After the Vows A Food Station Reception
When you’re having a smaller wedding and are planning the wedding food for your reception do consider food stations as a fun way to serve food and a great way to save money instead of having a full sit-down or buffet dinnerSome think food stations aren’t just for larger weddings but that’s really not true.Of course, you can plan it as elaborate or simple as the budget will allow but, either way, you can make it interesting and a good time for your guests because they can sample a lot of different foods some that they otherwise get to try plus it gets people up and about and interacting more with each other.You can do that with the foods you decide to serve as well as in the way you decorate and serve at each station.Your wedding theme and colors will play a part in the decorations at each station but the food is usually more open to options and food stations let you more easily include your own personal likes and along with of your guests.
Take a look at what you can have as you plan your food stations…
- Food Stations
- Salad and Veggies Statio
- Have a Delicious and Healthy Wedding Salad Station
- Always a popular choice and a thoughtful thing to do for the vegetarians and vegans who would be attending.
Provide a variety of salads including:
- Caesar’s salad
- Confetti Broccoli Salad
- Greek salad
- Spring Mix
- Southern 7-Layer Salad
- Three bean salad
- Tomato and mozzarella salad
- Tomato Caprese
And don’t forget a simpler salad for those who like it simple and traditional; you can also have salads like cole slaw, potato and macaroni salad and you can save money by buying everything at the grocery store!Enhance your wedding salad station with all sorts of vegetables and trimming; from things as common as tomato and carrots to more gourmet ideas like asparagus and fresh raspberries.Also, a tray of roasted vegetables is a nice touch and can turn a plain salad into a treat for the palate.And don;’t forget the “fixin’s”, things like croutons, raisins, shelled sunflower seeds, and a selection of shredded cheeses.Finally, top it off with a selection of dressings from the common Italian, French, Thousands Island, etc. to more exciting one like Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette — and don’t forget to have have bottles of oil and vinegar!If you want some salad ideas check out a some of the big salad places like Souplantation, they have dozens of choices and are always keeping up with the latest hot salads.
Soup StationA Good Pot of Soup for Your Wedding Soup Station
If you’re having a fall or winter wedding then it’s a great time to have a soup station, have some classic favorites like:
- A chowder (clam, corn or splurge for lobster)
- Split pea,
- Tomato or a tomato bisque
- Chicken or other gumbo,
- Minestrone
- Cream of mushroom
- French onion
- Chicken noodle or with rice
You can also add some more unusual choices in your wedding soup station, things like:
- Butternut squash
- Asparagus
- Italian Sausage Tortellini
- Seafood Bisque
- Mulligatawny Soup
- Spicy Black Bean
- Tomato Chive with Bacon or Ham
- Both a mild and a hot chili
It’s also nice to include some vegetarian choices, things like:
- Creamy Carrot Coconut
- Vegetarian Black Bean
- Vegetarian Lentil
- Basic Vegetarian Miso
- Thai Coconut and Vegetable
- Chinese Hot and Sour Soup
You can save money by shopping at the grocery store for soup or give you guests a real treat and save even more money by making homemade soups for your soup station.Be sure and have some crackers including small oyster crackers for them to enjoy with their soup and you could even have some cool mugs at the station for them to fill with the soup if you want something a little different.Pasta StationEveryone Loves Pasta! Give Them a Wedding Pasta StationWho doesn’t love pasta and with different sauces and add-ins there is always something for everyonel and as a great side benefit you’ll save money because not only is pasta inexpensive but it’s also filling so people won’t eat as much, a nice budget saver if you’re budget is tight.You’ll want to have at least 3 types of pasta, minimally one long one — for example, angel hair, spaghetti, linguine, etc. — one small “shape” — for example, tri-colored tortellini, bow-tie, rotini, etc. — and one stuffed one, like cheese ravioli.
You’ll want to have at least 3 sauces, some good choices are:
- Marinara
- Meat sauce
- Vodka
- Alfredo
- Clam
- Pesto
- Garlic butter sauce
And you’ll want to have a variety of add-ons, here are some options:
- Meatballs
- Sausage
- Chicken
- Shrimp
- Assortment of vegetable (garlic, bell peppers, onions, broccoli, sun dried tomatoes)
Another option is to provide some cold pasta salad and don’t forget the parm!That’s it for now, but we not close to being finished so I’m going to continue this in my next blog post so come back and we’ll look at more wedding food stations.As always, I’m eager to hear what you have to say and your ideas and experiences with food stations, please them in the comments below and thanks.