This Year’s Top Catering Trends

Every year certain practices fall in and out of favor within the wedding industry. Here’s a look at what some of our catering clients are asking for in 2010.

Décor: Less is more.

When planning your big day, things can get a bit carried away. Perhaps you really love more than one color or you cannot pick just one theme to follow. In these situations, it is important to remember that less is more.

Lately, the trend has been clean lines and simple design. You can do all clear glass vases instead of colored ones to keep things streamlined. Then just have your flowers speak for themselves. as the centerpiece You may not need candles, favors, candy, cameras, photos, and table numbers. All of these can start to feel like too much clutter. Just keep things simple and your vision won’t get lost in the shuffle.

Colors: No pale pink.

If you are someone who just loves light pink, you can still incorporate those tones into your wedding design. You can use pink as an accent color or (if you are really bold) you can use it as a main color, but the current idea is to have bright, fun colors like fuchsia for your satin style table linens as opposed to pale pink. By optinyg for more vibrant choices, you can make a statement with the colors you use to accent your reception site.

Cuisine: Have lots of different flavors.

Thinking of all the food that your guests will enjoy can be challenging. One solution to this dilemma is to add lots of different flavors in smaller quantities–something along the lines of tapas. This way, you are sure to please more people while presenting a more diverse, memorable menu. You can ask your caterer to add caraway seeds to your dinner rolls to add an unexpected spice note. Consider serving lavender rosemary new potatoes instead of plain potato wedges. Ask your caterer to help you think outside the box when it come to creative food and flavor selections.

Stations: It’s all about the action.

Keep your guests on their toes. Why go the traditional buffet route and have your guests pass by each item one at a time when you can incorporate a themed food station where guests stroll from location to location and fill their plate with that station’s cusine. Each stop can offer a trip around the world with themed stations like an Asian Aisle, The Rockies, a Mediterranean Island, or Mexican Dulces. This way, your guests interact with each other and the culinary team, and the food itself becomes a conversation starter.

Beverages: Back to Basics

As of late, reading the drink list at restaurants can be a bit overwhelming (at some places, the wine list is looking more and more like an encyclopedia). Sometimes, you just want to stick to the basics and go for exactly what you like. If you are of this mindset, you should keep your wedding beverages simple as well.

Recently we have not included soda in our catering packages, instead offering iced tea, water, and lemonade. This has been very popular since it does not cost the bride and groom any more money and it presents a healthier alternative. The same can hold true with your bar. You can have standard mixers for a bar and then beer and wine. Many couples mistakenly believe that you need four specialty drinks and fifteen varieties of beer and wine. However, the truth is that people are not going to remember that you did not have their favorite beer at your wedding–they are going to remember what a great time they had.

Environmental: Go Green.

Conserving the environment has become an issue near and dear to all of our hearts and now, more than ever, there are easy ways for you to be eco-conscious on your wedding day. You can rent china and silverware for your party, which is sanitized at the end of the night and lives to play another day at someone else’s party.

With the bar setup, there are usually a lot of glass and bottles that are empty at the end of the night. Make a recycling station to collect the product, and work out a drop-off arrangement beforehand with Waste Management or your friends. Ask your caterer to help, too–we are always willing to handle the disposal of recycled products for our clients. You can even coordinate with your caterer on setting up a composting bin for the food scraps.

You may also enjoy these posts...

Belly up to the Bar

A Couple’s Guide to Catering Consultations

Color Your Wedding