Our 20 Most Inventive Ideas for Your Wedding Buffet (2024)

Taco Bar

While these tacos from Contigo Catering were the groom's favorite part of the buffet, virtually every attendee added one to their plate. If you are also a taco fanatic, consider adding them to your buffet station; serve them alongside house-made chips with pimiento-cheese, lentils, and vegetable dips for variety.

Cake Shooters

When thinking through your dessert buffet menu, remember that smaller confections can definitely make a big impression. Thanks to CakeSmith, this couple provided mini cake shooters, in lemon curd and chocolate truffle flavors, to satisfy everyone with a sweet tooth at the reception.

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Vegetable Setup

This couple enlisted one of their favorite local restaurant groups, Gusto 54, to make a mix of Italian foods for their micro wedding. A Cavolo Nero kale, pecorino, and pine nuts salad was served next to Sicilian style-pizzas; a medley of grilled vegetables, pictured here, offered another healthy option.

Brunch Bites

A Sunday brunch buffet isn't complete without a few quintessential breakfast foods, such as casseroles and toasts. Get in on the fun by offering up tasty morning-inspired eats, like the ones Good Food served here, including a spinach, goat cheese, and tomato frittata; scrambled egg and hash brown casserole; grilled steaks; white cheddar cheese grits; pasta with asparagus and cherry tomatoes; chicken and waffles with pecan-maple butter; and cream cheese-stuffed French toast.

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Organic Pizza Display

Personalize your pizza station with details that speak to the season and your location. At this rustic outdoor event, potted plants added an organic touch, while the pies themselves were served on wooden tables for a farmhouse element.

Crackers and Cheese

Elevated cuisine doesn't have to come in the form of a plated meal, and these appetizers, poised on this couple's buffet, are proof. Consider adding a grazing station with crackers, breads, and a selection of gourmet cheeses, like these from Christophe Catering, to your co*cktail hour menu.

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Southeast Asian Bites

Wayla curated a buffet that spoke to the couple's Southeast Asian theme, including spring rolls and plenty of signature salads. You can emulate this spread, too, if you have a similar vision in mind for your big day.

Pastries Display

While your big-day food needs to be on point, its presentation is a big part of piecing together the ultimate wedding buffet. Here, Eldorado Resort and Casino placed pastries on stylish marble shelving, which elevated (pun intended!) the dessert course.

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Grazing Table

A grazing table is a great reception buffet option. Take this spread by Cedar Lakes Estate, for example. The couple noted that everyone enjoyed the meats, cheeses, breads, and vegetables—and they even took home some leftovers.

Carpaccio and Corn Cakes

Keeping your big-day food safe is a must, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This wedding buffet idea prioritizes just that; this duo displayed their eats, including beef carpaccio on potato crisps and corn cakes topped with pepper, cheese, and chives, behind a plexiglass partition (everything was then served by a singular station attendant from The Line Hotel).

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Pie Time

Choosing to forgo a wedding cake on your big day? Pie can be a perfect alternative—so feel free to offer a broad range of flavors. Hey There, Cupcake! baked a whole selection of cherry, pecan, pumpkin, and apple pies for this couple's dessert buffet.

Oyster Bar

An oyster bar isn't reserved for beachside weddings alone. Take inspiration from this garden party: Benjamin Gilles served oysters on the half shell, which added another elevated element to the elegant affair.

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Pizza Station

Searching for a buffet wedding food idea for the end of your big day? At this event, friends and family enjoyed freshly made late-night pizza from Old Edwards Inn. The dim lighting set the scene for the dancing portion of the evening and the signage served as a nod to the bride (pizza is one of her favorite dishes!).

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Snack Table

If your answer to the question, "Do you like cheese?" is always, "Yes, please," then you'll want to emulate this snack table curated by Class Eventi. In addition to delectable cheeses, the caterer brought cured meats and canapés into the mix.

Light Bites

Make like this duo and marry the cultural dishes of your childhood during your reception. To pay homage to the groom's Middle Eastern and Mediterranean heritage, the couple had a grill station that included dips, flatbreads, and salads, all courtesy ofNeuman's Kitchen.

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Southern Fare

According to this couple, their wedding buffet—which was filled with pulled pork, friend chicken, collard greens and biscuits, thanks to Chef Trevor Stockton of RT Lodge—made their party "a Southern fête to remember!" Come dessert, hand pies from Dale's Fried Pies rounded out the Southern cuisine theme.

Farm-Fresh Wraps

Sourcing your wedding food from local farmers not only allows you to support your community, but also leads to the freshest-possible meal. Curate your own farm-to-table-inspired spread, like this one from Babette's: Chickpea shawarma wraps were the signature dish, while chickpea hummus with farmer's market crudités and yogurt parfaits with mixed berries and granola offered tasty variety.

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Leafy Greens

A delicious side dish just might be the star of your buffet table, so long as you dress it up correctly. Heirloom Fire made two salads for this celebration and surrounded the edible leafy greens with a series of decorative vines for organic flair.