16 Unique Summer Wedding Menu Ideas
Image by Sharday Photography
Your wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event.
Make it an unforgettable experience with a one-of-a-kind menu!
Wedding planning is all fun and games at first (you know, when it’s all hypothetical and a bunch of pins on your “Dream Wedding” Pinterest board), but it can get really stressful really fast. It’s easy to get caught up in all the details and lose sight of the magic of the day itself. And then, the day of the wedding is always filled with nearly as much nervousness as happiness. Do you know what is great for relieving some of the stress of planning and calming nerves on a wedding day? Exploring delicious menu options and having delicious food to munch on! Enjoy the thrill of searching for interesting and irresistible dishes, maybe even experiment and try a few before deciding what to serve at your wedding! Then, relish in the confidence that you’ve selected a unique and unmatched menu for your summer wedding!
How to choose the right menu for your wedding:
Truth be told, there is no magic formula for finding the right wedding menu for you. Just like your relationship and the wedding you’ll share, the food you serve will be unique and depend on you! Some couples want to include elements of their favorite foods, others want streamlined simplicity and efficiency. Some may want to meticulously plan each dish, while others may put their trust in caterers to put together a memorable meal. Regardless of all of these things, though, there are a few things to keep in mind while brainstorming your summer wedding menu.
Appetizers
It’s always a good idea to have an appetizer or two (or even three!) available for guests to snack on at certain times. There is a lot of creative freedom when it comes to selecting appetizers since there are countless to choose from to fit within any flavor preference or wedding theme, but seasonality should always be taken into consideration. When it comes to summer weddings, having small dishes that do well in the heat and have a lighter, fresher feel are going to be favored over appetizers like soups, fried foods, and the like. Here are 4 appetizers to consider for a summer wedding in 2022!
Devilled Eggs with a Twist
Devilled eggs are a beloved appetizer served at a variety of events, which means they are a great option to include for a summer wedding, especially if they are made with a fun, flavorful twist! Our Créole Devilled Eggs are always a hit and feature homemade bacon jam and chives, but southwestern devilled eggs would be another interesting option to serve at a summer wedding!
Bite-Sized Crab Cakes
Perfect for grazing, crab cake bites are an excellent appetizer to serve at a summer wedding. Our crab cakes are drizzled in a spicy, buttery remoulade, but a creamy aioli would pair just as well.
Antipasto Skewers
Light and entertaining, antipasto skewers are a classic and customizable appetizer. We serve tender tortellini alongside fresh basil, mozzarella, and grape tomatoes with a hint of balsamic vinegar. There are so many other inclusions for antipasto skewers, don’t be afraid to experiment!
Prosciutto Salad Cups
Including fresh leafy greens for a summer meal is a must, and these prosciutto salad cups bring both elegance and simplicity to the table! They are easily customizable to fit whatever wedding theme your heart may be set on. Wanting a light but zesty salad to match the couple’s easy-going but fun demeanor? Opt for a red pepper vinaigrette! Maybe you’re hoping to showcase your adventurous spirit, perhaps a green goddess or strawberry dressing is the way to go. Regardless of how you choose to dress your prosciutto salads up, they are an easy and refreshing appetizer for a summer wedding!
Ingredients
- Prosciutto
- Lettuce or greens of choice
- Toppings of choice (like veggies, nuts, cheese, etc)
- Dressing of choice
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400º F. Take strips of prosciutto and wrap it around the inside of a muffin cup tin, creating a bowl. You should only need one piece of prosciutto per muffin cup. Bake for 15 minutes.
- While the prosciutto cups are baking, cut your lettuce and place it in a bowl. Add your toppings of choice and dressing, then toss to coat.
- Once the cups are finished baking, place them on a plate. Use tongs to fill each cup with the salad mixture. Grate extra cheese over the top and serve!
Entrées
Depending on the length of your wedding day, there’s a decent chance you’ll need to serve your guests a more substantial meal. Much like the appetizers, choosing entrées to serve at your wedding can be a fun experience filled with exciting variety. But, more care and consideration should be taken to ensure that guests with food allergies or restrictions are accommodated. Here are 4 entrée options to consider for your summer wedding!
Food Stations
There is so much fun to be had by including food stations at a summer wedding. It gives guests the exciting freedom to create their own memories with food, and it’s a great way to get guests mingling and conversing, too! There is also a lot of freedom for the couple, too, in deciding what to serve. Think of your favorite food. Maybe you would love to include some of your favorite Chinese dishes at your wedding, perhaps pasta, or maybe even tacos. Whatever food you may crave, odds are it can be converted into a food station for your summer wedding!
Surf and Turf Dinner
If you live near a coast, mixing and matching proteins from the land and the sea can be a great way to enliven your wedding menu! We put together this savory dinner of garlic and herb-crusted lamb chops with stuffed lobster, roasted rainbow carrots, and creamy mashed potatoes for guests to indulge in. There are a ton of surf and turf wedding meal options available, so why not give it a glance?
Roasted Chicken and Veggie Plates
Chicken is one of the most popular entrées for weddings due to its incredible versatility. It can be prepared in so many ways to serve a multitude of flavors, it’s a great option for any wedding of any season! Pairing buttery, citrusy roasted airline chicken with tender asparagus and butternut squash au gratin on a bed of jasmine rice has been a success at a number of our previously catered events, but there are so many ways to make this meal your own! Substituting the roasted airline chicken for balsamic glazed chicken and serving it with the sweet butternut squash au gratin, for example, is a combination that is sure to make your summer wedding all the more memorable!
Zesty Shrimp and Salmon Tacos
If you are a fan of seafood and tasty tacos, these shrimp and salmon tacos are a great choice for your summer wedding!
You can read more details for this recipe on our Fresh and Zesty Shrimp and Salmon Tacos blog, but here’s the gist of what you’ll need!
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup chili garlic sauce
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce, optional
- 1 ½ pounds extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 6 cups vegetable oil for frying
- 10 flour tortillas, warmed
- 1 pound of smoked salmon
- Smoked Salsa
- Shredded Cheese
- Chopped cilantro
Directions
- In a bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, chili garlic sauce, and sriracha together until blended. Store up to two days in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- In a separate bowl, marinate the shrimp in the buttermilk for 20 minutes.
- Combine the flour, cornstarch, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.
- Set a cooling rack on top of a sheet pan on which to place the breaded shrimp prior to frying. Set up a draining station as well by lining another sheet pan with a thick layer of paper towels
- While the oil heats, drain the buttermilk and toss the shrimp, in batches, in the flour mixture. Shake off any excess flour and arrange the shrimp on the cooling rack to “dry out” while you’re heating your frying oil.
- Heat the oil until ready to fry, about 400º, and preheat the oven to 250-275°F.
- To fry the shrimp, add a handful of the shrimp to the hot oil, and after a minute of frying, use a slotted spoon to stir and separate the shrimp; they like to stick together. Fry for 4 to 4 1/2 minutes, or until the shrimp are golden brown.
- Keep the shrimp warm and continue frying. Remove the shrimp from the oil with a slotted spoon and place them on your draining rack/pan. Place the cooked shrimp in the warm oven. Also, place tortillas in the oven before assembling your tacos.
- Continue frying the remaining shrimp in batches. Remember to let the oil come back up to 350°F in between batches.
- Fill the warmed tortillas with a handful of cheese and smoked salsa with the shrimp, and sauce. Garnish the tacos with cilantro then serve.
Dessert
Ah, yes. The fabled wedding dessert. While most people may think of a white, three-tiered cake as the typical preferred dessert option, there are actually plenty of other sweet treats to choose from for your summer wedding! Here are 4 irresistible desserts to include in your summer wedding!
Lemon Cream Cupcakes
Creamy, tangy, and incredibly shareable, these lemon cream cupcakes are a sweet summer snack to serve at your wedding!
Assorted Cakes and Donuts
You can have more than just one cake at your wedding. In fact, you can have as many as you want, any variety you want, too! They can be large enough to feed the party or an assortment of single-serve cakes. Speaking of assortment, why not add an assortment of irresistible donuts to your dessert table? They are easily accessible and the variety of flavors ensures that every guest can find a favorite!
Strawberry Cheesecake Bites
While these cheesecake bites are small, they are filled to the brim with sweetness! Incorporate the unique bounty of flavor that the summer offers by drizzling cheesecake bites in a fresh strawberry purée and watch as this dessert becomes the star of your wedding dinner! For an extra dose of decadence, try strawberry cheesecake bites with white chocolate!
Peach Crumble
Bring the taste of home to your wedding with this summertime dessert for the ages! Plump and juicy baked peaches topped with brown sugar crumble and a dollop of smooth vanilla ice cream, how much sweeter could it get?
Ingredients
- 4 peaches
- 1 cup flour
- ½ cup oats
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 8 Tablespoons butter
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- Melt the butter in a medium bowl. Add the flour, oats, and brown sugar. Mix together until it forms a crumble that sticks together when pressed.
- Cut your peaches in half, remove the pits, and lay them cut side up on a baking sheet. Top each peach half with a couple tablespoons of the crumble mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
- Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a dash of cinnamon.
Drinks
Some people may choose to take the simple route and offer guests a few selections of wine and maybe a non-alcoholic drink for any young family members. It’s an elegant and refined choice, to be sure, but if you’re looking to shake things up a bit, we’ve got 4 exciting drinks to ponder for serving at your summer wedding!
Sparkling Flower Cocktails
Your menu can play an integral role in your wedding’s theme. Make it festive with these beautiful and delicious floral rosé cocktails!
Fruit-Infused Water
This season is turning out to be a particularly brutal one, so it’s important to keep yourself and your guests hydrated as much as possible at your summer wedding. Use the opportunity to boast a chic approach to hydration by serving fruit-infused water! There are numerous infused water recipes on the web, so you can mix and match or find your perfect fit with ease!
Strawberry Mint Spritzer
Recently, we served a refreshing spritz for a dainty local event that turned out to be the perfect summer drink! While we also included a generous helping of citrus flavors, strawberry mint spritzers are a fun and invigorating drink to keep the good vibes flowing at your summer wedding!
Watermelon Agua Fresca
Simple and sweet, this drink is a great way to keep children entertained for your summer event!
Ingredients
- 1 pound watermelon (fruit only)
- 2 Tablespoons lime juice
- A pinch of salt
Directions
- Blend all ingredients together until the watermelon is completely broken down.
- Strain, and enjoy!
Table & Thyme and You!
It may be fun to browse and explore the range of possibilities when it comes to what to serve at a summer wedding, but planning the logistics can get tricky, too. Save yourself the time and effort and let us do the hard work for you! Table & Thyme is dedicated to creating elevated catering experiences through the variety of services we offer. That includes our one-of-a-kind graze boxes, our extravagant grazing tables, and even our plated event catering options! We would love to work with you to make your dream summer wedding a reality, so don’t hesitate to reach out to us via our contact page and find out if we can make moments any more magical for you!
For more information on Table and Thyme, contact them today! Follow us on our social media: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Pinterest to see the other amazing events, lavishing grazing tables and beautiful graze boxes we have created.