Catering is one of the most practical and easiest ways of reducing stress and burden when it comes to planning and celebrating your big day. The drinks, and foods you serve your guests can make or break your special day, so investing in wedding catering can be your best option. 

A wedding caterer will make sure that the menu will perfectly complement your wedding theme. You can be confident that all the important details will be handled starting from the drinks to the food and decorations in the wedding receptions and more. So, before you choose a date for your wedding, make sure to ask yourself an important question. “Are there reliable caterers near me to help me out?” If yes, then you can proceed to knowing the different wedding catering styles and choose one that will make your big day stand out. 

Outline: 

Different Wedding Catering Styles

Cocktail Hour 

Wedding Ceremony

After-Party

Different Wedding Catering Styles 

Regardless of the style, date, and venue of your wedding, food will be involved. To what extent the involvement is will be up to you.  If you want to make the most of your wedding day and ensure that the needs of guests for incredible food and drinks are attended to, wedding catering is worth investing in. A wedding caterer is skilled, experienced, and engaged in offering an all-inclusive package for your wedding or providing food and drinks in the reception separately. The following are the different wedding catering styles you might want to consider: 

  • Buffet 

Many individuals are quite familiar with buffets. Buffet wedding catering style is where foods are set in large dishes and plated out by the catering staff as guests make their way or move down the line. In a buffet style, options for meals are laid out on long tables. Some servers are on standby, ready to help the guests with what they are looking for and serve them the right amount of food. The number of buffet tables will still depend on the couple’s expected guests. 

A buffet is an all-time favorite. This style costs a bit cheaper than family style or plated meals and guests get to experience added convenience in building their meals and minimizing waste as well. 

  • Plated 

Plated style is one of the most typical catering styles for weddings. Various courses are commonly dished out to properly seated guests all through the dining hour. With this wedding catering style, the diners choose their meals from a limited menu while they remain seated at their respective tables. The caterer, along with the waiters and waitresses, are always ready to serve the guests. This style can give your wedding reception the air of organization and formality that it needs. 

One of the best things about the plated style is that guests can interact and converse comfortably and without interruptions. However, you need to be aware that this can be more expensive, so you must choose your meals or dishes with utmost care. 

  • Family style 

Family style is a catering style bridging full-plated and serve-yourself options. Platters are provided to individual tables and passed around visitors and guests for them to plate their meals. Foods are served in family style, just like having a meal or dinner with family or loved ones. If you wish to create a welcoming and warm atmosphere for your guests, family-style catering can be an ideal option for you. This will not just impress your guests but make your big day more intimate. 

  • Stations 

If you’re into a hip and modern approach to your wedding catering, this style is for you.  This allows guests to be more creative in meal preparation. The guests may take turns in walking through the stations scattered around the wedding venue and each station serves particular types of food. Food stations can stay open for longer hours than buffets and are as gratifying as the plated style. This style is a more creative approach to serving visitors and incorporating the theme of the wedding into the meals. 

Cocktail Hour 

  • Aperitif Bar 

Aperitif Bar is a must-have during your wedding especially since many guests will surely want a drink during this special occasion. Guests can gather around, mingle, exchange stories, and enjoy their drinks in the beautiful setting while being photographed. 

  • Passed Hors-d’oeuvres

Passed hors-d’oeuvres can make your wedding cocktail hour simply the best. Mingling and drinking cocktails is a part of the celebration following the wedding ceremony. With passed hors-d’oeuvres, the caterer often serves small or bite-size versions of the guests’ favorite food size like corn dogs, pizza, sliders, and more. Aside from cocktail drinks, your guests can also enjoy unexpected and surprising food presentations. 

  • Food Stations 

Food stations are also great ideas for your cocktail hours. Food stations are known to combine the best of the different catering styles. Imagine having a chef in every station, plating and customizing dishes or DIY bars where guests are allowed to customize everything. Some of the great food station ideas to enhance your wedding cocktail hour are an Asian station, brunch station, cheese station, taco bar, grazing tables, and more. 

Wedding Ceremony 

  • Self-Service Beverage Stations for Summer Weddings 

Self-service beverage stations are perfect for summer weddings because they keep the guests refreshed the whole time. You can request your caterer to set up stations like this by adding special touches. Self-service allows stocking their own drinks freely and encouraging guests to help themselves. Self-service bars or beverage stations are ideal for small weddings.

  • Hot Beverage Stations for Winter Weddings 

Warm drinks during winter weddings are the best, so it would be great to have hot beverage stations for winter weddings. Many would love this idea or style knowing that there’s a beverage station waiting for them outside your ceremony and greet other guests with a range of hot drinks that can warm them up. 

Wedding Reception 

  • Food Trucks 

Food truck catering can be a great option if you’re serving a hundred or more people. Food trucks can make any wedding day more fun and interactive. Imagine each truck specializing in an array of delicious foods. Through food trucks, you can serve your guests desserts, cocktails, and snacks too. 

  • Cocktail-style Dinner

It is a style where formal meals are served. Cocktail-style dinner allows you to create a ceremony, including meaningful traditions or host a wedding celebration that feels like a grand wedding but for a reasonable price. 

  • Grazing Tables 

Grazing tables can elevate your reception by offering a colorful spread to mingle over and feast. These are not just the latest trends but a rampant dietary staple in the wedding reception scene. You can think of adding grazing tables to your wedding catering. In addition, you can work with professional teams that will solve issues in case they arise. 

  • Dessert Stations

Dessert stations for your wedding catering will surely be one of the top favorites. Guests will surely be impressed and tempted to see tables loaded with chocolate-dipped goodies, caramel bars and Krispies, pretzels, fruit skewers, and more. 

After-Party

  • Pizza 

Pizzas are great options after the wedding ceremony. Professional caterers can work on this aspect to make your wedding reception and your big day more remarkable. Pizza will be a hit since everyone loves this, especially when served with different toppings and flavors. 

  • Grilled Cheese

Organizing a grilled cheese station can be an incredible highlight of a wedding after-party. From grilled cheese and delicious sandwiches to other incredible recipes, guests will surely enjoy this familiar filling and delicious food, and will fuel them to go dancing, drinking, and mingling all they want. 

  • S’mores

S’mores entail a lot of fun and will draw your guests’ attention for sure. These are more than just simple treats and can make excellent wedding foods. Rather than having the usual appetizers, cakes, and cocktails, you can infuse some chocolates, graham crackers, and marshmallows. Contact an expert caterer to help bring this idea to life on your big day. 

Wedding Catering Styles

Conclusion 

Your wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime special event, so you probably want everything to end well or in a way that everybody will remember and cherish. Contact us if you’re considering your event to be catered. We have the best wedding catering services, styles, and food ideas that will make your big day stand out.