Wedding Food Bar Ideas Your Guests Will Love

Wedding catering trends vary greatly by region, wedding size, and other factors. One thing that remains constant is the cost of feeding guests. This is one of the largest investments a bride and groom make on their wedding day. Because of this, couples typically want to choose dishes that are both economical and memorable. Wedding food bars are a great way to meet both objectives.

Food stations have been popular at receptions for decades. Wedding food bars put a fresh take on this somewhat dated idea. While a party with food stations typically has several options for guests to choose from – such as prime rib, chicken, and pork – a party with food bars typically has one item that can be fixed to the specification of each guest. This plays into one of this year’s biggest event trends: personalization.

Wedding Food Bar Ideas

One of the great things about food bars is that they can be a main feature of your reception or only a small part. A charcuterie board is a great way to dive into this concept, as well as delight your guests. Some other great appetizer food bars include:

Oyster
Veggie
Sushi
Crostini
Guacamole or Ceviche
Fondue
Pretzel
Bacon

Food bars aren’t just for appetizers. They can also be used for your sides, and even the main course. Spice up your meal with one of these ideas:

Mac and Cheese
Slider
Potato (mashed or baked)
Taco
Pasta
Salad
Biscuit
Fries
Pizza
Grilled Cheese

Dessert Food Bar Ideas

One of the easiest places to implement a wedding food bar is on the dessert table. Allowing guests to create their own after-dinner treat offers more options than just cake and creates a memorable experience they are sure to enjoy! A few dessert bar ideas include:

Donut
Cupcake
Hot Chocolate
Popcorn
S’mores
Ice Cream or Frozen Yogurt
Waffle
Snow Cone

Whether you choose to go all out with a wedding food bar or simply want to dabble in the trend, there are a few things you should keep in mind.

First, ensure that someone is tasked with refilling items as they run low. Having a potato bar that runs out of sour cream or a cupcake bar with no sprinkles is fun for no one.

Second, consider the timing. Certain items – like raw oysters – may need to be put up at a certain point in the night to avoid spoiling. A dessert bar may not need to be set up until the reception is well under way, so that items don’t melt.

The main thing to consider with wedding food bars is the amount of food you will need. How many sliders will guests eat? How popular will each kind be? How much bacon might they need for a mac and cheese bar? Will guests prefer gruyere or gouda? All of this depends on your guests, and no one knows them better than you.

No matter how you choose to serve food at your reception, Hicks has the equipment and décor needed to beautifully and efficiently stage your catering. Contact an event specialist today to learn how we can help you with your special day!

Looking for more food bar ideas? Try one of these!