It’s wedding season! And, as an incoming Bridesmaid, ‘wedding trends’, ‘hen party ideas’ and ‘wedding reception dĂ©cor’ are all my Google account has seen recently.

Each year sees new trends in the wedding industry – child-free celebrations, unplugged ceremonies, live painting and even holiday hen dos.

But, as a perpetually hungry individual, there’s one thing on my mind when it comes to weddings – the food. So, what better pastime than to explore the biggest food and drink trends inspiring brides and grooms to be, so, join me as I delve into what wedding planners are committing to this year.

Family-Style Dining

Sweetheart tables are out. Group Dining is in.

Vogue reports that couples are now looking for “non-wedding weddings”. Gone are the elaborate 5-course menus in favour of more casual, informal dining experiences. Grazing tables are in, as well as dessert tables and sharing platters.

Now, cost may be a key factor in this trend, but overall, couples are looking to celebrate their heritage, and most importantly, their own personal tastes with their wedding menus.

Indeed, TikTok users may have even seen the picky-eating couples with a plate of chicken nuggets and chips for their wedding breakfast while their guests dine on something a little fancier.

Meadow Cakes

I know what you’re thinking, “Florals in Spring. Groundbreaking.” But this trend is all about sustainability. Looking to have natural and eco-friendly decorations? Why not re-use the flowers from your ceremony as a cake decoration?

Food To Go

Whilst we’re on the subject of cake – say goodbye to cake cutting ceremonies. With the more informal wedding style, comes a more informal cake set-up. Guests can help themselves to pre-sliced cake or even a food-to-go box at the end of the night.

With many wedding breakfasts including a dessert option, takeaway boxes certainly seem an effective to reduce food waste!

Late-Night Surprises

As couples look to extend their celebrations into the early hours, it’s becoming more common for guests to be treated to ‘Dinner 2.0’. Nothing is off the table, as pizza bars, ice-cream stands and even sushi platters can make an appearance – not only feeding the hungry, but also helping to soak up copious amounts of alcohol.

Wedding Weekends

We see it all the time on socials, what seems to be the never-ending wedding celebrations of the newly married, and for good reason.

The wedding weekend encourages a three-day celebration. Here we see new types of dining – brunches, sunset canapes and late-night catering for the guests still up to party. It’s a further opportunity to mingle, and if you’re on a destination wedding – try the local food.

Dining Out

In good news for the hospitality industry, restaurants are no longer in the ‘rehearsal dinner only’ category.

In line with the trend of more informal weddings, and indeed, smaller weddings with only the nearest and dearest invited, restaurants are becoming a go-to option for wedding breakfasts.

We’ve already seen this on socials, as Made in Chelsea it-couple Sophie and Jamie wed at the Chelsea Registry Office before heading off to celebrate at Stanleys. Not quite an informal wedding example, but not the big country manor many may have predicted.

Drinks & The Sober Curious

The Guardian are reporting that up to 28% of young adults in the UK now don’t drink. With the rise of the sober, and the sober curious, non-alcoholic drinks offerings are on the rise. These are fancier than just fizzy drinks and juice. With the Low/No market predicted to rise each year, there are new brands emerging specialising in non-alcoholic spirits, perfect for a high-quality mocktail.

For those who don’t fall into the sober curious category, there are three distinct trends emerging in drinks:

  1. We Tied the Knot, Have A Shot! Tequila, Fireball, or even artisan gins aren’t immune to being the new wedding favour.
  2. Champagne towers – no commentary needed.
  3. His and Hers cocktails chosen to reflect the bride and groom.

A certain jellybean MD and her Creative & Digital Managing Partner husband were rumoured to have an evening whisky toast at their wedding – rather apt as their dog (our office dog) is called whisky and they are both fans of the Scottish tipple.

Interactive culinary experiences

Not quite as mainstream as others, but interactive culinary experiences are on the rise. Whilst the most common at this time may be roasting marshmallows over a campfire, in the next few years we could see something a little bigger.

With trend reports highlighting the rise in competitive socialising (OOH dining experiences complete with an activity – Darts/ Shuffle Boards/ Axe Throwing) this could soon enter into wedding plans, taking over from the usual hog roasts, woodfired pizza and fish & chip vans.

Let us know your favourite wedding trend for 2024, or if you’ve been privy to any of the above and have a tale or two to share! Head to our socials – @jellybeanagency