar
A sushi/raw bar will please the most health-conscious guests, but these can be expensive. This option is not recommended for couples who are on a tight budget.
Eco-Friendly Fare
This can run up the price tag of your wedding if you want all-organic, cage-free, wild-caught items. But there are ways to be eco-friendly and stick within a budget. Look to local, seasonal foods as inspiration for your menu, which require less gas to transport, lessening your wedding’s carbon footprint. Some farms practice green approaches to growing food, yet haven’t completed the process of becoming organic-certified. They tend to have lower prices than certified organic farms; your caterer may be familiar with these suppliers.
Nix the Cake
While cutting the wedding cake may be a tradition, don’t let it box you in if you’re more of a creme brulee kind of girl. You can serve whatever type of dessert you like at your wedding, whether that’s individual cobblers, milkshakes at a milkshake station, or an array of cookies and candies at a sweets table.
Original Article on DexKnows Weddings
