There was a lot of yummy food on display at BizBash by some of Manhattan’s top catering companies. We got to sample a variety of signature drinks, chocolate confections, and petite appetizers. The main trend? Food as art.

I think a lot of couples underestimate the impact that food has on your event. We all know it is the largest expense and the single element guests are guaranteed to remember from your wedding day. Still, people tend to neglect the idea that food can be as much a part of your wedding day theme and décor as flowers, candles, and table linens. If you are having a French country themed fete, why not serve a variety of French food and wine? A rustic, evergreen style wedding could serve these petite paper cones filled with a variety of nuts and a spring of evergreen as garnish.

You can create a fusion of food to suit your theme and stylize it in a way where it fits in with your décor. It is an inexpensive way to continue your wedding style into other elements of the day. I recommend that you sit down with your caterer or chef and discuss options to liven up your dishes and add an artistic flair. Think about shapes, color, taste, and texture. Here are a few ideas:

Going Old Hollywood? Stick with classic cocktails (which are making a huge comeback) such as the classic martini, gin and tonic, or whiskey sour. For food, serve canapés with different spreads (avocado, blue and cream cheese spread, ham and olive), welsh rarebit toasties, cocktail sausages, and silver dollar hamburgers. For dinner, serve wedge salad or classic cob salad with a classic steak, chicken, or Italian dish.

For a rustic, late summer evening wedding outside, consider serving a variety of chilled wines or sangria’s in pitchers. Champagne flutes served with a few blueberries, raspberries or blackberries for flavor and color. As an appetizer, antipasto platters with cured meats, cheeses, peppers and mushrooms. Parmesan stuffed mini artichokes, crab cakes with tarter dipping sauce, and dates stuffed with goat cheese. For dinner, a light cesaer or garden salad with braised lamb shank with rosemary, beef tenderloin with port and chestnut sauce.

Another trend that is evident already in recent weddings are miniature foods. Shot glasses filled with bisques, soups, and little deserts. Tiny french fries, burgers, sandwiches, and cheesecakes. I love the idea of miniature foods, especially deserts and hors d’oeuvres; it allows your guests to sample a lot of food without getting too full!

Often times these are more of a customized menu verses the wedding package variety. If you can’t stray from your prepackaged meal, ask the chef if they would be willing to plate the food in a unique and artistic way. Chefs are artists by nature and most of them welcome putting new spins on the same old dishes!