Creative Wedding Catering Ideas by Kalm Kitchen

Firstly *hello* to all the lovely newly engaged readers to Love My Dress – huge congratulations on your recent engagement, I hope you’re enjoying the planning journey so far.

Regardless of whether your fiancée has just popped the question, or you are a fair way down the wedding planning journey, choosing what to feed your guests is bound to be high on your to-do list. I have said it before on these pages and I am happy to say it again, your food is hugely important! Think about the weddings you have attended in the past – whilst you may not be able to remember all of the little touches or the specific flowers used, the chances are that you will remember the food. Was there too much or too little? Were you famished by the time the canapés arrived? If the answer is yes to any of the above then hopefully my regular posts will offer a little inspiration to ensure that your chosen wedding food is totally unforgettable – for all the right reasons!

Creativity is at the heart of our philosophy at Kalm Kitchen, alongside offering deliciously scrumptious and seasonal food, we strive to ensure each and every one of our weddings looks gorgeous and offers guests something a little different. Whether that’s beautifully displayed canapés or serving a gorgeous Mediterranean risotto or street food stations, at Kalm Kitchen we are not afraid to go against the grain and offer something less ‘traditional’. Today I hope to impart some lovely creative ideas to kick-start you food planning, enjoy!

Canapés
I have previously covered canapés, but quite simply they are a great way of tying your food into the overall theme of your day. As the first dish your guests will be served they are sure to set the tone for the celebrations ahead. For a vintage theme why not serve canapés from beautiful suitcases, metal birdcages and apothecary jars as we did for the Style Me Vintage book launch which you can see images of here. Whist retro brides could opt to serve mini slider burgers from original usherette trays. Whichever look you go for be sure to have fun sourcing props that can then serve as keepsakes long after the day itself.

Photography Eddie Judd apart from top left (Christy Blanch) and Bottom Left (Sarah Legge)

Drinks
You simply can’t go wrong serving bubbly to your guests to celebrate your new Mr and Mrs status, however if you are looking to shake up the celebrations don’t be afraid to serve alternative tipples – Pimms with fresh cucumber and strawberries, or a summer fruit punch are great options for a typical English garden wedding.

Image by Anneli Marinovich

We are seeing a trend for couples choosing to serve a local beverage – think Somerset Cider or fresh apple martini’s made with apples from a local orchard. One of my favourite ideas is to serve signature ‘his and hers’ cocktails inspired by the bride and grooms favourite drinks – perfect for a decadent prohibition inspired wedding served from vintage champagne saucers.

Image credits Kalm Kitchen (top) + Eddie Judd (bottom)

 

Bowl Food
Ideal if you are looking to host an informal relaxed celebration and for those not wanting to serve a traditional three course meal. Guests are served a number of small dishes – covering both savoury and sweet options. This is a great way of serving your guest a selection of flavours if you are struggling to decide on just three courses. One top tip for this type of service is to ensure you discuss with your caterer the number of dishes to be served and ensure staff circulate the room to ensure your guests don’t go hungry.

Image credit Kalm Kitchen

Mezze Boards
More and more couples are opting to serve fun and informal starters which encourage guests to interact with one another – such as beautiful abundant olive wood boards filled with the finest anti pasti or mezze style eats, these work wonderfully as an ice breaker getting your guests who may not know one another to interact, not to mention looking and tasting amazing – a firm favourite here at Kalm Kitchen HQ!

Image credits Kalm Kitchen (top) + Joanna Millington (bottom)

At Table Carving
A popular choice amongst couples who are still keen to follow a sit down format for their evening meal but still want to offer something a little different, is the option to carve at the table. This creates a relaxed, fun and informal feel to the day and ultimately gives guests more control over what they are eating. One guest is nominated as the “carver” and comes to the kitchen to collect their beautiful joint of meat. The waiting staff then follows the guest back from the table and provides all the accompaniments in lovely big porcelain bowls. The carver can even be given an apron and chef hat for an extra personal touch.

Image by Sarah Legge

Patisserie Bar
The Patisserie Bar has firmly replaced the sweetie table in our hearts. Offering an elegant grown up twist on the sweetie trend think glass fronted bars with an abundance of cut glass bowls for a chic contemporary celebration or vintage ladders surrounded by apple crates piled high for a rustic affair. Fill your bar with anything from DIY Eton Mess and Knickerbocker Glories to popcorns in an abundance of flavours. Inspired by this popular trend we have been working on a special project over the last couple of months here at Kalm Kitchen and will have some fabulous news launching soon…watch this space!!

Images by Christy Blanch

Hopefully these ideas have given you some food for thought (sorry I couldn’t help myself) don’t be afraid to try something new and most importantly talk to your caterer, more likely than not they will be open to fun ideas such as serving table picnics or afternoon tea – all you have to do is ask and ensure your wedding breakfast is truly representative of you both as a couple!

Good luck, Love Jen

 

Jen Middlehurst is a Director at Kalm Kitchen, a team of young, energetic, professional caterers, who share a passion for great food and great service.  You can get in touch with Jen and her team by visiting the kalmkitchen.co.uk website.

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