Some menu ideas just fit naturally with a country wedding. For delicious catering ideas that are sure to please your friends and family—and ensure no guest leaves hungry—keep reading. Here are the best dining options perfect for your rustic nuptials.
A BBQ Cookout
An open flame and the great outdoors go hand in hand. Barbequing is one of those catering ideas that are about to take the wedding industry by storm, and there is an endless number of ways to serve BBQ dishes. Step up your game with these seven catering barbeque trends for spring.
Grill dishes everyone can eat—even the vegetarians. Serve grilled vegetables, such as tomato skewers or roasted stuffed peppers. Offer the carnivores pulled pork, ribs, and steak. The smell of freshly cooked food is bound to leave everyone’s mouths watering. It really makes the afternoon a casual affair despite the day’s formal celebration.
Ice Bucket Drinks
Forget hiring a bartender and let guests help themselves to galvanized metal tubs stocked with beverages. These tubs present an elegant take on getting a drink, and they can be placed strategically around the venue to avoid overcrowding in one spot. You’ll encourage mingling and ensure that everybody has a drink. Just be sure to label the buckets, or label the lids if you mix-and-match the drinks inside.
A Freshly-Squeezed Lemonade Stand
Everyone wants to stay cool on a warm summer day. Make that possible with a refreshing lemonade stand. Set up big transparent jugs for guests to pour their own glass. Stick to the classic flavour or offer options, such as pink lemonade. For an adult-only affair, leave sparkling wine and champagne on the side.
If lemonade isn’t your favourite drink but you want to have other options available, substitute lemonade for water. Fill one pitcher with cucumbers and another with citrus fruit—you’ll guarantee everyone will be hydrated all day.
We All Scream for Ice Cream
Cakes vs. cupcakes: What are the best alternative wedding desserts? Roll out an old-fashioned umbrella ice cream cart and a side table of toppings. It evokes the childhood memory of eating ice cream after dinner, and it’s a refreshing treat on a beautiful summer day. Have two or three classic flavours in the cart, and leave cones, cups, syrups, and fresh fruit on the side for guests to decorate as they like.
Family Dinner Sides
This is a family affair, so share the wealth and have side dishes already in baskets and platters that can be passed around the table. Fresh bread buns, corn on the cob, and salads can be pre-set. It’s a nostalgic way of bringing everybody together to enjoy the meal and celebrate the special day. Sharing truly is caring.
Seasonally Fresh Vegetables
A country wedding is the perfect event for including locally grown vegetables. It’s one of those farm-to-table catering ideas that really feel at home. Grill heirloom vegetables, such as beets and peppers, creating a nutritional rainbow and adding colour to the plate. Serve fresh corn on the cob: It’s the perfect summer side dish that’s ready just in time for summer weddings, and it pairs easily with multiple dinner items on the menu.
Fried Goodness
A country wedding wouldn’t be complete without these staple southern wedding menu catering ideas: fried foods. Embrace your down-home persona and offer fried chicken; please the seafood lovers with fried fish, such as shrimp and oysters; and serve fried tomatoes for an innovative, delicious side dish. You can always offer these items as appetizers to tide guests over during the reception, presenting a new take on the classic hors d’oeuvres.
You and your guests will love every bite of these savoury catering ideas.
