If there’s one thing that can make or break a wedding for a guest, it’s the food. When guests travel far and wide to dedicate a day—or weekend—to your celebration of love, a crowd-pleasing menu is a surefire way to make their time enjoyable.
These days, creating a mouthwatering menu is more than just listing two or three options for guests to check off on their RSVP card. As more and more wedding food trends evolve, such as the decline of the sit-down dinner, the rise of the brunch wedding, and the increase of couples looking to personalize their catering, many weddings are bringing a unique and memorable dining experience to the mix.
Our favorite way to do this? Food bars. Whether at the cocktail hour or during the reception, we love the customization and choices that a hearty food station presents, not to mention the interactive experience it evokes, enabling guests to mix and mingle even more.
And the options are endless! For a brunch wedding, you can’t go wrong with a bacon bar or waffle bar (with choice of toppings of course). For Southern nuptials, we love an old-fashioned biscuit bar with flavored jams or a pie station. Cheese and charcuterie stations, as well as a raw bar, have a timeless and universal appeal, while popcorn bars, ice cream stations, and hot cocoa bars bring a whimsical touch. These ideas don’t need to be confined to appetizers and/or the main course—use them in lieu of the cake for a non-traditional feel. Can anyone say donut bar or cupcake station? We’re all about the sweets.
No matter which foods you want to specialize, the trick to nailing a delicious food bar is providing different flavors or varieties of what’s on display. That way, there’s something for everyone. Take a look at these ideas for some inspiration.
See more: Your Wedding Meal is Way More than Just Something to Eat
Photo by Apryl Ann A cheese station is a must-have for cocktail hour. Designate each cheese type with a hexagonal marble tile, like this layout does, and pair it with cider to wash the cheese down.
Photo by Cat Mayer Studio Wedding cakes are so yesterday—a cupcake table is a decadent way to up your sweets game
Photo by O’Malley Photographers An oyster bar is the perfect touch to a luxe and elegant wedding, especially one with coastal charm.
Photo by Mullers Photo We can’t think of a better complement to a farm-style wedding than a vibrant veggie bar stocked with everything from broccoli to carrots to beets for healthy snack munchies.
Photo by Jessica Fleurent of YTK Photography This pretzel bar is made complete with the choice between the classic twist pretzel and pretzel bites, with decadent dips to dunk them into.
