Wedding catering trends change every so often, so couples who are getting married need to keep up with the new trends.

In recent years, couples tend to opt-in for more unique experiences when it comes to wedding food trends, especially catering. Since wedding catering trends are getting so popular, wedding catering now looks different than it did a few years ago, and I’m sure it will also be different in a few years.

Another reason why wedding catering has changed is the pandemic. Since the pandemic started, when wedding venues re-opened, caterers became more creative with the ways they prepare and serve food, to better suit the situation.

So, I’m sharing a roundup of this year’s popular trends, to keep all of you love birds in the loop for the latest trends in the wedding catering scene, so you can get more ideas for your special day.

Wedding Catering Trends

Self-Contained Appetizers

Since the pandemic started, hygiene has become the number one priority for literally everything.

Of course, in the food industry hygiene has always been one of the most important things, but since the pandemic, everyone is trying to limit any contamination, and trying to prevent multiple people from being able to touch the same thing, whether that is a utensil or a food item.

So, self-contained appetizers have become really popular.

They’re not only super practical, but many people actually prefer the taste of appetizers that are bite-size and prefer eating smaller things.

They also prefer eating individually packaged food, since that ensures not only the perfect size for an appetizer but also the safety of knowing no one touched your food.

Plant-Based Appetizers

Plant-based food has become very popular over the last few years.

It’s not only great for your health, but it’s also good for the environment.

So, more and more people follow a plant-based diet.

That’s why plant-based appetizers and plant-based foods overall have become one of the current wedding food trends.

Since there are high chances there will be quite a few people at your wedding that follow a plant-based diet, it would be a great idea to include some plant-based appetizers to the mix.

There are tons of delicious ideas, so even the guests who are not plant-based will love them.

Outdoor Cooking

The pandemic has also made a shift in the wedding venues - not just wedding menus. In 2021, we have seen (and we will continue to see) more outdoor weddings than indoor weddings, and the reason is obvious.

So, outdoor cooking is definitely becoming a popular wedding food trend.

Live grilling, outdoor pizza stations, and live assembling have become more and more popular, and venues that have the place for something like that are getting booked much more quickly than the ones that don’t.

But the pandemic isn’t the only reason why this trend is becoming so popular.

Another reason is that it’s something new and unique, and it hasn’t been seen that much in the previous years. So, people are intrigued, and excited to experience a new way of eating wedding food.

Private Chef Experience

If you want to make your wedding food as special as it can be, offering a private chef experience to your guests (and yourselves) is one of the best things you can do.

The private chef experience will not only make your wedding look more expensive and glamorous, but it will be the talk of the season because many of your guests will experience something they’ve never been able to experience.

So in a way, it’s a gift for you and your guests.

On-Site Food Trucks

Food trucks have become quite popular in the past few years since many couples want to offer different experiences for their guests, and they want their weddings to be as memorable as possible.

Now, since the pandemic, the food trucks are not only great for all of that, but they’re a great way to be more socially aware, and be more socially distanced.

Multi-Course Meals

Another great way to make the food extra fancy and glamorous is to have multi-course meals.

As weddings nowadays have fewer guests (because of the pandemic), couples are trying to come up with ways to make their special days more interesting and unique.

So, fewer guests mean it’s easier to prepare something super special for the guests that are there, and what better way to do that, than to have multi-course meals, like at the best fine-dining restaurants out there?

Bottled Cocktails

Again hygiene is huge at weddings this year, so bottled cocktails are becoming a thing, and they can actually look very cute and sophisticated.

They allow everyone to still have special cocktails during the cocktail hour, but have them in a more responsible way, where multiple people won’t be touching the same glasses, bottles, and drinks overall.

Seasonal Cuisine

It’s a known fact that food tastes much better when it’s in season. The flavors are unmatched, so why not apply the same rule for wedding foods as well?

Planning your wedding menu around food that is in season is a genius way to make sure you’re both on theme for the season, and that you’re serving the most delicious and fresh foods to your guests.

Local Cuisine

Another known fact is that it’s always good to eat food that is grown locally because that ensures freshness.

Since the pandemic is still a thing, transferring foods from different places of the world to your local stores is still a bit difficult in some cases, so local cuisine at weddings has definitely become a popular trend.

Comfort Foods

Who doesn’t love comfort food?

This one doesn’t even need any further explanation - people adore comfort food, and serving it at your wedding is not only a unique and interesting thing to do, but it will make your guests ask for seconds without a doubt.

Attend Buffets

Since the pandemic, buffets are starting to be organized a bit differently, but they’re still very much a thing.

Now instead of having everything in one place, buffet tables are spaced out around the venue, to ensure there is no overcrowding, and that people are socially distanced as much as it’s possible at a wedding.

Late Night Snacks

It has become a wedding trend that weddings last longer than before.

So naturally, if your guests ate the dinner around 6 pm, they’re going to be hungry again around midnight (the wedding cake surely did fill them up a bit, but if they’re dancing, they’ll become hungry again).

So, late-night snacks at weddings are a very practical trend, and they will surely make your guests happy.

Charcuterie Tables

Charcuterie tables aka grazing tables have become so popular this year.

Beautifully organized charcuterie tables are not only aesthetically pleasing, but they are so delicious, and the perfect appetizer!

Street Food Style

Just like comfort food, this one is very obvious - street food is super popular, everyone loves it, so it makes sense it’s becoming more popular at more modern and unique weddings.

Interesting Canapés

Canapés are super delicious and they look gorgeous.

But since they’ve been around for years, this year the popular thing is to make more interesting, unique, and never-seen-before canapés that will blow your guests away not just by how amazing they look, but by how amazing they taste as well.