Your guide to the world of wedding food and catering.

Weddings can be a hungry affair and feeding your guests, no matter the number, can be a tricky feat. Aside from the ceremony and the party that is the reception, you’ll often remember what you ate and what you thought of the food. So, let’s dive into this article’s six topics on all things food!

Drinks
Bridal Party Photos Picnic & Drinks
Cocktail Hour Canapes
Reception
Wedding Cake (and alternatives)
Dietary Requirements

Drinks

Drinks, whether it be water, champagne, or juice for the kiddos, are an important aspect of the wedding. Saying ‘I do’ in the middle of summer? Your guests are going to be hot and easily dehydrated. Getting married on a cold winter’s day? It’s always nice to warm up your guests with a mug of mulled wine or tea. Here a few vital things to consider when it comes to drinks at your wedding:

Water Station. Regardless of the season or time, guests are going to be thirsty. Have a water station at the ceremony, during cocktail hour, and at the reception. Set them up with some cups, pop a few slices of cucumber or orange into the iced water, and decorate with some flowers for a truly aesthetically pleasing look.
Champagne Toast. There is always a moment, either after the ceremony or during the reception, when a family member or the bridal couple will stand to make a toast. Yes, guests can just toast with the drinks they already have, but you may also like to consider providing a glass of champagne to each adult guest for a celebratory toast.
Bar and Alcoholic Drinks. There are different ways to provide alcohol at your wedding. You can supply and pay for a bar tab, or ask guests to pay for their own drinks, BYO your own alcohol, depending on the venues requirements. If you’re paying for a bar tab, I recommend starting it after the bridal party enters the reception.

Photo Hour Picnic

Congratulations! You’re officially married! After the ceremony and family group photos your photographer will usually take you & your bridal party away for an hour or so for photos whilst the other guests depart for cocktail hour and canapes. Pack a small picnic spread and drinks for you and your bridal party to enjoy during photo hour. Or ask your catering company or venue to see if they can provide a small charcuterie platter or picnic with and drinks. This will give your wedding party something to eat, drink, and chat around when they aren’t in photos.

Cocktail Hour Canapes

Whilst the bridal couple & wedding party are off taking photos, it’s a good idea to keep your guests engaged during this hour. Providing a beautiful spread of canapes or platters during cocktail hour is a great way to have guests chatting and happy until you make your entrance as a married couple. If you’re after some delicious grazing patters, try Grazing Acres or Thistle in the Woods.

Reception

There are various different catering options when it comes to feeding your guests:

Buffet Style. A buffet includes various different dinner options presented in a line on long tables. There will often be servers behind the buffet to fill your plate for at least one to two trips for seconds.
Plated Meal. This is the most traditional option involving a sit-down meal where guests choose from a pre-set menu and servers deliver their meals. Usually served as alternate drop with two dishes are chosen by the hosts in advance and guests are served one of the meals.
Cocktail Party. Filled with hors-d’oeuvres, canapes, and other small bites, this food is served throughout the reception instead of a sit-down meal. This catering style usually includes hot and cold options of one or two bite portions.
Grazing Table. For very casual affairs, often a large grazing table will be set out for guests to pick and choose from.
Food Trucks. Perfect for backyard weddings! Food trucks are the newest trend in wedding catering and allow for a lot of variety with your food. Want a large spread of pizzas for your wedding? Try That Pizza Guy Or perhaps you’d rather a mix of Asian, Mediterranean or Mexican street food? Then try Journey Street Foods.

Cake and Alternatives

The wedding cake, or it’s non-traditional alternative, is often the star of the food served. Guests are known to ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ over whatever spectacular spectacle the bridal couple chooses. When ordering your wedding cake, consider the following:

Check with your wedding venue if they offer cake services. They may be able to bake a custom cake for your wedding and this will save you looking for another vendor.
Research local bakeries and cake specialists for your cake by asking for recommendations from your other vendors.
Decide on flavour and design with your partner. Your baker may want to see some sketched designs, or they may work with you on a design you truly love.
Don’t go to overboard with the size. Each tier will feed a certain amount of guests, so don’t overdo it and or you’ll be left with alot of wasted cake. Let your cake maker know whether you are serving your cake for dessert or a coffee portion.
Be realistic about your budget and be sure to discuss it with your baker before beginning the design process. This will set clear boundaries to what you can afford and what your cake designer can work with.

A traditional wedding cake not your thing? There are plenty of alternatives that you can choose from:

Savoury Cheese Cake
Homemade Desserts
Donuts
Macaron Tower
Cupcakes
Croquembouche

Dietary Requirements

Lastly, remember to consider any dietary requirements your guests may have. Gluten-free, lactose-free, vegan, pescatarien, etc. You don’t want anyone going hungry! Have an option for guests to let you know if there are any dietary requirements on your wedding invitation RSVP card.

Finding the best wedding suppliers can be overwhelming. To help plan your wedding on the Sunshine Coast, I have created a wedding directory of my favourite wedding suppliers, vendors, and services that I know will go the extra mile to ensure your wedding is special and unique to you.