COVID-19 has drastically changed the wedding catering industry in the United States, so what can couples do? Your guests still need to eat! Luckily, there are several wedding catering trends that are both fun and safe for events in the time of COVID. Here are a couple of our favorites: 

• Food Stations – Food stations have been around for a while and they aren’t going anywhere. From appetizers and cocktails to ice cream bars, taco stations, and even mashed potato bars, food stations are seriously trending. They’re fun and they’re safe! Pre-poured, pre-plated and even mini servings of station foods are ideal for minimizing guest and server contact, especially since they help keep lines moving and spread out the guests for better social distancing.

• Passed Hors D’Oeuvres – While grazing boards, like those with charcuterie spreads, fruits and desserts are fun, they’re not ideal for COVID safety. Luckily, passed hors d’oeuvres are back in style. They allow for masked servers to bring food directly to guests to minimize people unnecessarily touching food.

• Décor Cakes – While traditional tower wedding cakes are lovely and always will be, more and more couples are moving towards décor cakes. Décor cakes are smaller cakes that are placed at each guest seat to serve as both decoration and a tasty dessert. You can still have a big cake for that photo cake-cutting moment, but the small individual cakes are better for social distancing. You can also opt for other small desserts like pies, macarons or even donuts. 

These are just a few of the current COVID-friendly catering trends, but there are tons of other ways to keep guests safe when it’s time to eat, including:  

• Temperature checks on all employees and outside caterers

• Mask requirements for employees and caterers

• Individual plates rather than family style service

• Individual serving ware rather than shared serving tools 

Also, it’s important to note that recent CDC findings suggest that the virus that causes COVID-19 doesn’t grow or live on food or drinking liquids, so handling food or consuming food is generally safe when it comes to transmission. 

 

While weddings and other events might not be like we pictured for the foreseeable future, they are still possible with safety measures and a little creativity. You can still have a wonderful wedding, party or event with catering ideas like these to keep people safe, fed and having fun. You want your guests to be safe and feel safe while celebrating. 

 

Do you want more wedding or event planning tips? Memorial Event Center is here to help. We’re a Mission, TX event center with tons of experience making event dreams come true. We’d love to help make your next event one to remember. Call or visit us today to learn more about what we can do for you.