Wedding Catering Trends
WHAT’S NEW WITH CATERING
Feast On The Future
Unveiling the Hottest Wedding Catering Trends 2023
From buffet-style catering in the nineties to miniature desserts in the noughties, wedding catering is constantly evolving. As a leading Melbourne-based caterer and events company, we take great pride in always staying on top of the latest wedding catering trends. With 2023 coming to an end, join us in looking at this season’s most captivating catering trends to make any wedding guest smile and your mother-in-law content.
Elevated Dining Experiences: Interactive Wedding Food Stations
Wedding guests today no longer want to sit down and eat. They want to be up and about, cocktail in hand, exploring new tastes, and mingling with other guests. From grazing to charcuterie and everything in between, we’ve seen a significant increase in interactive food stations this year, with their popularity only set to grow for 2024 weddings.
Picture this: A Butcher and Baker station where guests can carve their smoked brisket and hand-forged sourdough buns. Are you a lover of the finer things in life? Check out this Oyster Bar we created for Katia and Will’s summer wedding in Portarlington, complete with an abundance of Oysters and NC chum. Food stations are a great way to impress guests and a fun way to get people on their feet!
Image: Katia & Will, External Catering, Portarlingon
Decadent Dessert Displays: From Macarons to Marshmallows
No night is complete without some sweet treats to top it off! While cakes are a traditional staple, extravagant dessert displays stole the spotlight in 2023.
Need some inspiration? Check out this green and pink colour-blocked dessert station we created for the 2022 Victorian Racing Carnival. From pastel macarons to bright pink marshmallows and miniature cakes to super cute cake pops, this green and pink dessert station wowed the guests.
Are you looking for something a bit more DIY? We love it when all our brides and grooms request a DIY Pavlova Station. A carefully decorated table filled to the brim with meringue, berries, cream, and more! It is super simple but oh-so-fun and interactive.
Image: Kennedy Marquee, Victorian Racing Carnival 2022
Catering to All: Inclusive Menus for Dietary Needs
Gluten-free, vegan, kosher, and more: It’s essential to cater to everyone at your wedding to ensure your guests feel welcome. A good wedding caterer should be skilled at customising their wedding menu for dietary requirements and food allergies to ensure that no one is excluded from the culinary experience on your special day. From diverse cuisines to creative twists on salads and innovative side dishes, inclusive wedding menus are all the rage right now, and we believe they’re here to stay.
We love this Kosher-friendly “Double Cheese & Bacon Burger” we made for a Kosher event we held in 2022. The burger featured vegan cheese and “fake-con” (fake bacon), which gave our guests the rare delight of indulging in a classic staple that’s usually off-limits.
Image: Kosher-friendly “Double Cheese Burger”, Hamer Hall
Signature Sips: Colourful Cocktails and Mocktail Bars
Signature cocktails are currently setting wedding catering trends ablaze! They add a personal touch to your wedding reception and provide a unique experience for guests to remember. With skilled mixologists joining the wedding catering scene, couples now have the opportunity to curate a selection of signature drinks that perfectly complement their wedding theme and reflect their personalities.
Think of colours to complement your bridesmaid dresses or garnishes to match the bouquets perfectly. And it’s not just the alcoholic concoctions that can impress; cater to your non-drinking guests with a fully-stocked mocktail bar offering a range of sophisticated sweet sodas and refreshing beverages.
Image: Rhubarb Sour, Kennedy Marquee, Victorian Racing Carnival 2022
From LA to Vietnam: Fusion Menus with Travel Influence
Fusion is in, and it’s here to stay. Today, couples look beyond traditional cuisines like Italian and French for their wedding menus. Instead, they’re inspired by their travel experiences (mixed in with a little tradition to please the family, of course).
Our 2023 Brides and Grooms are reminiscing about their summer in Athens or their winter in Kyoto and incorporating global flavours and tastes into their wedding spreads to enhance the foods they know and love and create something unique for their big day.
Think Mexican-French dishes, Indian-Mediterranean blends, and Thai-Italian bites. Let your guests immerse themselves in your past adventures and create a culinary experience that has something for everyone.
Image: Mapo Crispy Tofu and Green Beans, External Catering
Small Bites, Big Impact: Instagram-worthy menus
In the age of social media, nothing elevates a wedding quite like the inclusion of Instagram-worthy canapes. These bite-sized treats add flair and colour to the wedding menu and are also elegant to consume, keeping you photo-ready at any point of the event!
From Hot Smoked Salmon Parfait with Dark Rye Cracker Dill and Lime Gel to Prawn Remoulade and Chorizo Tart with Chimichurri, serving up beautiful canapes to your guests has never failed, generating plenty of likes and comments in real life and online!
Image: Canapes, Carousel
Textures and Presentations: Creating a Visual Feast
A feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds, creating a visually exciting feast, is trending in 2023. Textures and the way food is presented to guests play a vital role in creating a memorable dining experience for your guests.
From florals to purees, there are countless decorative possibilities to make your food look out-of-this-world impressive. Collaborate with your caterer and your event coordinator or planner to elevate your dishes with elegant garnishes, customised plates and cutlery, and other creative techniques that will truly captivate your guests’ five senses.
Check out our Chocolate pie with oatmeal caramel we created for the Porche and Zagami marquees at the F1 Grand Prix this year. creamy, crunchy, and visually stunning!
Image: Porsche & Zagami Marquee, F1 Grand Prix 2023
Mini Wedding Cakes and Unique Alternatives
Say it with us: Mini wedding cake!
While wedding cakes remain a popular choice for brides and grooms, we are witnessing a rise in the popularity of mini cakes and a variety of creative alternatives. Perfect for couples who wish to deviate from the traditional-looking cakes and want something uniquely theirs while still sticking to tradition.
Instead of the classic 3-tiered wedding cake, soon-to-be-weds are opting for smaller, more personalised cakes that would make any Pinterest board proud!
Image: Megan & Marcus, Half-Acre, Taken by @jessicaabbyphotography
Vintage Charm Meets Modern Cuisine: Retro-Inspired Menus
Add a touch of retro glamour to your special day by serving up retro-inspired wedding menus to elevate your dining experience and serve up a feast your guests will remember! From classic dishes to menu options such as Beef Wellington or Chicken à la King, there are so many classic and delicious food options to choose from, but here are some of our favourites:
Bombe Alaska (Check out this one we served at an event in Hamer Hall last year!)
Deviled eggs
Fondue Station
Vol-au-Vents
Prawn Cocktails
Image: Bombe Alaska, External Catering, Hamer Hall
Conclusion
With these exciting trends in 2023, couples can look forward to a world of endless wedding food ideas when it comes to wedding catering for their special day. From interactive and immersive food stations that engage guests in a culinary experience like never before to travel-inspired fusion menus that reflect your past adventures around the globe.
Imagine your guests indulging in an exciting array of carefully crafted and, more importantly, personalised dishes. When working closely with an experienced and innovative wedding catering company, such as Food and Desire, you have the opportunity to curate a wedding menu that not only tastes good but also showcases your individuality as a couple.
So seize the opportunity to embrace these new wedding trends and create an unforgettable dining experience that will leave a lasting impression on your wedding day. Elevate your guests’ memories and make your wedding party celebration exceptional with a table that reflects a menu that is as unique as your love story.
Ready to plan your dream wedding?
Image: Espresso Martini, External Catering, Toorak
