A Rustic Plate: Unique Dinner Ideas for Your Barn Themed Wedding
To have the perfect barn themed wedding, it is important to carry the theme into every part of the event. Check out these dinner ideas for inspiration.
Imagine you're attending a beautiful rustic barn themed wedding. The venue is absolutely stunning, surrounded by nature. The ceremony goes perfectly, and everyone is excited for the reception and the food that goes along with it.
You sit down at your table, and spirits are high. What kind of food could go along with this amazing rustic theme? And then they announce that everyone can make their way to the taco bar for food. Theme ruined.
If you want to have a rustic barn wedding, you need to have the right food to go along with it. There are plenty of options to suit all sorts of dietary needs, and we have some of our favorite ideas right here for you. Read on to make your wedding the tastiest event of the year.
Seasonality is Key
If you're throwing a wedding on a farm, you're going to want to incorporate the crops that are growing during the time of year your wedding takes place. Not only does this keep with the theme of the wedding and give it a farm to table feel, but it also ensures the food your guests are eating is fresh and delicious.
Seasonality can also apply to the weather specific to your wedding. Plan your dinner around the time of year and the climate that your wedding takes place in.
Summer weddings can be complemented by great salad options, as well as fresh fruits. Fall or winter weddings are best accompanied by heartier options such as roasted potatoes and vegetables.
Location, Location, Location
You've already spent months researching the perfect location for your rustic farm wedding. Make sure that your rustic dinner matches that amazing location.
Farm themed rustic dinners come in all shapes and sizes, but one thing that's important is using local ingredients and cuisines. What's the point in having a wedding on a farm if you're shipping in food from across the country? You wouldn't have Indian food at your big fat Greek wedding, so don't bring southern barbeque to a New England farm wedding.
If you're having a wedding in the Pacific Northwest, take advantage of the amazing fresh seafood the region has to offer. You can even complement the meal with a selection of locally made wines.
For Southwest weddings, your rustic farm wedding is more likely going to be a rustic ranch wedding, which sounds just as amazing. Having a barbeque style wedding dinner is the perfect option here, with plenty of light options to complement the meat in the hot Texas heat.
Midwest and Northeast weddings are going to be heavy on the locally grown veggies. Hearty, rustic, roasted potatoes, asparagus, tomatoes, and whatever proteins your heart desires.
Have an Outdoor Food Bar
Food bars are one of the hottest new trends for wedding dinners, and there's a good reason for it. Food bars allow people to choose food based on their dietary restrictions or food preferences without having to make special requests to the kitchen. It also allows for an added social aspect, as people mill around the food tables.
Taking the food bar concept and applying it to your rustic barn themed wedding can produce spectacular results. We love the idea of having different tables spread out around an outdoor reception area, each with a different type of food.
Having a fresh vegetable table is a must for a farm wedding. A selection of seasonal vegetables with a few locally sourced spreads will make for a delicious snack during the meal and all throughout the reception.
A rustic take on the classic salad bar is another great option. Roasted veggie salads, a harvest potato salad, and other hearty, healthy variations of salads will wow your guests.
What's For Dessert?
Dessert is always a staple of any wedding, with a cake being the centerpiece. But you aren't going for a traditional wedding, so why go traditional for dessert?
We love the idea of a naked cake in place of a traditional wedding cake. The pared-back frosting free look fits perfectly with the rustic theme of a barn wedding. It allows the wedding cake to be the centerpiece without being overly flashy.
To complement the wedding cake, we really like the idea of implementing an ice cream sundae bar. It fits with the food bar theme (if you choose to use it) and allows your guests to customize their dessert.
Decorating Your Barn Themed Wedding Dinner
While food is obviously the most important aspect of a wedding dinner, decorations are very important too. You just had a beautiful rustic ceremony inside a barn, don't you want your reception to fit the theme as well?
Utilize items that are commonly found on farms as methods for hosting the reception. Pallets can make great serving tables for your food bar. Barrels set up along the grounds make great places for people to set their plates or cups and socialize around.
Instead of traditional tables with assigned seating, consider using tastefully decorated picnic tables throughout the reception area. It fits with the theme and allows for more socialization and customization.
Complement the Dinner with Unique Drinks
Drinks are a staple of any wedding reception, and quite possibly the main reason some of your friends and family show up (everyone likes free booze).
Make sure the drinks at your wedding fit the rustic farm theme with some unique drink ideas.
Punch bowls with mason jars make for a rustic and easy to self-serve drink option. In the summer, go with a delicious hard lemonade. For the fall, go with a spiked apple cider punch.
We also love the idea of a Bloody Mary bar. Let's be honest, most people will probably be hungover from the rehearsal dinner and party. What's better than loading up a bloody mary with all the fixins and fresh veggies from the garden?
Beyond Dinner: Other Rustic Wedding Tips
If you're ready for your barn themed wedding dinner, then you can move on to other important things!
We have plenty of tips for rustic weddings. Best of all, we have the perfect venue!
Check it out here, and start planning your perfect wedding.
