Your wedding will be a memorable occasion. Of course, your friends and family will remember the moment that you and your beloved’s eyes meet down the aisle as well as your touching first dance. Your wedding catering is the one element of your wedding that every single guest will interact with. Wouldn’t it be great if they remembered your carefully-chosen menu, as well?
As they are gathered around their tables, give your guests something to really talk about (and toast to): wow-worthy fare that is presented beautifully just for them. Robin Selden of New York’s esteemed Marcia Selden Catering & Events agrees, saying, “Adding creative and specialty food elements or experiences, that will surprise and delight your guests, are what makes a wedding memorable from a culinary perspective. There is nothing that we love to do more at MSC and it’s what sets us apart!”
See below for 54 wedding catering ideas that’ll make your loved ones feel satiated — and, well, loved.
The top catering companies whose work inspired this list of ideas appear below; find the best wedding caterers — and their creative cuisine ideas — near you for the finest that your locale has to offer (organized from east to west):
Boston
Capers Catering
MAX Ultimate Food
The Catered Affair
New York
Abigail Kirsch Catering
Art of Eating Catering
Constellation Culinary Group
CxRA
Deborah Miller Catering & Events
Elegant Affairs Caterers
Marcia Selden Catering & Events
Relish Catering & Hospitality
Thomas Preti Events to Savor
New Jersey
Delivering Experiences
Washington, D.C.
Design Cuisine
Windows Catering
Atlanta
Added Touch Catering
Miami
Déjà vu Sweets
Le Basque
Sensory Delights Catering
Sweet Guilt
Chicago
Amazing Edibles Catering
Boka Catering Group
Entertaining Company
Limelight Catering
LM Catering
Paramount Events
Viola’s Kitchen Catering & Event Planning
Dallas
Wolfgang Puck Catering – Dallas
Houston
Wolfgang Puck Catering – Houston
Phoenix
M Culinary Concepts
Denver
Catering by Design
Los Angeles
Contemporary Catering and Event Production
Good Gracious! Events
Wolfgang Puck Catering – Los Angeles
San Francisco
Foxtail Catering & Events
Tonic Beverage Catering
Weir Catering & Events
But first, see how Foxtail Catering & Events works with a wedding’s entire team of vendors to curate fare and service that matches the mood of the celebration.
Offer Chic Convenience With “Food on the Move”
1. Infuse European Style With Mobile Bites & Bars
Chicago, IL
Mobile bars and serving carts have rolled right into our hearts, and this is one of the most elegant versions that we’ve seen. The creative minds at Paramount Events coordinated this beautiful option to serve bites in style at this lush outdoor wedding.
2. Bring Sweets to Your Guests With A Dessert Cart
Chicago, IL
This trend is definitely one we can roll with: late-night treats on a cart that can be taken wherever guests are, including the dance floor. Entertaining Company curated a mobile dessert cart filled with sweet bites for this classic Chicago wedding.
3. Roll a Donut Bar Onto the Dance Floor
New York, NY
This chic and colorful donut cart from the visionary team at CxRA brings the fun wherever it goes, like at this elegant NYC wedding. Imagine your guests enjoying treats from a fully-decked dessert cart, even on the dance floor.
4. Roving Oyster Shuckers Go Where Guests Are
New York, NY
This garden-inspired wedding featured a mobile oyster-shucker courtesy of the team at Constellation Culinary Group. The take on a roaming raw bar delighted guests (and us).
Evoke Old Memories While Making New Ones With Nostalgic Touches
5. Don’t Wait for Bedtime for Milk & Cookies
Denver, CO
Your guests will be grateful for the comfort of a childhood classic at your elegant affair. We appreciate the clever presentation of these milk and cookies from Catering by Design at this stunning Denver wedding.
6. Your Guests Will Thank You for a Beautiful Bread Station
Chicago, IL
We adore how Boka Catering Group curated a fresh bread station with the most luxurious accoutrements (think sea salt butter, fine extra virgin olive oil, sun-dried tomato chutney, and more) for guests at this magical and glamorous wedding. The spread was situated next to an epic salad station, of course.
7. Casseroles Make a Comeback
Chicago, IL
Amazing Edibles Catering knows when it’s time to create a new trend, even when that memorable moment comes courtesy of a classic home dish. We love how their team curated chic casseroles for this charming Chicago wedding.
8. Surprise With Comfort Food at Elegant Events
New York, NY
There’s no reason you can’t offer all of your down-home favorites at your wedding. Just be sure to elevate your offerings with appropriately-stylish service. We adore how created perfectly-portioned bites for this extraordinary museum wedding.
9. Classic Champagne Towers are Back
Houston, TX
Champagne towers are a luxe tradition at weddings that waned and now are coming back as we’ve entered a new era of the Roaring 20s. It’s not an easy task to successfully execute the pouring of bubbly into a teetering glass tower; you need a skilled caterer like the team at Wolfgang Puck Catering – Houston to make it elegant, festive, and mess-free like at this New Year’s Eve wedding.
Pamper Your Guests With Fancy Fare
10. Bring the “Seafood Tower” to Their Place Setting
New York, NY
It doesn’t get more luxurious than this personal “seafood tower” from Marcia Selden Catering & Events. For a spread this fresh, you’ll want to make sure that you work with a catering team (like Marcia Selden) that works with top local purveyors to deliver bright fare that wows.
11. Make Guests Feel Loved With Luxurious Dishes
Atlanta, GA
The creative caterers on this list long ago overturned the old idea that wedding fare was boring and bland. For example, the experienced team at Added Touch Catering pampered guests with unexpectedly-luxurious bites like caviar and mini beef wellingtons at this timeless summer wedding.
12. Wow Guests With Fine Restaurant-Worthy Fare
Chicago, IL
Guests were required to wear white or black to this urban chic “anti-wedding”. The couple also twisted tradition by working with their top-notch catering team, Limelight Catering, to curate the kind of menu that you only find in the finest restaurants, like curried kobucha squash soup with candied pepitas and Pernod crema.
13. Add Glamour With Gilded Desserts
Miami, FL
When it comes to the intersection of creativity and glamour, Déjà vu Sweets is your dessert catering team. We love the edible-gold embellishments on the sweet treats at this romantic wedding as and added touch of luxury before the first bite.
Engage Your Guests With Interactive Installations
14. Seafood Bars are Hot (& Cold)
Norwalk, CT
ONTHEMARC Events knows that a cooked seafood and raw bar creates a memorable moment at a celebration. We love how the team curated a self-serve seafood station at this timeless wedding. In addition to ocean-inspired bars, we are also seeing lobster and crab topping the most luxurious salads at events.
15. Have Fun With Make-Your-Own Late-Night Bites
Los Angeles, CA
A talented caterer knows how to transition from a formal wedding reception to a full-on afterparty. After creating an exquisite menu for this elegant white wedding, Wolfgang Puck Catering – Los Angeles perfectly pivoted to elevated late-night bites with a fun donut bar that allowed guests to top their treats.
16. Create an Interactive Moment With Live Stations
Miami, FL
Le Basque always upends our expectations with their unique fare. They wowed us again with their take on interactivity at this romantic Basque Country wedding with a live prosciutto-carving station and grilling station for their attention-getting freshness.
17. Let Guests Choose Their Own Dessert Adventure
Chicago, IL
You can wow with expert preparation of a classic dessert, or you can wow by expanding your guest’s palates with a totally new variation. We love how Viola’s Kitchen Catering & Event Planning surprised with this creative tiramisu that featured an interactive element for this alluring wedding.
18. S’Mores are the Original Hands-On Treat
Chicago, IL
LM Catering knows how to offer a memorable experience. For this rustic floral wedding, the catering team created a classic interactive moment with a s’mores station which married perfectly with the wedding’s beautiful rustic aesthetic.
Personalize Your Menu for a “Totally You” Event
19. Cake is Classic, but Pie is Personal
Los Angeles, CA
It’s your wedding, so you should look at every tradition, then include the ones you love and get creative with the ones you don’t. We adore how this couple worked with the accommodating team at Contemporary Catering and Event Production to “cut” the cake and opt for a pie cutting instead (followed by an epic pie buffet) at their vineyard destination wedding.
20. Add a Personal Touch With Curated Cocktails
San Francisco, CA
We love a personalized touch that showcases the couple’s favorites like the curated “his and hers” cocktails at this charming wedding from the creative team at Tonic Beverage Catering.
21. Include Authentic Flavor From Your Wedding Locale
Dallas, TX
Wedding fare can and should reflect the couple and the place they’ve chosen to marry. We always love the creative menus from Wolfgang Puck Catering – Dallas, but we especially adore their housemade hot link and andouille sausage bar (complemented by fresh fixings) at this romantic pink and white wedding.
22. Highlight Favorites With Dedicated “Bars”
Washington, D.C.
Draw attention to your menu’s special offerings by creating a separate serving space; a “bar” can be anything you can dream up. We love the creativity of the pretzel bar at this romantic rustic wedding and the hot cider bar that warmed guests at this fresh classic wedding — both from the talented team at Windows Catering.
23. Extend Your Culture & Traditions to Your Fare
Boston, MA
Make sure your wedding fare is super-personal by serving dishes that represent your culture or family traditions. We adore how Capers Catering curated a custom menu that represented the cultures of the couple for this Cambodian-Vietnamese wedding.
24. Tell Your Story With Your Menu
Arlington, VA
The very best caterers, like the top team at Design Cuisine, know that a meaningful wedding has personal touches, including the menu. We adore how we got to know the couple who married at this sophisticated minimalist wedding through touches like their towering cookie cake and their service of Underberg, a soothing digestif from Rheinberg.
Deliver Big Flavor With Small Bites
25. Make it Fun With an Entire Evening of Small Bites
Chicago, IL
When you’re planning a unique wedding, you’ll want a caterer who can fulfill any flight of fancy you have, and Entertaining Company is just such a caterer. For this bohemian greenhouse loft wedding, the catering team curated bite-sized fare, noting that both “small food portions” and “natural and organic” choices are both very on trend.
26. Macarons are Having a Moment
Los Angeles, CA
The French confection long ago stole our hearts with its slight crunch, chewy texture, and bright flavors and color. But leave it to the amazing team at Good Gracious! Events to make macarons in luxe alabaster to delight guests at this elegant outdoor wedding.
27. Don’t Wait for the After-Party for Mini Tacos & Pizza
Bridgehampton, NY
We love celebrations that feature fancy menus paired with soul-satisfying bites like the mini pizzas and tacos at this pop-up vineyard wedding. Art of Eating Catering has the skill to do both to match the ambiance of every part of a wedding’s shifting moods.
28. Pair Tiny Cocktails & Cuisine for a Memorable Moment
Chicago, IL
Paramount Events knows how to create a moment, as they did with this curated taco “bar” and its tequila pairing at this floral Mexican wedding. We’ve also seen this innovative catering team pair Meyer lemon créme fraîche and caviar with ice cold Veuve for a perfect sip and bite.
29. Satisfy With Burger Bites
Chicago, IL
The best caterers can wow with not only fine dining but with elevated everyday fare as well. We adore how the talented team at LM Catering created the perfect burger bites (topped with a crunchy pickle, of course) for this tasteful and luminous wedding.
30. Dessert Spreads are Spreading
Saco, ME
Blue Elephant Catering knows that ending a wedding on a sweet note will leave guests happy. Cakes are great, but we adore the many confections that they conjured for this fall bohemian wedding dessert table and the yummy-looking cupcakes they prepared for this downtown wedding celebration.
31. Level Up with Levels of Charcuterie
San Carlos, CA
While the personal charcuterie board trend is still going strong, it’s hard to ignore the beauty and design of this charcuterie spread from the skilled chefs at Weir Catering & Events.
32. Edible Cups Make Salads Bite-Sized
Lake Forest, IL
If you love parmesan crisps like we do, then you’ll be wowed by this creative canapé from Paramount Events — a mini salad with tiny croutons all held by a parmesan cup for this tented garden wedding.
33. A Tasting Menu Offers Variety & Surprises
Clifton, NJ
We love how the creative chefs at Delivering Experiences curated a 7-course tasting menu for this beautiful loft wedding — ensuring that guests got a little bit of every dish that the couple loves (plus his and her signature cocktails to make the soirée even more personal).
34. Mini Cakes are Here to Stay
Boston, MA
One of the trends that started during the pandemic was creating a tiny cake for each guest, and we are so glad to see this is still going strong as it’s such a thoughtful and memorable touch. We adore how MAX Ultimate Food created varied mini cake flavors, each with its own décor moment for this intimate rustic wedding.
Serve Up Modern Inspiration With Contemporary Cuisine
35. Deconstructed Dishes Delight
Boston, MA
Mix it up with an artistically-arranged salad; separating the ingredients brings attention to their freshness and flavor. We love this deconstructed salad from The Catered Affair at this chic white wedding.
36. Modern Wedding Cakes Stay Stylish With Fewer Adornments
Wedding cake cuttings still create a memorable moment. We are seeing the most chic (and delectable) cakes rocking a more modern vibe with fewer embellishments like this gorgeous confection from Sweet Guilt for stylist Micaela Erlanger’s stunning Miami wedding.
37. Include Engraveable & Craveable Custom Cookies
Denver, CO
Curated moments always bring a special touch to a wedding, but we are especially wowed by these custom cookies from the chefs at Catering by Design. They brought an elegant touch with sweets that look as if they’ve been engraved with the names of the couple at this South Asian fusion celebration.
Leave An Impression With Unique Presentations
38. Plated Desserts Add Sophistication
New York, NY
Make your guests feel pampered with an elegant menu, with each course beautifully served. Top NYC caterer Abigail Kirsch Catering provided a dignified plated dessert for the lucky guests of this glamorous New York wedding.
39. Fun Fare Can Offer Levity
New York, NY
Relish Catering & Hospitality knows that the most memorable weddings include quirky moments that perfectly express the couple being celebrated. We adore the fresh pretzel station with its clever tagline at this botanical garden wedding.
40. Safe Can be Beautiful
New York, NY
We adore the safe, yet completely beautiful and unique, fare at this immersive hybrid wedding. Thomas Preti Events to Savor passed canapés under mini, individual glass domes and served the three-course dinner beautifully-boxed.
41. Cones Make for Easy Handheld Service
Chicago, IL
We’ve been seeing clever caterers using cones for handheld charcuterie for a couple of years now. We adore this chic iteration from the talented Paramount Events team who offered bite-sized pastries in an easy-to-hold and beautiful cone at this contemporary botanic wedding.
42. The Most Joyful Celebrations Have Playful Details
Washington, D.C.
We adore a moment of levity in the most elegant celebrations and Windows Catering really evoked a whole joyful vibe with their “Alice in Wonderland” -inspired macarons that fit perfectly with the tone of this enchanting garden wedding.
43. Every Dish is an Opportunity to Wow
New York, NY
When it comes to creative presentations, Thomas Preti Events to Savor offers ideas that will wow your guests. We love how they ringed milkshake straws with donuts and tipped pretzels with toasted marshmallows standing on end in graham cracker crumbs (of course) for this chic loft wedding.
Show Style With Design-Inspired Dining
44. Floral Garnishes Marry Décor & Catering
New York, NY
We love when décor moments extend from arches and tabletops onto drinks and plates. For example, this floral-garnished Champagne from Constellation Culinary Group is picture-perfect for toasting at this modern and romantic wedding.
45. Color-Coordinated Cocktails Delight
Norwalk, CT
Citrus hues (and the fruit itself) as wedding décor is the gift that just keeps on giving, and the skilled caterers at ONTHEMARC Events took it one step further by creating coordinating cocktails for this ethereal citrus rooftop wedding. We adore how they kept it deliciously on-palette with the florals.
46. Match Your Menu to Your Wedding Style
Chicago, IL
Whether your wedding style is boho, rustic, or a combination of other vibes you love, your menu and its presentation should coordinate with your vision. We adore how the chefs at Amazing Edibles Catering curated totally modern fare and service for this modern Chicago wedding.
Keep It Fresh With Seasonal Flourishes
47. Citrus is Chic as Décor
Coral Springs, FL
Déjà vu Sweets always leads new cake trends and here, at this enchanting intimate wedding, they’re showing us how citrus is moving from place card displays and wedding tablescapes right onto the most stylish cakes for a pop of tart color.
48. Seasonally-Fresh Ingredients Shine
Los Angeles, CA
A skilled caterer like Contemporary Catering and Event Production ensures that all guests get the freshest, most flavorful fare by utilizing seasonal, locally-grown ingredients. We love how the menu for this Malibu wedding celebration featured spring delights like zucchini blossoms.
49. Fresh Herbs Bring Fresh Flavor
Los Angeles, CA
Why waste an opportunity for added flavor? The skilled chefs at Contemporary Catering and Event Production are always looking for ways to elevate every ingredient as they did at this darling outdoor vineyard wedding by using fresh herbs as skewers and cocktail garnishes.
50. Engage the Senses
Pembroke Pines, FL
The best caterers know that presentation matters. What better way to evoke your menu’s freshness than with edible florals and herbs straight from the garden? Sensory Delights Catering wows guests at this romantic Miami wedding with their dishes and their display.
51. Freshen Your Charcuterie With Grilled Vegetables & Fruit
Chicago, IL
We adore a beautiful charcuterie spread and are especially enamored with this version from the talented team at Viola’s Kitchen Catering & Event Planning. The creative board they created for this fairytale wedding features seafood and beautifully-prepared vegetables for a healthier take on the trend.
Considerate Menus Make Guests Feel Considered
52. Choose a Caterer With Trusted Local Purveyors
New York, NY
When you work with a caterer, you’re also employing their trusted growers and providers, so you want to choose carefully. We love how Deborah Miller Catering & Events boasts deep local connections to offer up healthy bites like these yogurt parfait treats made with hand-crafted yogurt from Kourellas (who is involved in every step from producing the feed for their sheep, goats, and cows to growing the organic fruit that goes in the yogurt). Also, don’t miss how the Deborah Miller team brought fresh and colorful fare to this elegant wedding.
53. Gluten-Free & Meat-Free Doesn’t Mean Taste-Free
Phoenix, AZ
Top caterers like M Culinary Concepts are adept at curating creative menus that consider the dietary preferences and needs of all guests. For example, at this all-white poolside wedding, their culinary team created a vegan and gluten-free dish that was both beautifully-presented and full of fresh flavor.
54. Accommodating Dietary Preferences can be Delicious
San Francisco, CA
When it comes to dietary preferences and restrictions, a skilled caterer like Foxtail Catering can ensure a delectable menu that never feels like something is missing. For this beautiful outdoor wedding, the team included light-as-air (but more delicious) merengue treats (that were naturally gluten-free) in the dessert spread.
People Also Ask…
Do wedding venues provide catering?
Some wedding venues do, in fact, provide catering services. That is certainly the case when you host your wedding in a hotel or restaurant space. Other wedding venues, however, allow you to choose an external catering team to curate the menu for your wedding. More still have catering partners that they prefer (or sometimes require) you to work with.
Often choosing a venue happens earlier in the wedding planning process than choosing a caterer, so you’ll want to make sure you understand your catering options when looking at venues. If you have your heart set on a certain caterer, you’ll want to make sure that the venues you consider allow outside caterers. If, on the other hand, you prefer a more full-service venue that takes the guesswork out of catering, you’ll want to choose a venue that provides in-house options.
When you find a venue on PartySlate, you’ll be able to use handy filters like “outside caterers allowed” or “in-house caterer only” to narrow your search.
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AE EVENTS
We love how this full-service event planning company makes producing the perfect celebration look easy. Event hosts appreciate their ability to manage the minute details — all while keeping an eye on the big picture. photographer: Tatiana Blanco