6 Catering Ideas for Summertime Wedding Receptions

Summer is the perfect time for a wedding, giving friends and family the chance to celebrate the special day in pleasant weather. Of course, summers can get quite hot depending on where you live, so guests will need plenty of nice food and drink during the wedding reception to help them survive the day!

Catering is a great idea for any wedding, as it allows you to choose the perfect menu that follows the wedding theme. Moreover, catering is ideal for a summertime wedding reception as you can create a menu that is suitable for the weather, be it during a hot sunny afternoon or a cool summer evening.

Here are 6 catering ideas for a summertime wedding reception:

Drink Ideas

Iced Tea Station

What better way to refresh your guests than with the sweet summer classic of iced tea? Serving a variety of iced tea drinks is a fantastic way to keep guests refreshed during a hot summer wedding reception, and there are countless flavor combinations you can try out.

Homemade Lemonade

Another quintessential summer beverage, nothing quite beats the taste of freshly made lemonade on a warm summer’s day. You can have both classic homemade lemonade and the option to serve it as part of a cocktail, which is sure to go down as a treat with your thirsty guests.

Summer Cocktails

Cocktails are a great addition to any wedding reception, so adding a summer twist on the drink’s menu is guaranteed to leave your guests satisfied.

Classics like such as daiquiris, mojitos, and margaritas offer the perfect balance between light and refreshing, while anything with summer fruits and a lot of ice are going to be a popular addition to the cocktail menu.

Food Ideas

Cool Appetizers

Who said your appetizers need to be warm? Cool appetizers are a great idea for any summertime receptions as they give guests the chance to cool down while giving them some much welcomed nourishment.

For classic cool appetizers look no further than shrimp cocktails and fresh salads, although you can certainly get creatuve with the food - as long as it’s served cool it counts.

Grilled Entrees

Summer and sizzling food go hand in hand, so serving up guests some grilled entrees is a fantastic option for any summertime wedding reception. This doesn’t need to be heavy food like steak, ribs, and pork - light grilled fare like vegetables, fish and chicken are just as delicious without being too much for guests.

Rustic Buffet

The searing summer heat means that sometimes a sit-down dinner at the wedding reception is quite the chore. Instead, let your guests eat at their own pace with a delicious rustic buffet which can feature hot or cold food and follow a specific menu (e.g. seafood, BBQ etc).

What’s great about rustic buffets is how flexible they are. You can add any type of cuisine you wish, with hot meats, cold meats, seafood, and vegetable options easy to place onto the buffet tables.