With endless food and styling options, your wedding grazing table can really influence the type of celebration you choose to have. These colourful, visual feasts will be snapped and savoured by all types of guests and are perfect for all kinds of occasions. Read on to discover the A-Z of crowd-pleasing wedding grazing tables.
What is a wedding grazing table?
A grazing table is an edible masterpiece, where food is for decoration as much as it is to dine on. Imagine a table piled high with artfully arranged sweet and savoury foods, where different types of cured meats, artisan cheese, bread, crackers, dips, festive chutneys and desserts sit alongside seasonal produce like fresh fruits and vegetables.
Grazing tables are an ideal all-around culinary experience for your wedding day. They bring guests together, spark conversation, and allow wedding guests the freedom to graze, picking and choosing what they want, when they want it. Best of all, what you feature on your grazing table spread is up to you and there’s no need for servers!
Wedding grazing tables are an impressive culinary experience for all wedding events from your engagement party, bridal shower, bucks or hens party, to the rehearsal dinner, welcome party, wedding reception, after party, and even into the next day at the wedding recovery party and farewell brunch grazing.
The benefits of a wedding grazing table
As visually appealing as they are delicious to dine on, grazing tables set a great first impression of your wedding event. Designed to your taste, an artistically styled grazing table serves as the perfect icebreaker to get guests mingling. It’s effortless entertainment option that allows you all the freedom to enjoy every moment of your special day.
Reasons why we love wedding grazing tables:
- An impressive visual and social focal point
- Designed to your taste and theme
- Informal, fuss-free entertaining
- Bite-sized servings
- All-inclusive dining experience for any crowd, age or dietary requirements
- Guests decide what they want and when they want it
- Food is freshly set up before the event starts
- Suitable for a variety of events
- Cost-effective – no catering staff or alternate menus needed
- Low maintenance and easy to clean up after
Grazing table ideas and inspiration: What to put on a wedding grazing table
With endless versatility, there’s no need to limit wedding grazing tables to bread, cheeses, fresh fruit and charcuterie-board-style meats – unless you want to, of course! The beauty of a grazing table is you get to design it your way with whatever food or cuisine you like.
The key to an Insta-worthy grazing table is to pick foods that add colour and to mix in a variety of textures. Add crunchy foods next to creamy, and different tastes like sweet, sour, and salty. Then elevate your grazing table spread with a mixture of chilled, room temperature and hot from the oven for a foodie feast.
Classic foods to add to your grazing table:
- Soft and hard cheeses – brie, cheddar and goat’s cheese
- Sliced deli meats – salami, prosciutto, chorizo and jamón
- Fresh and dried fruits – grapes, figs, strawberries, and stone fruits
- Vegetables – cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, crudité
- Olives and pickled vegetables
- Dips, spreads, chutneys and preserves
- Breads, breadsticks and crackers
- Nuts, chips, pretzels and popcorn
- Sweets – chocolates, cookies, cupcakes, pastries, tarts, donuts and lollies
- Hot finger foods – quiches, gourmet mini pies or sausage rolls
Think outside the box when gathering your grazing table inspiration. You might choose to stray from the classics by creating a ‘fast food’, sushi or pizza grazing table, or a candy bar or dessert table. Maybe even multiple grazing tables that cover your wedding guests all the way from welcome drinks to digestifs!
Grazing tables are easily adaptable for fussy eaters by including items everyone can enjoy. Keep people with dietary requirements, kids and people of all ages happy by simply adding a decorative label to foods and beverages so they know exactly what they can tuck into.
How to create a wedding grazing table
Creating a wedding grazing table that is also a feast for the eyes involves a few essential ingredients. First comes dreaming up ideas for themes, scouring the internet for decoration inspiration, then narrowing down the food and display choices for your edible work of art.
Pick a theme
Amp up the wow factor by aligning your grazing table with your wedding event theme. Whether it’s modern, romantic, vintage, rustic, whimsical, alternative, opulent or a casual garden party, your grazing table will stand out as a centre point of your event, so make sure it complements the atmosphere you’re wanting to create.
Choose your props and décor
Style your grazing table with embellishments and props that suit your theme. Start with a flat surface table, multiple tables, mini boards or even on top of a wine barrel, then use different props to create visual layers of interest to arrange the food, like tiered platters, stands, boxes, bowls and wooden boards. Make sure to include practical items like plates and serving utensils too.
Choose decorations with natural and ornamental elements like dried greenery, plants and fresh flowers, placing them underneath and all around your graze fill in any gaps. Also, don’t be shy to decorate with food like citrus fruits (fresh or dried), herbs and edible flowers. Then label everything with signs, mini flags, or small blackboards.
Select and arrange the food
Delight your wedding guests by creating an abundant grazing table spread filled with different types of food with contrasting tastes and textures. Pay attention to the small details and tie your food selection and arrangements to your theme for maximum effect.
Start by arranging the base layer and larger props. Then, style smaller props and food around it in patterns, clusters and swirls. Layer foods over each other, fanned out, spilling over bowls, in uniform rows, individual grazing servings, or keep it modern by highlighting individual foods in separate areas.
Finish by filling in any spaces, adding final decorative touches and signage to label the different foods and drinks. Remember to slice each food item into bite-size servings and include quality, disposable plates, napkins and cutlery. Keep things mess-free so your wedding guests can nibble and create a plate with their favourite bites.
How to set up a wedding grazing table
Setting up a successful grazing table means getting the fundamentals right. Find your ideal location and arrange a fabulous and functional feast that draws in your guests, gets them to sample the delicious spread, and keeps them coming back for more.
Choose the location
Grazing tables naturally draw the eye to them. So, use this to your advantage by either positioning the grazing table to highlight a stunning view or to add more interest to a plain space, leaving enough space for your guests to access the grazing table easily.
Also think about if there are any flat surfaces in your venue that you could use as the base for your grazing table spread, like a large window sill, wide balcony ledge, counter or shelf. This is sure to dazzle your guests.
Keep in mind your grazing table will be filled with fresh, perishable foods like soft cheeses and fruit, so be sure to set it up in a cool spot out of direct sunlight.
Create height
Capture the attention of your guests by creating layers with different platforms of contrasting heights. At Gathar, we call this ‘tiered styling’. Include props on your grazing table like cake stands, bowls, jars, baskets, wooden boxes, or tiered platters, then add height in layers with different sized pillar candles, glass lanterns or flower arrangements.
Include signage
Take the guesswork away from your wedding guests by labelling the different food and beverages on your grazing table. Use props like mini blackboards, cards, skewers with notes or flags on the end, or even one large sign that details everything on the menu. You may choose to mark your whole grazing table, or just certain foods to make it helpful for fussy eaters and those with dietary requirements.
Utilise foliage and fresh florals
Amp up the visual interest of your wedding grazing table with natural green foliage and flowers. Use these elements as a base, focal point or in between and around the food as a frame. Stick to a few colours that will complement your theme and grazing banquet.
Rustic wedding grazing tables might have dried grasses in jars or laid out eucalyptus leaves, while summer / tropical / beach-style weddings may have large palm or banana leaves as the grazing table base like a tablecloth. Modern weddings could have large cherry blossom branches in a tall vase, while opulent weddings might select a large floral display as a centrepiece.
Mix and match serving dishes
Add character by including serving dishes of multiple types, shapes, sizes and colours to suit your wedding theme. Whether you choose glass dishes or ceramic, patterned or plain, what you use to serve your food has an impact on your grazing table.
Make it practical
Remember your foodie feast must be easy to enjoy for all your guests. Make your grazing table practical by including plates guests can add their selection of food too so they can eat where they want to and return for seconds. Keep all foods bite-sized or sliced and add toothpicks, serving utensils, cheese knives, and napkins.
How much food do I need for a wedding grazing table?
The amount of food you need for your wedding grazing table comes down to three things: how many people do you need to feed, what look are you trying to achieve, and is the grazing table going to be designed as nibbles only?
While most grazing tables trending social media feeds have huge amounts of food for visual wow factor, you should aim to have at least one ‘bite’ of all options per person so your wedding guests can try a little bit of everything.
How do I keep a wedding grazing table fresh?
To keep your wedding grazing table tasting fresh and safe to eat, aim to have the food laid out as close to when your guests arrive as possible. Prior to the start of your wedding event, add foods that are fine at room temperature and store chilled foods and beverages can be added to an ice bucket. Warm or hot foods should ideally be served when most of your guests are present.
Throughout your wedding party, you may also choose to have your grazing table topped up with additional foods and drinks. Be conscious of your location as this can have an effect on your food. Outdoor grazing tables are quicker to spoil and could attract insects. Most grazing tables at room temperature indoors should be consumed within 3 hours.
How much does a wedding grazing table cost?
The cost of your wedding grazing table will depend on the number of guests and the selection of food and beverages, as well as what props and decorations you want to incorporate and whether you need catering staff. Note that costs will also include food preparation, setting up and arranging your grazing table spread and cleaning up.
Let us take the pressure off your special day
Weddings are the most important events in our lives and they should be enjoyed to the fullest. Let Gathar make your special day less stressful by delighting you and your guests with an unforgettable wedding grazing table.
Our grazing stylists will create the grazing table of your dreams using the freshest ingredients from local Australian suppliers, preparing all the food and arranging it masterfully into an edible showpiece.
Start by choosing a grazing table menu from our curated selection that includes flat lays, tiered styling upgrades, brunch grazes, and individual serving sizes. We can also design a bespoke wedding grazing table – drop us an enquiry to get started.