Planning a wedding isn’t a small task by any means… from selecting a venue to choosing flowers, booking entertainment and finding the right photographer to capture it all! Then, on top of everything, you are asked to select a menu for all your guests to enjoy. Crafting your menu can be intimidating at first, but it is also an opportunity to personalize your special day.

When planning your wedding menu, from hors d’oeuvres to the reception, bar, and beyond, we hope you gain some inspiration from these wedding food trends that are currently taking the wedding world by storm.

1) Local, Organic, Farm-to-Table Fare

This is a trend that’s hardly confined to weddings! More and more couples are opting for quality over quantity, insisting on locally-sourced, organic food that supports sustainable agriculture and local businesses. Wedding caterers and event venues have gotten wise to the growing demand, and many now offer locally-sourced menu items as a result.

Some couples choose to share their “locally inspired menu” with their guests by noting on their displayed menus where some of the local ingredients are from.

2) Help Yourself Approach

Traditional weddings typically include a full-service dinner, where guests take their assigned seats and the professional wait staff serves their various courses. This is a lovely and classy option for couples who have asked their guests to provide their entrée choice prior to the wedding day.

For the couples, who prefer to allow their guests the flexibility to build their own dinner plate the night of the wedding, a buffet-style dinner is becoming more popular. This option also takes some pressure off of the couple to collect all of the individual entrée choices leading up to their day – one less thing to worry about! The buffet-style dining also offers a more relaxed, casual and social approach to the dinner hour.

First & Oak Kitchen Catering takes pride in the design and presentation of their stationary dinner displays and is always looking for new and exciting “station” ideas!

3) A Brunch-Style Wedding Menu

When most people think “wedding menu” they think of traditional dinner foods, but a lot of weddings are moving toward a more brunch-friendly menu – playing off the “breakfast for dinner” concept. This is due in part to the growing popularity of brunch in general, as well as more couples opting for daytime weddings. In any case, why not forego steak and salad for omelets, waffles, and French toast?

4) Comfort Foods

Many couples are taking an approach that’s more “comfort food” than fine dining. Think burgers and fries, fried chicken, pizza, grilled cheese sandwiches, spaghetti and meatballs, and more—just like mom used to make.

With this trend in mind, couples have an opportunity to expand on the personalization of their wedding menu, by bringing to life some of their favorite foods! Why not incorporate mac & cheese into the menu – by serving a perfect bite size mac & cheese appetizer?

5) Alternative Dessert Options

For decades—if not even longer—wedding cake has meant a tiered yellow cake with white frosting, ornate decoration, and a tiny bride and groom figure on the top.

This classic wedding dessert probably isn’t going anywhere any time soon, but a popular trend these days is taking a more personal approach. Couples are offering doughnuts, macaroons, ice cream, cheesecakes, pastries, cupcakes, and more. These sweet options are endless and they are an easy, fun way to make your wedding just a little more unique. And for those that love dessert, why not have both!?

6) Late-Night Snacks

Although your wedding guests will be plenty satisfied after this delicious dinner you’ve planned for them, there is still likely to be plenty of drinks and dancing to follow. Just the thing to work up another appetite!

Many wedding menus are now incorporating a “late night snack” portion. Something small like sliders, cookies, or other finger foods are ideal—just be sure to keep them close to the dance floor!

7) Craft Cocktails

Beer, wine, and a gin and tonic or two are par for the course at plenty of weddings, but that doesn’t mean there’s no room for something with a little more flair. Consider offering your guests craft cocktails with unique recipes and ingredients – maybe something to reflect the couple’s favorite cocktails or something perfectly designed for the season, such as a lavender spiked lemonade in the Spring or a mulled apple cider in the Fall.

First & Oak Kitchen can accommodate any style for your special day. Give our experts a call to schedule a consultation with our catering team.