Wedding Food Inspiration

Are you, or is someone you know, planning an upcoming wedding? If so, you know that wedding planning requires a lot of preparation—and can be quite costly. These are some reasons why many soon-to-be-newlyweds are thinking outside the box in regard to details like venue, timing, and catering options, to name a few. Take a look at some recent wedding trends below to get inspired!

According to a recent study by wedding registry website Zola, fall is now the most popular season for weddings. October is currently the most popular month to get married, followed by September and June. In fact, 8 out of the top 10 wedding dates for 2019 are in the months of September and October (the other 2 are in June), with the most popular date being October 12. (Source)

Fall Wedding Vibes

Why has fall overtaken summer as the most popular wedding season? We don’t know for sure…but we have a guess! Perhaps it’s the milder weather, with its not-too-hot and not-too-cold temperatures. Or the gorgeous fall foliage with the changing colors of the leaves into warm and inviting shades of red, orange, and yellow. Or maybe it’s just a feeling—one of comfort, cozied up with a blanket or cup of hot cocoa.

And don’t even get us started on seasonal fall foods! Who wouldn’t want an excuse to serve up some comforting flavors like cinnamon, pumpkin, and butternut squash? (Check out our Warm & Cozy Meal Plan for some fall flavor inspiration.)

Wedding Food Inspiration

Some of the most out of the box wedding trends are occurring in the food department (a pricey piece of most weddings). Take a look through some creative wedding food concepts below to see if they fit your wedding look and feel…and maybe they’ll help your budget bottom line as well!

Food Truck Wedding

Image from ny.eater.com | Shake Shack [Official Photo]

One recent catering trend—not just for weddings but for corporate events, birthday parties, and the like—is to hire a food truck to appear at your event in place of (or in addition to) a traditional restaurant/caterer. Not only is this option very unique, but it gives some added flexibility (and possibly cost savings) versus the more traditional route.

Food trucks have been gaining in popularity in recent years, so there are so many options to choose from. Love burgers? Consider booking the Shake Shack Food Truck for a casual and contemporary dining option. Or if you still prefer a regular catered entrée course, consider renting a food truck for the cocktail hour or dessert.

Picking the right vendor and customizing the menu to suit the bride and groom’s personalities can add a special touch to the wedding reception. The possibilities are endless! You can use a tool like Roaming Hunger, to help you locate the perfect option near you!

Wedding Grazing Tables

Cocktail hour can be an important part of your wedding day festivities. Not only does it help guests stay entertained between the ceremony and the reception (while the wedding party is off taking pictures), but it can also be a great mingling opportunity for your guests who might not know one another.

A fun alternative to the traditional passed hors d’oeuvres is a “grazing table” or party platter type arrangement of micro-appetizers and quick bites.

Check out our Charcuterie Board blog post for a small-scale example, or create a spread of your favorite small plates like the ones below.

Mini Appetizer Ideas:

• Mixed Seafood Canapes
• Fried Stuffing Balls
• Savory Cheesy Bread
• Parmesan Crab Cake Bites
• Mosaic Tea Sandwiches
• Mini Shrimp Rolls
• Apricot Turkey Finger Sandwiches

Serve-Yourself Food Stations

The price of a served, pre-plated meal for every guest at your wedding can add up quickly. Buffets are often a more price-conscious option because they require fewer servers, and they may also offer more flexibility for your guests.

For a trendy spin on the typical wedding buffet, try a DIY-style option with mix-and-match meal selections like you would find at a fast-casual restaurant. Depending on the couple’s style, you can choose something more casual like burgers, hot dogs, or barbecue (great for a rustic, countryside wedding!) or as formal as you’d like.

Try these creative options:

• Build-Your-Own Burger Bar
• Hot Dog Toppings Bar
• Brunch Buffet Bar
• DIY Backyard BBQ Platters
• Fondue Station

“His & Hers” Options

One of our favorite wedding trends is “his and hers” recipes, in which both the bride and groom have a custom version of the item being served—whether passed hors d’oeuvres, “mocktails,” or dinner entrees—which are then both offered to guests to choose between. This fun idea adds a flair of the bride and groom’s individual personalities to the meal and lets guests get to know them more.

Here are a few options for presenting your “his and hers” recipes:

1. Offer just these two premade options; you can either do this during cocktail hour where there are still other items to choose from, or list the selections on the wedding invite RSVP cards, asking guests to choose one option for their served entrée.
2. Combine this with the above idea; set up a “build-your-own ___ bar,” then create menu signage showing the recipe for the “his” and “hers” versions of your chosen food (whether burgers, hot dogs, or in this case sliders). This way guests can choose to build one of the preselected options from the provided spread of ingredients, or they can choose to create their own.

Be sure to label which option is which, either through menu signage, or using labelled food picks like the ones shown here.

Bonus: Get a printable PDF version of these “His” and “Hers” flag banners here!

Featured Recipe: His & Hers Wedding Sliders

Our “His and Hers” recipe theme is sliders. These little mini sandwiches made using our Party Potato Rolls are perfect for passed wedding hors d’oeuvres or a buffet-style appetizer table. Since it’s customary at weddings to offer different protein options, especially for the main course, we thought this was a great opportunity. We made one slider with beef and the other with salmon, to offer guests a choice to pick their preference.

Now—these are just examples of what the bride and groom might choose for their go-to slider recipe, so feel free to mix it up to match your style and personal preference. There are so many great options for sliders, from fried chicken to vegetarian alternatives like Portobello mushrooms.

His: Mini Beef and Sage Sliders with Gorgonzola

For a sample “His” slider recipe, we came up with these delicious mini beef burgers blended with Worcestershire sauce, shallot, parsley, and sage for that fragrant fall feel. To top them off, we added spinach leaves and melty crumbles of fresh gorgonzola to up the comfort food level even further.

Try this recipe: https://potatorolls.com/recipes/mini-beef-and-sage-sliders-with-gorgonzola

Hers: Mini Salmon Sliders with Garlic Lemon Aioli

An example of a “Hers” slider recipe is this mouthwatering one of brown sugar and soy sauce glazed grilled salmon, finished off with a savory and vibrant lemon-garlic aioli. These delectable mini bites are a perfect way to incorporate a seafood option into your wedding meal plan.

Try this recipe: https://potatorolls.com/recipes/mini-salmon-sliders-with-garlic-lemon-aioli

For more slider options, visit our Recipes page.

A Final Note:

Each of these ideas—from food trucks to the DIY buffet bars to these His and Hers sliders—work not just for wedding reception meals, but would also be perfect for rehearsal dinners, engagement parties, wedding showers, and the like.

Good luck with the wedding planning, and congratulations to the happy couple!