Design a Dazzling Food Display for Your Wedding

From cheese terrariums to milk-and-cookie shots, these inspiring displays of fare will truly set your event apart.

Design a Dazzling Food Display for Your Wedding

rustic-wood-food-display-with-croissants-and-bread-and-butter
Photo: Rennai Hoefer, Ten22Studio

In addition to the venue, floral design, and wedding décor, many of our brides report that the majority of their budget was spent on the culinary aspects of their big days. While the most important part of menu selection is taste, how your culinary options are presented is becoming more and more popular with modern couples. In addition to serving your loved ones either a traditional sit-down or buffet dinner, incorporate unique culinary displays and presentations throughout your cocktail hour or wedding reception for an event that none of your guests will soon forget. 

Since rustic weddings and food presentations are two of the most popular wedding trends for 2015, the California Milk Advisory Board partnered with Kim Stoegbauer of The TomKat Studio to create seven dairy-based food displays that are perfect for any wedding, from the main event, to a bridal shower, or even an engagement or welcome party. For more information about how to craft these stations for your own bridal occassions, see Kim’s tips below:

1. Present a Fanciful Bread & Butter Station
“A gorgeous, rustic bread-and-butter display is perfect for a wedding or large celebration. Use wood crates stacked on a wood table to create this look. Fill the crates with a variety of artisan breads, rolls, and croissants. Use butter to make flavored spreads, offering both sweet and savory selections. Guests will love trying out various combinations of breads paired with delectable [buttery spreads].”

2. Serve Deconstructed Cheesecake
“Switch out the traditional cheese cake [and] instead pair delicate squares of cheese with complementary flavors, such as delicious slices of fruits, veggies, spreads, and finely sliced meat cuts. Place each bite-sized morsel on upright forks that are lined up within shallow, wooden boxes filled with a layer of Styrofoam, topped with salt, and adorned with labels marking each dessert option.”

3. Display Cheese in Hanging Terrariums
“Fill hanging terrariums with an array of cheese wedges and complementary garnishes. For an outdoor wedding, hang terrariums from branches or [use them] as table centerpieces.”

4. Offer a Cheese Wheel Wedding Cake
“Display tiered cheese wheels with paper flags describing the type of cheese used for each layer. To make the cheese 'cake' picture perfect, keep textures and colors in mind; choose an array of cheese profiles; use hard cheeses for lower tiers and soft cheeses for upper tiers; and add edible decorations or foliage.”

5. Create a Cool Ice Cream Destination
“Put a creamy twist on the traditional lemonade stand. Scoop ice cream at a wooden ice-cream stand, serving the bride and groom’s favorite ice cream flavors and toppings. Drill holes in wood planks to serve as cone holders.”

6. Raise a Toast with Cookies & Milk
“‘Cheers’ takes a unique form when warm chocolate chip cookies are wrapped around cold milk. Utilize servers to pass out shots for a [unique] toast – a real crowd-pleaser for guests of all ages.”

7. Send Guests Off with a Midnight Snack Box
“Keep guests talking about the fun, memorable evening with a takeaway box filled with a selection of cheeses, chocolates, and individual milk bottles or Champagne splits for guests to enjoy post-wedding.”

Though these culinary display ideas incorporate dairy products, there is no shortage of options for how you can present your favorite foods at your wedding. Browse the InsideWeddings.com image galleries for food and drink ideas or visit our real weddings page and click the “Show Filters” button to browse real weddings by color, style, and more to discover an event that will inspire your future nuptials. 

Style/Design by Kim Stoegbauer of The TomKat StudioPhotography by Rennai Hoefer, Ten22Studio.