25 Unexpected Wedding Food Ideas Your Guests Will Love

By Sarah Schreiber
Jes Workman

Let these eats, both savory and sweet, inspire your big day's menu.

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Jes Workman

You don't have to plan a nontraditional wedding to serve up unexpected, unique cuisine. After all, there's so much more to your big day's hors d'oeuvres than shrimp cocktail and pigs-in-a-blanket. In fact, there's a whole lot more to every aspect of your menu—from the appetizers, to the main course, to dessert—than you might have thought.

To inspire your own creative fare, we've rounded up our favorite next-level dishes from real weddings. Several, from mini lobster rolls, to grilled cheese bites, and tiny churros, proved that small versions of the classics often have maximum impact. Others, like one bride's paper cones of fries and another's packets of popcorn, turned those classics into the ultimate snacks—which made them compact enough to tote around during the cocktail hour. On the sugary front, ready-to-roast s'mores, ice cream sandwiches, and waffle cakes showed up the classic wedding cake.

Ultimately, there's nothing wrong with sticking with tried-and-true favorites. They're signatures for a reason, and there are so many ways to make expected cuisine unexpected, including serving those staples in unique ways. Take a hint from one of the following brides and add lollipop sticks to watermelon wedges to instantly make the fruit feel (and look!) fancier. Before we send you off to explore the following wedding foods, here's one piece of advice: Serve the foods that you love as a couple—no matter how niche—to ensure that your menu, like the rest of your wedding day, pays homage to who you two are.

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Waffle Bites

Lori Paladino Photography
Here's How Much Food You Need to Serve During the Cocktail Hour

Who said waffles were a breakfast-only option? Go rogue and serve bite-sized varieties, with dollops of sour cream, corn, and cilantro, during cocktail hour.

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Baby Lobster Rolls

Emily Delamater Photography
More Finger Food Eats Your Guests Won't Expect

You don't have to get hitched in Maine to serve up this New England classic. Lobster rolls are an unexpected hors d'oeuvre all on their own, but these tiny versions kick it up a notch.

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Pizza Pies

onelove photo
10 More Delicious Ideas for the Pizza-Loving Couple

If you're searching for a unique main course copy this couple and set up a pizza station. Bonus points if you go for all the toppings.

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Loaded Ladles

CJK Visuals

Serve lighter fare, like this veggie and shrimp combo, in oversized spoons so that guests can easily sample a bit of everything.

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Ready-to-Go S'mores

Jasmine Star Photography

A s'more just doesn't taste as good if you haven't roasted it yourself. Set your guests up with everything they'll need so they can make their own at your venue's fire pit.

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Popcorn Packets

Branco Prata
Should You Serve Pre-Ceremony Cocktails?

Perfect for a pre-ceremony snack, small popcorn bags will keep your attendees satisfied until it's time for more.

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Churro Bites

Rebecca Yale Photography

Add some cinnamon-sugar sweetness to your dessert spread by offering tiny churros.

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French Fry Cones

Joel Serrato
25 More Ways to Serve Carnival Food at Your Wedding

Go carnival-style and present your guests with garlicky French fries in paper cones. It's so much more festive than serving them plated!

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Cotton Candy

Acqua Photo

Want to entertain your flower girl, ring bearer, and their gaggle of cousins? Hire a cotton candy confectioner to whip up fresh puffs throughout the cocktail hour. Your adult guests will surely enjoy the treat, too.

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Waffle Stack

Hunter Ryan Photo
Even More Wedding Cake Alternatives

Layered with cream and sweet berries, this waffle stack is a wedding cake's more casual counterpart.

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Watermelon on a Stick

Caroline Tran Photography

Elevate your relaxed summer celebration by serving watermelon wedges on lollipop sticks.

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Mix-and-Match Ice Cream Sandwiches

Jes Workman

An instantaneous way to make ice cream sandwiches even more unique? Invite guests to create their own concoctions by offering up different flavors of ice cream and cookies.

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Cobbler

Kayla F Photography

Add a bit of rustic charm to your sweets menu by serving crumbly blueberry cobbler. Make sure everyone tops theirs with mounds of vanilla ice cream.

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"Cheese" Cake

Corina V. Photography

What do you do if you want a wedding cake but prefer salty over sweet? Replace your confection with a cheesy cake alternative, complete with "tiers" of you and your betrothed's favorites.

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Apple Fritters

Acqua Photo

These sugary fried bites would be an unexpected—but seriously welcome—addition to any dessert platter.

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Snow Cones

Christie Pham Photography
Discover More Frozen Treats, Perfect for a Summer Wedding

This icy treat throws it back to you and your guests' school kid days.

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Crostini Bar

Brittany Wood

Do you know what's better than serving crostini at your wedding? Setting up an entire crostini station, complete with all the fixings.

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Fried Asparagus

Charlotte Jenks Lewis

Buttery asparagus stalks, dipped and fried in breadcrumbs, will be the one-bite wonder of your cocktail hour.

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Chicken and Fries Cones

Erin McGinn

An instant way to make chicken fingers and French fries more grown up? Serve them in newspaper cones, with a pool of ketchup or honey mustard at the bottom.

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Donut Wall

Steve Cowell Photography
20 More Delicious Ways to Serve Donuts on the Big Day

Donuts have become an increasingly popular wedding dessert trend over the last year. Donut walls, however, are something entirely new.

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Sausage and Apple Balls

Abby Jiu Photography

Looking for a twist on those classic cocktail hour meatballs? Try fried sausage and apple purée balls, instead. Skip the toothpicks and present them on silver spoons.

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Micro Sliders

Rebecca Yale Photography

We'd bet that you've never seen sliders, complete with tiny squares of cheese, baby pickles, and ketchup, as microscopic as these.

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Cronuts

Ron Palacio

Half croissant, half doughnut, cronuts are sure to end up on your millennial guests' Instagram grids.

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Grilled Cheese Bites

Jessica Antola

These grilled cheese points served with dainty tomato soup shooters are proof that classics are cuter in bite-size form.

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Wine Jello Shots

Christina Holmes
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Think shots are only for frat parties? Think again. These wedding-worthy sangria-inspired gelees are infused with sweet wines and subtly undercut with citrus flavors, making them elegant and delicious.

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