If you’re planning your wedding, chances are that you’ve already started thinking about the food for it. After all, who doesn’t want to enjoy delicious food on their special day?
The best way to make sure everyone has a great time at your wedding is to have a well-planned menu and an excellent caterer.
But what is included in a wedding catering package? A good question to ask yourself when choosing a caterer is: what exactly do they offer?
Also – mostly importantly – what do YOU want? Are you keen on a traditional wedding breakfast-style sit down meal? Or would you prefer a more casual buffet-style event where your guests can mingle and help themselves?
Do they provide everything from appetisers to desserts? Are there any extra charges? What if you need more than one dish per course?
You may also be wondering how much these services cost? These questions can help you choose the right caterer for you.
But before you ask all these questions, it’s good to have an idea of what you want to serve your guests. Here are 20 catering food ideas for weddings to copy or use to create your own ideal catering plan.
Get Your Hors-d’oeuvres Right
They say first impressions matter and your hors-d’oeuvres aka appetisers are the way to win your guests over.
Start with some tasty snacks like mini quiches, cheese balls, potato chips, olives, nuts, popcorn, etc. These small bites will keep your guests happy while they wait for the main event.
If you’re running on a tight budget, this can be as simple as a few small plates with cheese or crackers. Or, if you’re feeling ambitious, try serving mini pizzas or hot dogs.
After a big meal, dessert is always a nice touch. If you’re looking for a dessert option, consider serving a chocolate fountain or a cake with strawberries.
Or maybe even both? Another idea would be to get a variety of desserts like cookies, cupcakes, cakes, tarts, and more.
It’s up to you, but whatever you decide to serve should be sweet and yummy.
Another great option is to serve a DIY dessert table. Instead of asking for your caterer to serve fancy slices of cheesecake and chocolate souffle, do something simpler.
Ask for them to prepare cupcakes or cookies or even cheesecakes and put them on a buffet for your guests to choose what and how much they want to eat.
Fruit is always a crowd-pleaser, so make sure you include plenty of fruit options at your party. Whether it’s cut fruit or berries, you’ll find that most people love them.
And don’t forget about alcohol either. Fruit juice cocktails or sangria is a classic choice. That counts as food, right?
We are all trying to be healthy in our daily lives but here we are talking about a party – probably the most important one in your life too. So it’s more than okay for you to have a ‘cheat’ day and skip the fruit and salad bars. Especially when it comes to bringing ice cream to the table!
Ice cream bars are a great alternative to traditional ice cream sundaes.
They allow guests to customise their choices. You could also ask your caterer to create a special flavour just for the occasion.
Burger stations are a popular choice for wedding receptions because they offer a lot of flexibility. You can serve burgers with fries or without, add cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, etc. The possibilities are endless.
Plus, you can also use this catering food idea to feed hungry kids who might otherwise go hungry if there isn’t anything else available.
Pasta is one of our favourite foods. It is filling, nutritious, and with so many shapes, sizes and sauces available, it is endlessly versatile.
If you decide to opt for a pasta station, make sure you let your guests know that they should feel free to mix and match whatever kinds of pasta and sauce they like best.
A bucket of oysters is an excellent choice for entertaining. Guests can eat oysters while mingling with each other.
This could be used for any type of seafood you would like to serve, so do not limit yourselves to just one type.
Shrimp Cocktails
Speaking of seafood, shrimp (prawns) cocktails are always s big hit, so why not surprise your guests with some? It might sound a bit old-fashioned to you, but trust us when we say it will most certainly work. So pop them on your food catering ideas for weddings.
If you have Italian roots or are just a big fan of pizza, you can become more creative and get some mini wood-fire ovens installed in the venue – hopefully, we’re talking about an open-air one so that you can still breathe some fresh air.
Letting your guest create their own pizzas is one of our favourite catering food ideas for weddings.
Similar to the Italian nod, if you can’t go a week without having a Chinese meal, then you should bring that to your wedding party.
Ask for the caterer to set up a Dim Sum table, that includes different Chinese small plates that you can either set on the guests’ tables or leave on a buffet. Offer them the freedom to choose whatever they want.
Get some stunning sushi centerpieces for your wedding party and look for a caterer or even hire a chef to create sushi in front of your guests.
What is great with this is that your guests can choose what to add to their sushi roll order and how they want it – maki roll, California roll, hosomaki, etc.
3-Course Meal
Finally, we could not but mention the 3-course meal option for those of you who want to have a more traditional wedding party before hitting the dance floor.
Having a 3-course meal is perfect, especially if you have older people invited, like your grandparents, and you want to offer them a dining experience and make them feel like they’re being taken care of.
When it comes to great places to eat in Australia, the list really is endless. There are so many different restaurants, cafés, and chains to try that you really are spoiled for choice. From Italian food, to Japanese food, to a good ‘ole rump steak, the food options are endless.
This is why I decided to set up my blog, Eatability, to share the best food and drink spots in Australia with as many people as possible. Hi, my name is Dylan Cole, and I moved to Australia five years ago from England, UK.
Through this blog, I will be sharing and recommending some of my favorite places you need to visit, such as where to find the best pizza in Adelaide, and the best bakery in Brisbane. Whatever food you are fancying, I have got you covered!
