Weddings now see display of gourmet dishes, exotic food

From live station counters to themed culinary foods, food served at weddings have a new avatar now

In the last couple of years, the way weddings are celebrated has changed. From decor, gifts, fashion to the duration of the celebration, everyone wants something new. But the core of a wedding still remains the same— the food.

With globetrotting becoming more and more common, the food menu at weddings has also evolved to include world cuisine.

Somewhere along the way, just to make the experience of dining a joyful one, families are increasing their food budgets.

Vithika, co-founder of ‘DivyaVithika’, says that she’s seen the trend of live stations growing in the recent years.

“There would be a live counter just for different types of ‘dal’. The server would add the tadka right in front of you and you get to choose from the six types of ‘dal’ available. If it’s ‘dal baati’, you’ll be offered a completely different tadka,” she says. This makes selecting your food an interesting and interactive experience.

When Aira Wedding Planners got a chance to organise a New York evening-themed wedding, everything from the decor to the food was planned accordingly.

Founder Sarang Naroth says, “Everything from the city bar style to hot dogs and junk food was served New York-style. The couple wanted to recreate how they fell in love in the city and the food played a major part in it.”

Though Indian food still remains a must-have in the menu, families are leaning towards newer cuisines like Mexican, Thai, Italian and Mongolian cuisines.

Depending on where the family chooses to conduct the wedding, hotel kitchens of catering services take charge of the food served. The wedding planners help the families design menus for each event like Mehendi, sangeet, wedding and reception. This gives the client a chance to offer varied items and not bore the guests.

Vithika adds, “Since Mehendi ceremonies last from morning to evening, ‘chaats’ were a popular item. That’s being slowly replaced with guacamole counters where chips and dip have become the new snack.”

Sushi counters are also a huge hit. This is mostly served during the reception where guests can either have it as an appetiser or as a full meal.

Presentation of food at weddings have also changed a lot. Panipuri is now served in shot glasses. Welcome drinks have switched from regular fruit juices to coconut water. Guests may find stylish napkins or cocktail umbrellas adding a bit of zing to these welcome drinks. Some planners even add a ‘welcome’ note on the coconut shell.
When it comes to desserts, the trend inclines towards bite-sized portions, especially since no one stays put in one place due to the many ceremonies. “No one wants to hold a big plate in their hands and have only a few options. Bite-sized desserts give the guests a chance to try more varieties and eat as much as they want,” says Vithika.

‘Chocolate kebabs’ are an item that some families are opting for. Instead of making chicken kebabs, the chefs will cook chocolate on lava stone and add dry fruits to complete the dish.

But something that’s new to the wedding celebration is the tea station. “There will be a few varieties of tea leaves available at the counter.
The guests can choose one and it will be brewed for you in a couple of minutes,” says Sarang.

One can expect anything from hibiscus, rose, chamomile tea leaves imported especially to make the after-drink a special one.