I have been to a fare few number of weddings and seen many unique ways to display and serve food but the majority of this post will be sharing from one wedding that I actually helped with myself, so without further adue, here are some fun ideas of what you can do to present the food from your event in a way that is outside the box with DIY spirit!

1. Cupcake Towers 

For this wedding, the bride and groom wanted to through in some Retro 1950's spirit but when you say your serving hamburgers, it can be hard to maintain the classy element!  So we served mini sliders and stacked them up on a cupcake tiered platter to showcase their cuteness.  Yes, I just called a hamburger cute, but in this case, I think that have a fun color and it should be showcased.  The sliders were held together with toothpicks to avoid a mess.



Catering by: Natalie and John Cook in Fort Collins, CO

2. Class it up with classy cups

Since we mixed an all over retro and vintage theme, we used little traditional tea cups with gold spoons to dress up the sauces like ketchup, mayo and mustard.  This can of course be applied to any sauce.

3. Slice open a Pineapple

I loved the way the fruit itself was used to serve dip for the fruit.  It is fun and colorful and festive.

4. French Fry Cones

We created these with a waxed brown parchment paper and paper doilie patterned printed paper.  We rolled them and then simply stapled them at the bottom.  They were a fun way to display potato fries that were quick and easy for guests to grab.  The box they are in is a vintage glass bottle box we found at a local antique mall.

This paper cone approach can work for other fried foods too, such as fried green beans, veggie sticks, popcorn etc.

 We used a pair of scrap booking craft scissors to cut the end of the brown paper in a delicate fashion.
 To step above plastic wears, we collected silverware and wrapped it in dollies with hemp twine. The doilies were also tinted with tea water and dried, but you can buy tinted paper doilies at Hobby Lobby or Michael's which is much easier.

5. The Candy Bar

I don't think this one ever gets old because it is so fun and so cute!  Instead of making a strenuous effort to create many a wedding favor for every guest, I love that they can create something for themselves and the kids LOVE it. The cutest approach to this is to be sure to mix it up.  Use a variety of funky shapes and sizes with a few lids and cute candy styled scoops.  For this display we printed out vintage candy labels that had that carnival feel to them and then modged podged them to the jars.  In our case, when modge podging the printed pieces, the ink would spread a bit, so it ended up looking that much older and more authentic as a vintage prop,

6. Candy Trays

Bring the candy to the guests.  Arrange to have teenagers dress up and serve candy to guests bringing the fun to them.  For these we found a sectioned box at an antique mall and attached thick ribbon to it that could help support the box on the servers shoulders.  Servers can share candy, cotton candy, popcorn, soda pops, favors etc.  The list is endless.

7. Soda Bar

For this wedding they had Culvers ice cream cater in with amazing milkshakes and they were served up at a bar constructed of antique doors.  Hobby Lobby had an assortment of cute retro signs for the 50's diner vibe to add to it and painted on old worn wood was labeled "soda fountain".  Vintage bar stools graced the bar too with the dance floor close by.





Soda Fountain sign hung with lace.

8. Soda pop bottles in a... wheel barrow

An old wheelbarrow, repainted it light blue and filled with it ice and a little garland to decorate it up! Super cute way to have soda pops ready for grabbing.

9. Think green 

To help with the cleanup and to take a green approach, an old vintage box and burlap labels were used to direct guests to recycle their bottles.

10.  Cotton Candy

This is a huge hit!  And perfect for that outdoor wedding with the fun vintage vibe.  The kids were crazy about it and all gathered around excitedly to observe and feast on a their sticky feast.  I would have added a decorative grab-able hand wipes container close by too for all the sticky hands.

You can rent or buy cotton candy machines for your wedding.





Wedding Photography by http://effervescentmediaworks.com


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1. Cake Bites!
On a stick or simply on a plate, these fun little bite sized treats are customizable to add to the fun colors of your wedding. The color of chocolate and color of sprinkles and frosting used make for a cute and unique treat at your reception. Crushed peanuts, candy cane, and an alternate color of chocolate are just a few ways to mix of the decorating.

2.  Candy Bar
This is always a popular choice, especially if there are going to be a lot of children running around the reception. Candy bars are a great way of letting your guests fully customize their goody bag to take home with them, and the possibilities are endless, since their are so many different kinds to mix and match with the colors of your wedding. To pull this cute table off you'll need: A variety of glass jars, scoops/ spoons / clamps, clear plastic goody bags, twist ties, someone to man the table and restock and assist guests, and candy! Be sure to consider the weather! If it will be really hot, stay away from chocolate.  A fun way to assemble the candy in the glass jars and vases, is to layer different colors of that particular type of candy, such as m n m's.


An alternate approach to the candy bar bags, is to use little plastic shot glass jars.  Then use the help of your younger group of helpers to act as official candy bar men, with little bow-ties and arm-bands.  This puts the younger folk to work at a spot they would want to spend the most time anyway!

Don't forget to decorate the table as well. Cute little signs attached to each kind of candy telling what it is, a personal addition to the table, such as "So Sweet of you to Come" or "Jane and John's Sweet Corner".  You could even incorporate engagement pictures that are sweet, with a "Love is Sweet"  framed collage.  If you are planning far enough ahead, bring candy items, such as big lollipops, gumballs etc to your engagement shoot that would fit this decorating idea later.

3. Chocolate Fountain

Chocolate fountains are always a big hit! There are so many fun choices of 'dipping' items that you can let your guests pick from.  Whether you stick to the traditional fruits such as strawberries, or get at little more creative. Sponge cake bites, pretzels, strawberries, pineapple, small rice krispie squares, bananas, grapes, cherries, hard cookies such as animal crackers, and marsh mellows ... are just a few starter ideas. To keep things hygienic and a bit more clean, arrange these items around a jar of long wooden sticks for your guests to stab the food into prior to dipping.

This treat too will need some assistance as items fall into the base of the fountain and will need cleaning out from time to time.

4. Crepes

This French treat is a great way to add that special classy touch. With a chef at one end of the table preparing the crepes, then handing them off to each guest, then they can fill and smother their delicious treat in delicacies of their choice: fresh cute strawberries, blue berries, black berries, bananas, whip cream, chocolate, caramel, jam, powdered sugar... mmm, need I saw more!

Hiring a professional is recommended for this addition to your reception buffet, but despite that decision, be sure to have a fire extinguisher close by!

5. Cupcakes
A sweet and cute treat that adds that fun color and flavorful variety to your dessert buffet. But when it comes to cupcakes, think small, and bite sized, as when guests are provided with so many choices they want to try it all! 

If you are not planning on serving wedding cake to your guests, but still plan on cutting a smaller one layer topper, then complete the wedding tier with cupcakes with your wedding cake as the grand finale on top!

6. Donuts and Eclairs 
These sinful and delicate treats are hard for any guest to pass on.  Donuts are recommended for a winter wedding reception buffet, as they are a little bit thicker of a treat, and their glazed cover and fluffy inside goes great with a cup of hot chocolate. 

An entire fall or winter wedding dessert can easily be devoted to donuts alone as there are such variety to choose from! Mini-Donuts are another fun choice for your chocolate fountain too. 

Eclairs are perfect for all year round, with their decorative frosting topping, small bite sized availability and gooey cream filled inside. 
 


7. Hot Chocolate Bar

A must have for a winter wedding in a colder location. There is no better way to cozy up the setting of an indoor winter reception with this addition. 

Spruce up your hot chocolate bar with some of the following items: pre-chocolate dipped spoons dipped in crushed nuts or candy cane, jars of candy canes, cookie sticks, whipped cream, cream, chocolate shavings, mini marsh mellows, stirring sticks and little assorted chocolates. 


8. Ice Cream Bar

Getting married in the midst of summer?  This addition to your wedding reception is another popular choice that will ease the unpleasantness of the heat off your guests. 

First allowing the party to pick their desired flavor into a waffle cone bowl, then letting them loose to choose toppings such as: cherries, strawberries, caramel, chocolate, sprinkles, whipped cream, small candies, nuts, cookies etc.

Constant refrigeration of the ice-cream is recommended for this buffet, as it can easily turn into a gooey mess! 

This is another choice that can easily stand on its own as there is enough variety.

9. Sherbet Punch

Not sure you want to go for a whole ice-cream buffet in 90 degree heat? Then how about another big hit?  Sherbet punch is a cold refreshing treat to share with your guests that will keep them cool and refreshed.  All it takes is sherbet ice cream, a large punch bowl, Sprite, or a similar carbonated beverage, large serving ladel and a helper to regularly re-fill the bowl as this popular choice disappears fast! Clear plastic or glass cups are recommended for sipping it from as it slowly melts.



10.  Veggies, Fruits, Crackers and Cheese ( The healthy stuff )

Last but not least, don't sugar your guests out! When selecting the variety of food to serve, be sure to consider the time of day of your event.  Will your guests be arriving after dinner time? And therefore be happy with a little dessert variety, or is it closer to dinner time in which they will expect to have some protein and substance as well as that dessert variety, in which case mini-sandwiches, crackers and cheese, veggies trays and dips, fruit trays, salad and cold pasta salads are just a few suggestions to start!




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