As planners, we love food and we will never say no to a food tasting appointment with our couples. From weddings we’ve planned to trends we’ve seen in the industry, we’ve made a list of our top 10 unexpected food ideas you can incorporate for your wedding. If you’re looking for more options or simply need assistance with your wedding planning journey, then contact us here – we’d love to help and get to know you better!
1. Churro Bites
Having a traditional Spanish or Portuguese wedding? Looking to incorporate unique dessert ideas? Or wanting to simply wow your wedding guests? If so, opt for the delicious fried-dough pastry – churros! You can get creative and serve churros in cups full of Nutella, shot glasses full of fruit, or go grand and have a churro station. No matter the format, the guests at your wedding will be impressed with this sweet, sugary and unexpected dessert.
2. Grilled Cheese Bites
Are you having a destination wedding and looking to make your guests feel at home? Or are you hosting a winter wedding and wanting your guests to feel warm? No matter the wedding type, what better way than to serve one of the most desired comfort foods on the planet? Grilled cheese! Impress your guests by serving grilled cheese in a bite-sized form with tomato soup shooters. This is a great way to take a classic, home meal and serve it in a stylish, modern format for your wedding.
3. Snow Cones
Are you hosting an outdoor wedding in the middle of August and looking for ways to keep your guests cool? Why not serve an unexpected dessert like snow cones during cocktail hour? Ice shavings topped with flavoured sugar syrup will not only keep your guests hydrated, but keep them on a sugar rush as well! Impress your guests by incorporating flavours that resemble the colours and style of your wedding.
4. Mini Tacos
Whether you do-it-yourself or hire a professional vendor, tacos are a delicious yet unexpected meal for your guests. They can be served as minis during cocktail hour or as a station during the late-night. If you are serving a taco station for your late-night hour, get creative and offer a variety of selections from asada, pescado and barbacoa. Taco ‘bout a party! No matter what, tacos are overall crowd pleasers and will definitely leave your guests impressed.
5. Cronuts
Looking to have an Instagrammable-worthy food idea for your wedding? Try cronuts! Haven’t heard of this sugary, pastry delight? It’s half croissant and half doughnut! Invented by chef Dominique Ansel in New York City, a cronut will definitely attract all of your millennial guests and could even have your wedding become a viral sensation on social media. Give it a try and add this delicious dessert to your dessert spread at your wedding.
6. Wings
Do you enjoy eating wings? Are you a fan of Hot Ones on YouTube? If so, why not combine your love for wings on one of the most special days of your life? Wings are becoming an incredibly popular savoury dish to serve as a late-night option at weddings. And couples are not playing it safe! From all types of flavours including baked pistachio wings and vegan buffalo wings to all different levels of spice, couples are sourcing specialty bars to serve unique wings for their guests. Hop on board with this savoury, unexpected food idea for your wedding!
7. Popcorn
Don’t want to incorporate keepsake wedding favours? Looking for edible favours instead? Unexpected but fun, delicious and colourful, popcorn makes for a great late-night snack that your guests can also take home in cute containers or boxes. Incorporate different flavours from caramel apple to celebration cornfetti and create a popcorn bar that reflects your wedding theme and style. Don’t forget to label the popcorn flavours and provide several scoops so that your guests don’t need to wait in line to dish out their favourite popcorn.
8. Sushi
Who said it’s not possible to serve sushi at a wedding? While this savoury Japanese dish is not a typical sight at a wedding, it’s definitely an unexpected food that can be served in so many different ways. If you want to serve sushi during cocktail hour, you can serve colourful sushi roll platters that make a bold statement, mini sushi bowls that are incredibly fun or deconstructed sushi bites that will leave your guests feeling they’re in an up-scale restaurant. Looking for an interactive option for your guests instead? Opt for a live, make-your-own sushi bar that would be great for either cocktail hour or as a late-night snack station.
9. Pretzel Station
Looking for a salty pairing to your late-night dessert station for your wedding? Surprise your guests with an unexpected pretzel station! You can incorporate flavoured pretzels to gluten-free pretzels so that there are options for all of your guests. Don’t forget to add a variety of sauces including the most popular flavours: BBQ dipping sauce, honey mustard sauce and a beer and cheese dip. Let’s be real, pretzels are super fun and your wedding guests would definitely appreciate this unexpected, but unique food option.
10. Fish & Chips
Looking for a fun but simple food option to serve at your wedding? Not only incredibly delicious, the famous English dish of fish and chips will no doubt be a hit. Fish and chips is not only a comfort food, but it’s also nostalgic that will put your wedding guests in a happy mood. You can serve them in cones for cocktail hour or as a late-night station. If you are hosting a seaside wedding, then fish and chips should be the obvious choice! Fish and chips are an unexpected food option for your wedding, but guaranteed to be a fun one.
