Unique Wedding Food Ideas
Everything about a wedding speaks about the couple’s personalities, styles, and interests - from the wedding venue, the decor, all the way to the food.
So, if you want to make your big day unique to your style, think about the food you’ll be serving.
There aren’t any set rules as to what food should or shouldn’t be served at weddings, so you can come up with a wedding menu that works for you. Make your wedding day completely your own! Each part of your wedding planning should be tailored to the couple’s wishes and style.
Whether that’s comfort food, grilled cheese sandwiches, hors d’oeuvres, fish and chips, ice cream wedding cake, pizzas, french fries, tomato soup, or traditional meals, your wedding should represent you and your partner!
I’m writing this post as a roundup of unique wedding food ideas that work for all sorts of weddings - traditional weddings, modern weddings, summer weddings, winter weddings, destination weddings, etc.
When you’re wedding planning, and deciding what food style you should go for, there are tons of options that can accommodate your personal styles - you can have a food truck, a sit-down meal, a wedding buffet, unique hors d’oeuvres at the cocktail hour, a dessert table, food stations, the options are endless, and your guests will love anything that represents YOU!
Unique Wedding Food Ideas
Unique Appetizer Ideas
Hors d’oeuvres are typical for cocktail hour. But there are so many unique ideas that you can include, depending on your preferences. You don’t have to serve the most typical hors d’oeuvres at the cocktail hour, if you think so more unique options will better fit your style. Your dream wedding and real wedding don’t have to be different!
Shrimp Cocktail
156 calories
5 oz Shrimp - 140 calories
¼ cup Salsa - 16 calories
DIRECTIONS
If cooking shrimp from frozen, spray a pan with an oil spray and cook shrimp for ~8 minutes on medium heat, until cooked through. Drain away any excess liquid.
Dip shrimp in salsa.
Spring Rolls with Shrimp
458 calories
1 cup Carrots, shredded or julienned - 45 calories
2 cups Leafy greens, lettuce, raw - 10 calories
½ Avocado, small - 116.5 calories
5 oz Shrimp - 140 calories
2 Rice wrappers, 2 - 60 calories
2 Tbsp Peanut sauce - 80 calories
1 Tbsp Mint - 0 calories
1 tsp Sesame seeds (tsp) - 6 calories
1 Salt, dash - 0 calories
1 Pepper, dash - 0 calories
DIRECTIONS
Make side salad with 1 Tbsp peanut sauce, lettuce, and ½ cups carrots.
Spray a pan with an oil spray. Stir fry shrimp on medium heat ~8 minutes. If there’s extra liquid once cooked, discard it.
Spring roll filling: Cut avocado, mint, shrimp into small pieces. Mix together with ½ cup carrots. Top with sesame seeds and spices.
Place rice wrapper (each separately) in water (I just filled a pan with water) for 10-15 seconds, then remove & place on a paper towel or kitchen towel to dry.
Add ½ of filling mixture to the center of each wrapper. Fold & roll like you would a burrito. Dip spring rolls into 1 Tbsp peanut sauce.
Crostini with Sun Dried Tomatoes & Brie
396 calories
2 oz Baguette - 120 calories
2 Tbsp Tomatoes, sun-dried - 34 calories
3 oz Cheese, Brie - 240 calories
¼ cup Leafy greens, spinach, raw - 1.75 calories
1 Salt, dash - 0 calories
1 Pepper, dash - 0 calories
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Slice baguette into thin slices. Slice brie into thin slices.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper & spray it with an oil spray. Add baguette slices to the baking sheet.
Layer with brie, then spinach, then sun-dried tomatoes.
Bake for 5 minutes.
Top with salt & pepper.
No dairy? Use a dairy-free cheese, or top with guac & other toppings after baking. No gluten? Use gluten free bread.
Zucchini Pizza Bites
208 calories
1 Zucchini, medium - 33 calories
¼ cup Tomatoes, canned, crushed - 12.5 calories
⅓ cup Cheese, shredded, mozzarella - 112 calories
2 Tbsp Cheese, Parmesan, grated (Tbsp) - 50 calories
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Slice zucchini into coin shapes, so they’re bite sized.
Spray a pan with an oil spray.
Stir fry zucchini for ~2 minutes.
Remove from heat & add sauce and cheeses.
Bake zucchini pizza bites for 4 minutes (alternatively you can use a toaster oven).
Cucumber Open-Faced Sandwiches
363 calories
1 Cucumber, medium - 42 calories
2 oz Cheese, sliced, mozzarella, full fat/ regular - 160 calories
4 oz Deli slices, turkey - 120 calories
½ Tomato, medium - 11 calories
1 Basil, dash - 0 calories
1 Oregano, dash - 0 calories
1 Salt, dash - 0 calories
1 Tbsp Balsamic glaze - 30 calories
DIRECTIONS
Cut cucumber in half long-ways. Scoop out seeds if you like
Top cucumber halves with turkey, cheese, and sliced tomato. Drizzle with balsamic glaze. Top with seasonings.
No dairy? Use dairy-free cheese or avocado. No turkey? Use extra cheese or tofurkey slices.
Unique Main Meal Ideas
Just like with hors d’oeuvres and cocktail hour, if you want unique main meal food, go for it! It’s your day, and you should serve what fits your style - no matter if it’s tomato soup, french fries, breakfast for dinner foods, or burgers.
Alfredo Gnocchi and Sun Dried Tomatoes
461 calories
1 Cauliflower gnocchi, frozen, 1 serving - 140 calories
2 cups Leafy greens, spinach, raw - 14 calories
1 Tbsp Tomatoes, sun-dried - 17 calories
¼ cup Alfredo sauce - 100 calories
6 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw - 190 calories
1 Pepper, dash - 0 calories
DIRECTIONS
Cut chicken into bite size pieces. Spray pan with an oil spray, turn heat to low. Cook chicken and gnocchi (from fresh or frozen) for ~10 minutes, until cooked through.
Add in tomatoes for 2-3 minutes.
Add in alfredo sauce and spinach for 4-5 minutes. Top with pepper.
Asian Inspired Chicken Bowl
324 calories
3 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw - 95 calories
1 cup Mixed greens - 10 calories
½ cup Mandarin oranges, canned - 47 calories
⅛ cup Cashews (cups) - 98 calories
½ cup Cabbage, shredded - 11 calories
½ cup Carrots, shredded or julienned - 22.5 calories
1 Tbsp Cilantro - 0 calories
1 Tbsp Peanut sauce - 40 calories
DIRECTIONS
Spray pan with an oil spray.
Slice chicken into small pieces.
Cook chicken pieces on medium heat for about 7 minutes, flipping slices over mid way through, until cooked through.
Chop up cilantro.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
No chicken? Use beef, tofu, or soybeans.
Peanut sauce: I like the Whole Food’s 365 brand, or Trader Joe’s peanut vinaigrette (in their refrigerated section). But any peanut sauce you find is fine. If you prefer to make your own, here’s a recipe: minimalistbaker.com/5-ingredient-peanut-sauce/
Individual Chicken Parms
436 calories
6 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw - 190 calories
1 Tbsp Tomatoes, canned, crushed (Tbsp) - 3 calories
1 oz Cheese, sliced, mozzarella, full fat/ regular - 80 calories
2 cups Leafy greens, spinach, raw - 14 calories
¼ Onion, red - 13.75 calories
½ cup Tomatoes, grape - 16 calories
1 Tbsp Olive oil (Tbsp) - 119 calories
1 Salt, dash - 0 calories
1 Pepper, dash - 0 calories
1 Basil, dash - 0 calories
1 Oregano, dash - 0 calories
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil & spray it with an oil spray.
Season chicken on both sides with salt and oregano; press into meat.
Lay chicken on baking sheet.
Bake for 25 minutes.
Remove from oven, top with canned tomatoes and cheese, bake for another 5 minutes. Once cooked, topped with seasonings.
Make side salad grape tomatoes (sliced), diced red onion, oil, and seasonings.
No dairy? Use a dairy-free cheese, or additional oil in the salad. No chicken? Use tofu.
You can serve it with a side of french fries. A tomato soup would also be a good appetizer before this main meal.
Spinach & Ricotta Stuffed Salmon
364 calories
3 cups Leafy greens, spinach, raw - 21 calories
4 oz Salmon filet - 200 calories
¼ cup Ricotta cheese, whole milk - 108 calories
2 Tbsp Vinaigrette, light (less than 50 calories per 2 Tbsp) - 35 calories
1 Oregano, dash - 0 calories
1 Salt, dash - 0 calories
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix ricotta and 1 cup spinach in a bowl.
Slice salmon in the middle (not the whole way through so you create a pocket).
Season salmon with oregano and salt.
Stuff salmon with ricotta mixture.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with oil spray; add salmon.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Make side salad with the rest of the spinach and dressing.
If you’d like this on the grill instead: Place salmon over drip pan and grill, covered, over indirect medium heat for 40-50 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork and a thermometer reads 165° for stuffing