Getting through the day without tripping over your dress is great, but providing good food at your reception can be a challenge. Keep your guests well fed with these 2012 wedding food trends.
Comfort nosh
Set up a comfort food buffet late in the evening. Guests will have worked up an appetite on the dance floor and sometimes they get a little peckish, says Vanessa Sinclair, lead wedding planner at Uniquely Exquisite. Poutine, hamburger sliders, mac ‘n’ cheese, nachos, grilled cheese sandwiches and waffle stations are great options for a late night snack.
Always taste the food first and have someone control the portion sizes so there’s plenty for everybody.
Use a shrink ray on your portions
Many weddings are making everything, from the wedding cakes to the entrees, miniature and tapas-style. Miniature-sized portions keep couples from overpurchasing and it also allows the option to cater the food towards some of the guests’ dietary restrictions, says Michelle Garber, owner and event planner of Fab Fête.
Food on wheels
Instead of guests going to the food, the food is coming to the guests. The food truck revolution is bringing options like donuts, cupcakes, grilled cheese and smoked meat sandwiches on the go. So, weddings are hiring food trucks to stop by their reception venues. If you’re using a wedding planner, ask them what options are available.
If you’re bringing an outdoor vendor such as an ice cream truck, make sure to get permission from the venue, warns Vanessa.
His and her tables
You’re probably trying to please all your guests, so expand their options. Use his and her food tables to share your favourite foods. Grooms love being part of this! And it allows both partners to introduce their guests to some great food.
Have signature drinks for your guests. “It lets them know who – you are whether you’re bitter-tasting, sour-tasting or what kind of tasting couple,” says Vanessa. “You can tell a lot about a person by what they drink.”
Science meets food
This isn’t huge yet, but wedding planners say they’re seeing more couples express interest in having molecular gastronomy at their wedding. Table stations are set up where guests can witness their food being made through substances like liquid nitrogen for ice cream.
If you are doing this, make sure you realize that it can take some time for people to be fed since there could be a lineup for the food, says Michelle. Also, some guests might not feel comfortable trying the new cuisines.
Fusing cultures
Serving food from different cultures is becoming popular as more and more couples from different backgrounds tie the knot. Some cuisines fuse better than others and if you do merge foods of different cultures make sure to consider what you think guests from both cultures will enjoy.
Photo courtesy of Bucket and Whisk
