popcorn bar - Beach Bride

Brides who are handling their wedding and reception themselves are always on the lookout for easy ideas when it comes to food. Often considered the most difficult to plan and the most expensive part of a wedding, the food is important. These 5 ideas will make things easier on the bride while pleasing the guests!

1. Yogurt Bar

A yogurt bar allows guests to serve themselves, eliminating the need for servers, and it’s perfectly appropriate for a reception – especially a mid-day reception.

5 Delicious Reception Food Ideas for a DIY Wedding — Image Source: Pinterest

Yogurt can be kept in iced containers for guests to grab, and all sorts of toppings and add-ins can be kept along the bar. Things like granola, crushed cookies, gummy bears, etc. are perfect for a reception yogurt bar.

2. Taco Bar

Another perfect self-serve idea, a taco bar is more appropriate for a lunch or dinner reception. The beauty of this idea is that only 1 or 2 dishes will need to be kept hot while the rest can stay at room temperature or sit on ice dishes.

A taco bar can alleviate some of the stress by allowing guests to get their own food, and it’s the type of food that is usually a win-win with everyone!

3. Fruit Kabobs

This is a wonderful idea to go along with various other appetizers or light foods during a reception. It’s also incredibly easy to create.

Fruit dip can be placed between the kabobs, or they can simply be stacked on a platter for guests to grab as they wish. Simply cut fruit into cubes and place on skewers in whatever pattern you’d like! Smaller fruits (grapes, strawberries, etc.) can remain whole. It’s also a beautiful and visual addition to any appetizer table.

4. Popcorn Bar

A popcorn bar is a fun idea that will appeal to every guest. It’s also super easy to create.

You simply set up jars full of different kinds of popcorn, from caramel to chocolate to plain. Guests can scoop out what they’d like into little bags or containers provided.

5. Chocolate Fountain

Last but not least, a chocolate fountain is a delicious and fun idea for a reception food. It can be surrounded by all sorts of things, from diced fruit and cookies to fudge and more.

This is perfect for reception guests, who can opt to just eat the food without the chocolate, especially if they’re unable to eat chocolate for some reason.

Overall, each of these ideas work very well in a reception setting and help the bride keep the costs low as well as the stress!

If you’re stressing out over what type of food to serve your guests, consider this fun and brilliant idea: a wedding popcorn bar. If you time your wedding between meals, your guests won’t be as hungry and will still have some delicious popcorn to munch on during the reception. Here’s how this super fun idea works.

Wedding Popcorn Bar Idea: Inexpensive and Impressive — Photo Source: blog.happy-chantilly.com

The Popcorn

Start with a ton of popcorn. You have several different ways to do this, including purchasing large bags of plain popcorn and emptying them into a big, decorative container. If you want to spring for a little more, you can get an old-fashioned popcorn machine (or rent one) so the popcorn will be fresh. Then, you’ll want to set up a bar area so you can add fun other ingredients.

The Seasonings

Give your guests a large choice of popcorn seasonings to make their treats just the way they like them. Some ideas include nacho cheese seasoning, chili cheese, kettle corn seasoning, cool ranch, or a sweeter option, apple and cinnamon. Seasonings can be purchased at specialty stores. You can also add drawn butter for your guests to use as well.

The Extras

You’ll want to place bags out so each guest can fill a bag with popcorn. You can go with fancy bags or just plain, brown or white paper bags. Don’t forget the tools guests will need, like a scoop for the popcorn. You can also add an area for drinks. To keep it simple, place glass bottles in a large barrel filled with ice so guests can choose whatever they’d like.

This is a great idea! Everyone loves popcorn and this is a stress-free, inexpensive way to make sure your guests have great munchies at your reception.