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top 7 food ideas for a beach wedding reception

Planning beach wedding food for your destination wedding reception? Look no further. We have the perfect 4 course meal to keep you and your guests satisfied.

One of the perks of a destination wedding is the opportunity for fantastic beach wedding food. Imported fish, fruit, and veggies are nice, but nothing beats super fresh and local. Most warm destinations have a rich culture that closely involves food, allowing you to offer a great variety that will make each and every one of your guests mouths water.

You’ll want to make sure that you serve the right mix - not too heavy and avoiding allergens - so that your guests can enthusiastically enjoy your wedding sand ceremony script and the rest of the ceremony. Read through to find 7 delectable appetizers, salads, mains, soups, and desserts that you and your guests will love.

Coconut shrimp
Mini crab cakes
Fresh tropical fruit

The trickiest things about planning a beach wedding menu is balancing being selfish with being considerate. This is YOUR wedding, and you should get what you want. But you also want your guests to have an amazing time and need to plan for all of them.

Fish and seafood doesn’t satisfy everybody’s taste, but - since a seafood wedding menu is an absolute must after you’ve travelled so far - shrimp and crab are very approachable. Serve the freshest seafood you can buy and back it up with local tropical fruits. Your particularly picky guests will definitely appreciate it, and your other guests will love how the surf and trees pair.

You want to put your best foot forward with your appetizer beach wedding food ideas. It’s your guests’ introduction to the entire meal and sets the tone for what’s to come.

Garden salad with local baby greens

When it comes to beach wedding reception food ideas it’s best to space things out. Serve everything all at once and you risk watching your guests laps into a food coma. Fish and fruit is a nice light way to start. To keep things moving in the right direction, follow your appetizers with a salad. Your guests can get a Caesar salad any day of the year, so skip right over that option. What they can’t easily get is fresh local tropical greens. Serve this buffet style with a variety of dressings so that you’re sure everyone can enjoy. This type of salad will also satisfy your beach themed reception perfectly.

Pasta Bar
Barbecue

Barbecue is quite possibly the best beach wedding food option. We challenge you to name a tropical destination that doesn’t cite a BBQ dish as a local specialty. Depending on where you’re heading you’ll have your pick of pork, chicken, goat, or beef. Some destinations may have a few more exotic wedding menu ideas for you to consider.

If you do choose to go the adventurous route, make sure that you have a plan B. Offer your BBQ as a buffet after the salad course and allow your guests to choose the protein of their choice. If you have vegetarians on the guest list, make sure to include soy or tofu as one of those options. Even the most dedicated carnivor can appreciate the end results of a finely barbecued meat alternative.

The pasta bar couples with BBQ in the most delicious way. This menu idea for wedding also acts as a complete main course if some of your guests happen to overindulge in the appetizers and salad. Again, serve as a buffet and provide a few sauce options along with greens and grains like chickpeas to complete the entire food pyramid.

Fresh Fruit Angel Food

Ice cream may seem like the obvious choice to cap off the meal with and cool your guests down. But, the summer heat is sure to make short work of these summer wedding menu ideas. Instead, consider a light angel food cake topped with rich cream and sliced local tropical fruit. Fresh fruit has the sugars needed to keep your guests energized and the moisture needed to keep them hydrated.

When it comes to beach wedding reception food ideas the 4 critical things to keep in mind are:

  • Offer variety
  • Keep it light
  • Take advantage of local specialties
  • Keep your guests hydrated

Follow these guidelines and you and your guests will be satisfied from start to finish.




Note: This information was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the businesses in question before making your plans.

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