Things We Love - Creative Food Stations

Gone are the days of traditionally catered food selections like baked chicken and lasagna.  Today's couples are serving up more stylish food options in the form of fun and creative food stations.  Whether you are treating guests with pre-dinner appetizers, the entire main course, or dessert, food stations are a great way to inject a bit of interest into your wedding reception.  To pull off a successful food station, keep a few simple rules in mind.  For build to order menu options, have more than one cook so lines do not back up.  The same goes for multiple food stations.  Create two lines at popular stops to prevent line congestion.  Lastly, keep your theme in mind, let loose and get creative with your displays.  

Appetizers - Appetizer stations are a great choice during cocktail hour.  Guests can enjoy your tasty and creative treats while they wait for the newlyweds to arrive.  Popular appetizer food stations are vegetable displays, soup stations, sushi bars, cheese buffets, and breakfast and crepe stations.  One trend we love are miniature sized foods that typically would be seen as a main course.  Think mini sliders, mini fries, and itty bitty grilled cheese with shots of tomato soup.

Sources: Thirsty sign, Vegetable buffet, Bruschetta, Shrimp cocktail, Mini grilled cheese and soup shots, Man holding slider and fries, Mini sliders and beers 

 

Main Course - Serving your full reception menu in the form of food stations requires a bit more planning than smaller appetizer, drink, or dessert stations.  Keep in mind the quantity of food you will be needing to satisfy guest appetites.  Build your own buffets are a popular choice among couples and include anything from build your own taco buffets to upscale grilled cheese stations.  Other popular main course selections include potato bars, authentic inspired food stations, fair food inspired stations, and street vendor food carts.  Street vendor food carts can be found on nearly every busy city street these days.  Don't be afraid to consider renting one or more of these carts in lieu of traditional catering options.  Your guests will love your unexpected food choice.  Tip: We recommend staying away from miniature foods for your main course unless you plan on including other side dishes to create a balance of dishes for guests to fill up on.

Sources:  Food truck, Taco station sign, Taco buffet, Striped food tents, Grilled cheese station, Baked potato, Cheddar cheese

 

Dessert - Candy buffets can be attributed as one of the original wedding food stations.  More recently, this wedding staple is taking a more creative turn in to form of themed dessert stations.  Popular options include a S'mores bar, build your own yogurt station, cookie buffet, and ice cream station.  Put a unique twist on typical dessert options by including a miniature dessert bar full of delectable itty bitty treats.  Mini stations full of bite sized cheesecakes, pies, cookies, and cake will have guests coming back from more.  Set out personalized candy bags next to your buffet so guests can also take their goodies home to enjoy later.

Sources: S'mores bar, Snow cone station, Yogurt buffet, Cotton candy machine, S'mores station, Mini cheesecakes, Mini pie buffet