With the world rapidly focusing on globalisation and adapting to trends from across the world, some of these have been predominantly established. Pop culture has shown its influence in innumerable ways, be it in TV series, movies, fashion, or even weddings. And as the wedding industry advances, the trends in the food being served at the celebrations and the menus keep evolving as well. Today, due to the amount of exposure to global cuisine in metro cities, the hosts wish to include it all to cater to all possible palettes at their wedding, making it not only a costly affair but also one with lots of wastage. This has also birthed sustainable menu trends, which include the family taking measures to ensure minimal waste. A few other trends being observed in the curation of wedding menus stem from utilising animatics and theatrics in the presentation of the dishes, which we can again attribute to our dearest pop culture.
The food curation for weddings and their menus has now turned out to be an extravagant affair. While hosting the wedding, one not only hires very skilled cooks and high-class caterers but also invests in professionals to curate the menu. After all, if there’s one thing the guests take with themselves long after the wedding, it’s the food that they were fed. We can read about the aforementioned wedding menu trends in detail below:
Also Read: 6 Clever Tips To Save Money On Your Wedding Food
1. The essence of sustainability
Sustainable weddings don’t always have to be an intimate function, the couple can have luxurious events with the decor being natural and eco-friendly. Natural elements can also effortlessly work for a sustainable wedding without losing the magnificence of the event. Some of the easiest and cheaper solutions to making your wedding sustainable is by serving dishes made out of clay and mud pots instead of metal and plastic and using bamboo cutlery and bowls made out of banana leaves.
2. Zero-waste management concept
It’s crucial to note that around 20 to 30% of food is wasted at an average Indian wedding. There are a lot of methods to avoid the same such as opting for plated dinners or having a plan for the leftovers if you arrange a buffet. Additionally, one can tie up with a cloud kitchen or a food service to take up the extra food and serve it to those who need it. Moreover, supporting local farmers by choosing locally sourced food and opting for vegetarian food, can also be one of the key points to keep in mind to have a sustainable wedding.
3. Thematic and unique food setups
Including themes and concepts like art buffets integrating food with live art, like using edible food paints and chocolate frames to set up the counters.
Also Read: Wedding Diet Tips: 5 Unfriendly Foods For Brides
4. Animations and theatrical effects
Everybody likes to see some types of theatre effects at the table or at the bar, irrespective of whether it is food or drinks. Usage of props such as smoke guns, bubble guns, molecular gastronomy, and some drama are always welcome, and with this, every dining experience changes with the mood and makes the wedding memorable.
5. Health food choices for the wedding menu
People have also become cognizant of what they tend to consume on a day-to-day basis. And for such people, a wedding menu doesn’t have to be tempting at all. That’s what we have live counters for! Live counters have all the veggies that you could possibly think of. Just ask the chefs to prepare salads or grilled chicken customised to your liking. Today, there are counters for innumerable cuisines ranging from Mexican to Chinese. Just add your favourite veggies with seasoned herbs, and have at it!
About the Author: Chef Jerson Fernandes is the Director of Culinary at Novotel Hotel, Juhu Beach, Mumbai.
