Best Food Bars For Your Wedding
Waffles with powdered sugar and berries.
If you need a budget friendly option for your wedding menu, think about serving a food bar. A build your own ramen bowl or taco station can be delicious, fun - and inexpensive. The service and ingredients for self serve food costs a lot less than a full service, sit down meal.
You can get creative and plan nearly anything for a food bar. Think about dishes you love that have a lot of variety or a lot of toppings. If your wedding is at dinner time, you could serve a burger bar or a pasta bar. If you’re planning a brunch wedding you could offer a waffle bar, a pancake bar or a biscuit bar.
How to Plan a Wedding Food Bar
Hire a Caterer
Full service caterers are usually the most expensive option. Especially for a full, plated dinner. But a self serve food bar will be a lot cheaper, so check the prices from your local caterers. Depending on your menu, hiring someone could be the best option for your budget.
Do It Yourself
If you want to DIY your wedding menu, most food bars are easy and fun to set up. You’ll need to cook the main dish, then cut and plate the condiments and side dishes. If you choose an easy menu, you and your helpers can do it yourselves. If you’re thinking about doing it yourself, read this next: Self Cater Your Wedding: How to DIY Your Wedding Food.
Semi-DIY
If you don’t want to cook and store a lot of food yourself, you can order restaurant food to be delivered to your wedding reception. You can DIY the set up and clean up, along with some helpers.
Remember to do the Math First
Food bars are a great way to save money. But do the math first so you know exactly how much your food will cost you.
DIY is great, but it’s not free. You’ll need to pay for all the ingredients, condiments, side dishes and salads. You’ll also have to rent or borrow chafing dishes and serving pieces. Plus, think about the amount of time it will take you to shop, cook, set up and clean up.
Add up the ingredients and rentals you’ll need if you DIY your food bar.
Then phone some local caterers and get their prices for the same menu. You might find it’s cheaper (and easier) to hire a professional. Next, check the food prices at a local deli or restaurant.
Once you’ve got real numbers you can compare and decide what’s best for you and your wedding budget.
Ideas For Wedding Food Bars:
If you’re on a tight budget, stick with the basics: your main dish plus toppings. If you’ve got some wiggle room in your budget, you can fancy it up a little. Try adding some nicer buns, extra side dishes and more optional condiments. Choose any type of food bar that suits your wedding: a taco bar, a burger bar or a pasta bar can be easy and delicious.
Taco Bar:
Taco shells
Flour tortillas
Ground beef
Steak
Chicken
Spicy black beans
Cilantro rice
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Salsa
Pico de gallo
Limes
Guacamole
Sour cream
Sliced jalapeno peppers
Festive table set with a skillet, tacos, salsa and guacamole.
Salad Bar:
Lettuce
Spinach
Arugula
Chicken
Beans
Lentils
Hardboiled eggs
Chickpeas
Carrots
Broccoli
Onions
Tomatoes
Sweet peppers
Balsamic dressing
Blue cheese dressing
Ranch dressing
Italian dressing
Croutons
Almonds
Walnuts
Pumpkin seeds
Ramen Bar:
Broth
Noodles
Cooked chicken
Cooked Pork
Cooked Beef
Hardboiled eggs
Bean sprouts
Bamboo sprouts
Corn
Seaweed
Green onions
Chili oil
Soy sauce
Hamburger Bar:
Hamburgers
Hot dogs
Veggie burgers
Kaiser buns
Onion rolls
Ciabatta buns
Brioche buns
Bacon
Cheese
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Pickles
Mushrooms
Onions
Condiments
Pasta salad
Potato salad
Vegetable salad
Cutting board set with hamburgers, pickles and condiments.
Pasta Bar:
Linguine
Spagetti
Penne
Rotini
Chicken
Meatballs
Sausage
Grilled vegetables
Marinara sauce
Carbonara sauce
Roasted red pepper sauce
Bolognese sauce
Alfredo sauce
Cheese
Hot pepper flakes
Basil leaves
Waffle Bar:
Waffles
Fried eggs
Bacon
Sausages
Peanut butter
Nutella
Honey
Yogurt
Maple syrup
Butter
Whipped cream
Blueberries
Strawberries
Raspberries
Bananas
Applesauce
Chocolate chips
Sliced almonds
Chopped walnuts
Cinnamon
More food bar ideas:
Coffee bar
Hot chocolate bar
S’mores bar
Ice cream station
French fry bar
Mashed potato bar
Baked potato bar
Mac & cheese station
If you want a wedding menu that’s unique, affordable and fun for your guests, go ahead and get creative with your food bar ideas. With so many options you’ll be sure to find something to fit your style - no matter what your budget!
Still trying to choose a wedding venue or menu that fits your budget? Learn how to find the best (and most affordable) venues in your hometown. Available as an ebook or paperback:
