When planning a wedding, food is one of the most important things that you will discuss with your soon-to-be spouse. Aside from dinner, you also have cocktail hour and arguably everyone’s favourite part of the evening– the late-night food station.

Late-night stations are usually brought out around 11:00 pm, or approximately two hours before bar service ends. Unlike your formal meal, they tend to be some sort of comfort food. Think potato bars, taco bars, doughnut bars and everything in between– the late-night station is something extremely fun that you can do for your guests that will make your wedding memorable!

Late-Night Station

Photo Courtesy of Kiss the Cook Catering

Having a late-night food station is a great idea because by that time of night, most of your guests will be hungry again, and nothing keeps the party going like a good taco. Not to mention, your guests will have been dancing up a storm and are in need of some extra fuel.

But late-night eats have a practical side as well. Yes, everyone loves greasy poutine, but the late-night station also serves as a way to help sober up some of your guests who may have drank a little too much. People tend to imbibe a little more at weddings because they’re happy, everyone is excited about love and let’s be honest, the open bar doesn’t hurt. Some venues insist that you have a late-night table because they are required to provide food to patrons who are consuming alcohol. Not only that, but who really wants to remember their wedding as the night they had to clean up after Uncle Al?

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So, as you can see, late night tables are not only fun, they are a down right necessity. Unsure of what to serve at the end of the night? Here are some ideas:

  1. Potato Bar: Fries; mashed; or baked– with cheese curds, gravy, chives and sour cream. Yum. Go nuts and throw in some sweet potato fries!
  2. Taco Bar: Chicken; or Beef– cheese, hot sauce, and pico… who doesn’t love a good taco?
  3. Sandwiches: Have your guests choose their bread, their meat and their cheese and go to town.
  4. Popcorn Bar: You can go salty or sweet, or even let your guests dress their own with fun toppings!
  5. Fondue: Give your guests the options of cheese and chocolate, and your wedding will be remembered for a long time. Who doesn’t love dipping bread in hot cheese?!
  6. Sweet Table: Indulge your guests’ sweet tooth with cupcakes, candy and mini doughnuts.
  7. Pizza: Classic. After a night of dancing, who doesn’t love a greasy slice? Pizza bars never go out of style!
  8. Waffle Bar:Consider whipped cream, Nutella, fresh berries, chocolate chips, maple syrup, chicken, and fried pieces of chicken and gravy for a change in savoury flavours.
  9. Nacho Bar: Tortilla chips served with toppings such as melted cheese, jalapeños, black olives, diced tomatoes, and guacamole. Heavier additions to the plate would include protein items like ground beef, seasoned and spiced up.
  10. S’mores Station: Set up a safe area with small burners for toasting marshmallows. Bring graham crackers, chocolate bars, and caramel squares, including some fun variations such as peanut butter cups or flavoured marshmallows.
  11. Sliders Station: Mini burgers and sliders make a great late-night treat—an appetizer that is hearty but not too heavy.

To make your late-night station even more unforgettable, tailor it to your tastes and wedding theme. Going rustic? Set up a farm-to-table station with the freshest local produce. For an elegant affair, think caviar and champagne. Cute labels, themed napkins, and matching serving ware will pull everything together and add that special touch.

As you can see, there are many reasons to have a late-night station and a lot of ways you can make it your own. The best way to choose? Pick what you like to eat, it’s your wedding!