Elaborate charcuterie spreads have stolen the spotlight on the wedding catering scene for a long time now for their abundance and impressive displays, but trends appear to finally be shifting with couples’ growing sensibilities around waste and the role food plays are these kinds of gatherings.
We eat at weddings as a way to further unite families and friends and to provide space for people to socialize and get to know one another in a way that feels both necessary and intimate.
While it’s impossible to deny the delicious fare an expansive table of charcuterie offers, it can’t be denied that it leaves couples with a lot of leftovers and guests with a lot to juggle as they hold programs, purses, and drinks. Noticing this, many couples are now opting to provide guests with the same delicacies of a traditional charcuterie but personalized onto individual boards or plates. By bringing the charcuterie to your guests, you offer them less time navigating a crowded table and banquet hall and more time forging new bonds and strengthening old ones amongst those you hold most dear.
Another way couples are scaling down and making food a bonding experience at their receptions is not to shy away from a touch of nostalgia. Instead of feeling the need to provide “fancy foods,” many couples are opting for individual-sized portions of childhood classics like pizza, grilled cheese, or foods that play a role in their love story, like a special recipe they share. Providing guests with a menu linked to a mostly universal past increases the connection guests feel to one another and this special day and is sure to inspire more smiles and laughs.
