Is 2018 the year you’ll be getting hitched? Do you already have every last detail planned out or are you still deciding what your day will look like, where it will be and the little things like what you’ll eat and drink?
Since catering is the third biggest Big Day spend and drinks the fifth (according to research by Hitched.co.uk) the food you treat your guests to can eat up a large chunk of your overall wedding budget. In 2017, the average number of day guests attending weddings across the UK was 79 with that number rising to 104 for evening guests. So, if you don’t fancy a formal sit down three-course meal, what are your food options? Let’s look at some of this year’s wedding catering trends…
DIY Food serving stations
No, we’re not talking about preparing the sandwiches or baking cakes for your own afternoon tea or even having your guests bring dishes for a potluck buffet. Right now, the DIY trend in wedding food is centred around interacting with your guests. This could be in the form of a stand where you load your own tacos or even mix your own welcome cocktail as chosen by the special couple. DIY stations can be decorative and as a bonus they can also entertain your guests while you’re otherwise engaged, providing personalisation to your menu too. Adding one or two stations like this can be really fun, but as this Vogue article warns, go overboard and you might find your floor clogged up with queues or leave guests feeling like they’re on a budget all-inclusive holiday.
Brunches for breakfast
It’s taken us Brits a bit of time to warm up to the idea of brunches in general but now we’re all on board with the concept of bottomless Prosecco and sushi served before lunch, we may well see more people swapping the traditional wedding breakfast for brunch. Serving up pancakes, omelettes and pastries along with mimosas and Bloody Marys is already a big trend in America where it’s long been a strategy used to cut costs for daytime dining. If you’re having an early ceremony, you could even choose to serve up a local Full English with all the trimmings. What could be more refreshing than pots of Earl Grey tea served alongside glasses of fizz?
Casual comfort foods
What’s your all time favourite meal? Does fried chicken and mac and cheese float your boat? Perhaps a hearty stew with dumplings gets your mouth watering every time? According to CBS serving up comfort food instead of fine dining is on the up over The Pond and it’s something that’s certainly catching on over here too. If you’d like to sit your guests around a table so they can mix and mingle but would prefer to keep things casual, dishing up some special favourites family style can prove to be a popular and surprisingly inexpensive option. Whether you love a big pan of paella or a sponge pudding with lashings of custard, sharing your most loved dishes with family and friends will put your personal stamp on the day.
Hosting an outside wedding?
You don’t need to opt for a barbecue or cold picnic. Why not lay out picnic blankets and baskets filled with flasks or thali style pots? Don’t forget to include cutlery for your guests like these cute and practical wooden cutlery sets. If you want to make it even more informal, having one or several street food trucks cater your wedding is becoming much more common. Thankfully, there are also lots more of these types of catering businesses around, which means no two festival-inspired wedding menus need be alike.
Deferring dessert decisions
While the MailOnline has said the donut wall is done and edible place cards are officially in, if you’re more of a fan of Krispy Kremes than traditional desserts, ignore the naysayers! In recent years cupcake and macaron towers have signalled a move towards self serve miniature desserts and now the dessert table – featuring several choices – is definitely in. Let’s face it, deciding which dessert to have is sometimes just too difficult so this trend is a winner for those with a sweet tooth.
Is what you’re eating a big priority or more of an afterthought for your big day? Have you (or did you) opt for something formal or casual?
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