If you are a foodie, your wedding menu is at the top of the list of priorities. Wedding food trends ebb and flow and now go so far beyond just the steak, chicken, or fish options. We’ve been trendspotting ideas in cocktails and cuisine from the best restaurants and bars and now we show how you can incorporate these ideas into your wedding. Check out this Wedding Trends Look Book Highlight below!
Food and beverage are not just a part of the wedding checklist. For us, it is an opportunity to treat your guests, expand their palate, and excite their taste buds. We love to open their minds to items they typically wouldn’t ever think to try and watch them be astonished! Who isn’t a “foodie” these days? Thanks to the Food Network, our culinary horizons have been expanded. Caterers continue to take on more and more restaurant influence and we are seeing menu options evolve to keep up with the trends.
The mixology craze has infiltrated the wedding scene, and a range of full-service bartenders are now offering a beverage experience that is unlike anything we have tasted before. Cocktails have never been so diverse, and for 2022 get ready because the pandemic has driven a trend toward alcohol connoisseurs who are looking for high-quality drink experiences. Digital drinking has also driven awareness as enthusiasts can look up recipes and order ready-to-drink cocktails online. Even the bartender has gone digital with new cocktail robots with pods much like coffee machines.
It seems there is something for everyone now, and the signature cocktail may have just taken a back seat to each person having their own favorite. One big change we are seeing this year is in flavors. While nuanced flavors allowed the spirit to be more forward, big and bold flavors are now coming to the forefront in expected single-note tastes like watermelon, cherry, or other fruit notes.
The mixology craze also has bartenders looking for new flavor profiles year over year. While rum was popular in 2021, watch as Tequila becomes the go-to for 2022. The industry has been positioning agave spirits as a competitor for whiskey that has been in the spotlight recently.
Best known for the margarita, tequila is extremely versatile and stars in many other delicious cocktails. This south-of-the-border liquor made from the agave plant is at home in Mexican-style drinks like the Paloma and Mexican mule. But it’s equally as tasty in a 1920’s style sour cocktail like the Tequila Sour, or a Bloody Maria, a spin on the Bloody Mary.
Bondarenko
After a few sips, you’ll be ready to embrace your inner foodie with a culinary journey. Wedding menus have been forever changed thanks to popular TV shows like Top Chef and Chopped
This appetite for something different has changed the wedding culinary scene, and now the guest experience includes endless menu options. The desire to have a wedding that is both unique and memorable has also increased the experimentation and creativity with wedding menus.
Creative culinary design will allow your chef to play with presentation and make your wedding an incredible visual experience. Many caterers now offer an expanded range of options from farm-to-table, vegan, and even gluten-free. Wholesome comfort foods are at the top of the wedding food trends this year, but move over mac and cheese and enter fusion ideas like an Indian twist on the traditional meatloaf in a kabob style with warm Indian spices or hearty pasta dishes like ravioli.
HLphoto
As you are planning your wedding menu, observe and take note while you and your fiancé are dining out. This can be a great source of inspiration!
Plant-based foods have skyrocketed in popularity over the last couple of years with an increased number of vegans, vegetarians, and flexitarians (those wanting to up their intake of plant-based meals without completely eliminating meat). More people are looking for healthy substitutes for meat that taste delicious. Watch as the hearty texture and absorbent quality of mushrooms make them a go-to since it imitates a meatiness we sometimes crave so much. In 2022, we expect to see an uptick in recipes that call on mushrooms to replace meats.
Expect to see a resurgence of classic fine-dining dishes like Oysters Rockefeller that were popular in the 1950s as people are ready to indulge in upscale experiences, adding a bit of glamour and luxury back into their meals after nearly two years of home cooking.
Facing supply challenges with common ingredients like chocolate, pastry chefs are getting creative with dessert options and utilizing more seasonal items that are accessible near the restaurant – think individual apple pies and fresh fruit gratin.
Anastasiia
Options for your wedding menu are truly countless. Create a magical feast for your guests that will not only tempt the eye but also the taste buds. Your chef can design the plate and select the right complementing flavor combinations. This trend has catering teams crafting a cultural mosaic from all over the globe.
