Wedding Food Traditions Across the Globe

If you were asked to imagine food for a wedding, what do you think of?

Maybe you think of the classic towering layered wedding cake and champagne glass of the post-wedding reception. Maybe you think of the food and traditions our families brought with them to the United States decades or even centuries back. What we imagine when it comes to food and drink at a wedding can vary greatly depending on where we’ve grown up and our backgrounds, and they usually mean something different to all of us. Here are just a few common staples of wedding food traditions around the globe!

China

Chinese customs encourage a wedding to be large and eventful, and when it comes to food, the people of China do not pull any punches. Massive feasts are arranged with upwards of over a dozen courses served to guests. Some staple fair would include wild geese, Peking duck, sweet buns, sweet red bean soup, sea cucumber, and roast suckling pig. One dish intended for the betrothed is sweet rice ball soup, which is filled with smooth, round, glutinous rice balls that the newlyweds are meant to eat together and swallow whole to promote good luck throughout the marriage.

India

There’s nothing quite like an Indian wedding. It’s something you have to experience for yourself to really understand. Oftentimes, Indian weddings are celebrated for nearly a week or more, leading up to the wedding itself and then following after. During these celebrations, all manner of food is eaten amidst merriment, traditional ceremonies, and entertainment, and a myriad of colors and music one could just lose themselves in. They also include a lot of regional staples such as curry and naan, but there is a particular focus on sweet treats when it comes to the married couple. In particular, they eat a dish of yogurt and honey, with the honey intending to represent a fortunate and loving start to a marriage, and with the yogurt representing good health.

USA 

From attire to ceremony to food, there are certain things we feel as if we can’t help but include to ensure a good and prosperous wedding. Typically, Americans might include shrimp cocktail, various simple appetizers like assorted cheeses or hors d’oeuvres laid out in assorted platters served alongside champagne or cocktails. If typical but richly delicious American cuisine is your choice for your wedding, then finding American catering in Pennsylvania to help work out the details and courses is easy to go about. Of course, the centerpiece is always the wedding cake, a towering intricately decorated multi-layered cake designed to the likings of the couple of the hour. In the past, newlyweds sharing the first slice of cake used to be a tradition to symbolically ensure fertility and a long and fruitful marriage, though nowadays it’s mostly just something we do for the sake of ceremony and enjoyment. 

No matter what traditions and foods you intend to incorporate into your special day, Village Catering can help bring it all to life. With excellent catering services and menu options as well as a wealth of experience in event planning, Village Catering can be an asset for providing a rich, gourmet meal to you and your guests and a perfect bridal shower banquet hall in Bucks County, PA. To learn more about services and book a consultation, please contact us today!