Wedding food ideas: inspiration for your reception menu
Planning the food you’ll serve at your wedding is just as important as the décor and location and, naturally, it has to match the theme.
If you’ve gone for a classy, minimalist look, a formal sit-down dinner will be ideal, but if you’ve decided on a rustic theme, you may find that a buffet-style serving works better. Most importantly, the food on offer has to be something that you enjoy.
Take a look at these traditional and non-traditional examples of wedding food ideas to help you decide what’s right for your special day.
Traditional
Canapés
Bite-sized food is always a hit at weddings. Your guests can sip on champagne, mingle, and enjoy delicious finger food without the pressure of a formal dinner. Serve hot and cold canapés and go as fancy (or not) as you like with them.
Canapés don’t just have to be a precursor to a larger meal either. If you go for bitesize burgers, sandwiches and other filling morsels, your guests can fill their stomachs before filling the dancefloor without breaking the flow for a sit-down dinner.
Breakfast
It used to be popular to have a wedding ceremony first thing in the morning, so the first meal you would have with your guests would be breakfast. This was particularly popular in the Regency era, so if that’s your chosen wedding theme, you already have a ready-made idea for food.
This doesn’t mean you have to serve a Full English at your wedding, although if that’s your style, why not? You can also go elaborate and serve three courses just as you would a dinner. Start with yoghurt or cereal, have something warm for the main, and then finish on something sweet like fruit or pancakes.
Three-course meal
Possibly the most traditional food option for a wedding. With a three-course meal, the possibilities are almost endless. You can pick your menu based on a specific cuisine, combine cuisines, or have three mismatched dishes purely because they’re your favourites.
For a traditional space to match, look no further than Crewe Hall Hotel. The Grand Library is the perfect space for a grand reception and with a stunning 17th century chapel too, it’s no wonder that the Cheshire hotel has been recognised as one of the most recommended venues in the country in the Hitched Wedding Awards 2024.
Non-traditional
BBQ
Having a BBQ at your wedding may seem a little bit risky - someone will no doubt end up with sauce on their outfit - but it’s also a great way to feed lots of people with minimal effort. Depending on the size of your wedding, you may even want to go for a hog roast over regular BBQ fare.
‘Build your own’ bar
Rather than worry about whether all your guests are going to like the food you’ve chosen, why not give them the option to build their own plate? Offer a ‘build your own’ bar of food like pizza, sandwiches or pasta - the components are easy to buy in bulk and can be assembled easily by guests.
If you decide on pizza, you’ll need to hire a pizza oven and someone who knows their way round it to do the actual cooking. If this sounds like your vibe, you’ll love having your special day at Belton Woods Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort, our Lincolnshire gem is tucked away in acres of woodland perfect for photoshoots, mingling, and with enough space for your food bar.
Food trucks
Want more variety than a formal dinner or buffet? Food trucks are the way to go. Whether you hire just one, three, or even ten, your guests will have a variety of food to choose from. There are even food trucks that specialise in desserts - ideal for keeping your guests with a sweet tooth happy.
Cheltenham Chase Hotel has space for up to 200 guests, and 15 acres of outdoor space, so you’ll have plenty of room to hold your ceremony and reception, place space for the food trucks.
Other things to consider
The main thing you need to consider - aside from the actual choice of food - is the dietary requirements of your guests.
Ensure your catering choice provides options for vegetarians, vegans, pescatarians and those that only eat halal or kosher foods. It’s important to ask if they can cater for your guests with allergies too, make sure there are substitutes for all the main dishes, so nobody feels like an afterthought.
A good way to keep track of any requirements is by asking when your guests RSVP. That way you’ll have all the information you need to start planning your catering.
Budget
On average, catering accounts for around 20-30% of a total wedding budget. However, the actual price of catering almost entirely depends on how many guests you have. If you have over 200 guests, you’ll likely find yourself spending more on catering than if you have only 40 guests.
If you don’t have a large wedding budget, it’s fairly easy to work around that to still have delicious food at your wedding. Many non-traditional food options (food trucks, BBQ etc) are much less expensive than a traditional three-course meal, making them the ideal option for a wedding on a budget.
Food that fits your theme
The type of food you serve will also depend on the overall theme of your wedding. If you’ve gone for a minimalist theme, canapes or a formal meal is the best match for this. If you’re going for a rustic theme, a BBQ or food trucks are a better fit.
Check out all the wedding venues in The QHotels Collection to find the perfect one for you.
