From canapes to cakes, your ultimate guide to throwing (and attending) the most delicious wedding ever
You’re probably attending a wedding this year. Heck, it might even be your own (in which case, congrats!). And as anyone who has planned one can tell you, weddings today are about so much more than a marriage contract. At their best — whether they’re 300-person, three-day bashes or a trip to the courthouse followed by lunch — weddings are celebrations of partnership and community. At their worst, they are superficial status symbols, stressful ordeals for couples and guests alike. But wherever your next wedding falls on this spectrum (let’s hope it’s the former), one thing holds true: The food matters.
Good food does not always equate to a good wedding, but it certainly helps. And along with fulfilling the practical need of satiating the guests, the food served throughout the event reveals something bigger — about the couple’s personal taste, but also our culture. The precise choice of canape, the decision to plate dinner versus putting out a buffet, the style of cake or absence of cake altogether are weighty considerations that change with the times, elevating wedding food into its own unique culinary genre that, frankly, deserves exploring. (For what it’s worth, we’re Team Cake.)
And so, as we enter into wedding season 2023, Eater is here to help any food-passionate couple throw an unforgettably delicious party all while examining some of the flavorful rituals that have made weddings the central tradition they are. Even if there are no sweetheart tables or cake cuttings in your future, we have advice for how to eat well the next time you’re invited to witness some “I do”s, from how to avoid a disappointing entree to pacing yourself at the bar to rocking the registry. Because as soon as the rings are exchanged, the broom is jumped, or the glass is smashed, it’s really just time to eat.
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Ria Osborne
Don’t Be Too Cool for Cake
Four professional bakers on how to get a wedding cake that’s worth it
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Ria Osborne
How to Throw the Ultimate Restaurant Wedding
Some advice from planners and a restaurant-industry couple plotting their very own three-day, restaurant-filled wedding
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Ria Osborne
Mashed Potatoes in a Martini Glass
And the other foods you only see at weddings
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Ria Osborne
A Wedding Buffet for the Ages
At Indian weddings, more is more. Here’s how one catering company pulls off its daylong feasts.
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Ria Osborne
Wedding Food Horror Stories
Disaster tales from industry pros
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Ria Osborne
Skip the Brunch, Have the After-Party
Because sometimes, the after-party is the best part
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Ria Osborne
Let Him Eat Cake
The groom’s cake tradition, explained
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Ria Osborne
How to Crush a Wedding
Make the absolute most of your next wedding RSVP with this Eater-approved advice
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Ria Osborne
Advertiser Content: 5 Wedding Food Trends to Watch
This wedding season, nostalgia is in
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Ria Osborne
Eloping With Enchiladas
When the best wedding food isn’t wedding food at all
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Ria Osborne
27 Must-Have Kitchen Items for Your Registry
Trust us, you’re not going to use that cherry pitter
Where to Find the Best Restaurants for Your Wedding Day
If you’re now convinced you should have a restaurant wedding, start here
Credits
Editorial lead: Monica Burton
Creative director: Nat Belkov
Contributors: Patricia Howard, Bettina Makalintal, Nicholas Mancall-Bitel, Amy McCarthy, Jaya Saxena, Mehr Singh, Peggy Truong
Art director: Lille Allen
Photographers: Roshni Khatri, Ria Osborne
Food stylist: Liberty Fennell
Illustrator: Sonny Ross
Editors: Erin DeJesus, Jess Mayhugh, Jesse Sparks, Lesley Suter
Copy editors: Nadia Q. Ahmad, Leilah Bernstein
Fact checker: Kelsey Lannin
Engagement editors: Kaitlin Bray, Frances Dumlao, Kristen Kornbluth, Mira Milla
Project manager: Lesley Suter
Special thanks to Avery Dalal, Missy Frederick, Rachel P. Kreiter, Ellie Krupnick, Stephen Pelletteri, Prop Haus NYC, Jay Simms, Jonathan Smith, Ed Szymanski, Stephanie Wu
