If you’re thinking about ways to make your wedding dinner fun and interactive, instead of being a formal sit-down affair, why not think about going mini for your menu?

Miniature foods are not hors d’ouvres (appetizers) but ‘real food’ (entrées)—just bite-sized. This is one of the best ways to be creative with food, and it’s become one of the hottest menu trends.

Think about any type of food you’d like to serve at your wedding or reception, and it’s pretty likely that you can come up with a mini version. And, you can make your dishes as fun and casual or as gourmet as you want: from comfort food like mini-burgers or mini-pizzas with simple or exotic ingredients and dressings, to mini-rotis, lasagna baked in mini-bowls, and chic little cups of steaming soup along with mini-grilled cheese sandwiches.

Food is one of the most important aspects of your big day, so keep this in mind if you’re deciding to go mini:

You’ll surprise and delight your guests

Imagine being served mini-mac-and-cheese bakes or sizzling barbecue sandwich bites at a wedding! You’d be telling everyone you know about it! Mini food is fun and can be customised to the theme of your choice, so be as creative as you like when coming up with menu ideas. Because everything is in smaller portions, you can serve a larger variety of dishes. We assure you that everyone will love having so many options and the opportunity to mix and match their favourites.

Mini saves money

Want to serve exotic options such as lobster or steak but can’t afford it in large quantities? Then create a mini-version incorporating your ingredients of choice. You’ll end up spending less overall as smaller amounts of raw material will be used. Plus, your guests will feel just as satisfied eating mini-food in greater quantities as eating a full meal made up of fewer dishes. In fact, you have a better chance of making your guests happy with more choices than over-spending on regular portions of food that your guests may not like. Also, you can organise your food service in such a way that you don’t have to spend on renting expensive china or cutlery. Serve dishes in disposable mini-cups and bowls, or give your guest cute trays that they can fill up.

You can cater to a variety of tastes and diet options

As we mentioned before, a miniature food menu is diverse, which means you can cater to a variety of dietary preferences. For example, you can offer a broad range of choices for your vegetarian guests without having them forego the yummiest dishes. Other guests may be following no-pork, no-beef, low-salt or low-fat diets that you’ll certainly be able to accommodate, and still give them a meal experience to always remember.

Mini food is eye-catchingly adorable

To make this work, presentation is key. Potato pies are yummy, but think mini-potato pies on a stick. Too cute! Pot pies are great, but mini-pot pies in individual bowls? Irresistible. Serve any food in style by putting the oomph in the packaging. You can add chic to regular food just by the way it’s presented.

It’s just more fun!

Not only can you create intrigue by the unexpected array of food, but you can also serve food in a way that’s exciting. For example, setting up fun food stations for different dishes, giving your guests more chances to mingle and interact with each other. Or, how about having a chef entertain everyone by preparing sushi rolls or baking up mini-pizzas on the spot? Eating also becomes easier as it’s more of a picnic experience than the usual knife-and-fork ordeal. And, because they don’t have to digest a heavy meal, expect an early influx of guests on the dance floor once the music starts!