If you’re throwing a bridal shower, you want your bridal shower venue to create a menu that will please the bride and her guests. In this article, we will share 17 food and drink ideas that everyone will love.
1. Prosecco-based cocktails
Prosecco has become the drink of choice for women who love the better things in life, but can’t afford the champagne. That makes Prosecco-based cocktails a surefire way to get the party started. Prosecco-based cocktails include:
- Bellinis
- Aperol Spritz
- Prosecco Pink Gin Fizz
- Prosecco French 125
2. Lady’s brunch
Bridal showers are made for brunch! What could be better than clinking glasses filled with fruity Mimosas, while dining on decadent favourites like French toast, crêpes, seasonal fruit salad, quiche, and pastries?
It’s the ideal meal to enjoy with close friends and family, whether toasting the bride with a glass of bubbly, Morning Glories, or good old-fashioned Bloody Marys.
3. High tea
High tea is all about elegance, featuring lovely china, tiered serving trays, polished silver tea services, and plenty of lace and doilies. This menu is all about bite-sized servings of fancy sandwiches, scones, pastries, cakes, and an assortment of teas enjoyed with quiet conversation, ideally in a serene country garden.
4. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres
Picture your guests dressed in fashionable cocktail dresses enjoying a variety of 1960s-inspired cocktails, and nibbling on hors d’oeuvres served on trays by dapper waiters.
This is the perfect way to get guests mingling while sharing mouthwatering temptations such as lobster roll sliders, smoked salmon canapés, miniature quiches, and mushroom bruschetta with goat’s cheese on crostinis. It all feels effortless, yet indulges guests with a multitude of flavours, all in diet-sized servings.
5. Sherry and tapas
Tapas are delicious traditional Spanish dishes served on small plates. Indulgences include thinly sliced Jamon Serrano ham, Tortilla Española (omelette with potatoes), Croquetas (savoury fritters), and Patatas Bravas (fried potatoes with spiced tomato sauce). When served with sherry or wine, tapas are elevated to the next level, transporting your guests to sunny Spain.
6. Mini-tacos with tequila shooters
A great way to kick off the shower, mini-tacos paired with a tequila shooter have a festive feel that helps avoid guests getting too tipsy, thanks to the hearty taco.
7. Chicken and waffles
This food craze is relatively new to Canadians, but has long been a favourite down south. Who can resist crispy fried chicken, served on golden brown waffles and drizzled in syrup?
8. Mules
The mule is a celebrated cocktail that started with the classic Moscow Mule, made with vodka, fresh lime, and ginger beer. Served in a copper cocktail mug, it has a certain allure that has inspired bartenders to expand their mule menus.
Popular choices include the Kentucky Mule, made with bourbon, the Gin Gin Mule, made with gin, or the Morning Mule, made with vodka, freshly squeezed orange juice, and ginger beer, which is ideal for brunch.
9. Fast food
If your girl is all about salty fried foods, a fast food menu that includes burgers, fries, onion rings, hot dogs, and a few “nuggets” thrown in for good measure will indulge her guilty pleasure and tide her over until the big day arrives.
10. Comfort food
Weddings are stressful, which often has brides longing for simpler days when mom took care of everything. If your bride is feeling a little blue or stressed, preparing a menu with her favourite comfort foods could be just the thing she needs. From mac ‘n cheese to butter chicken, and mom’s fried rice to lasagna, whatever feels like home for the bride is okay with us!
11. Charcuterie board
Often viewed as a man’s appetizer, charcuterie boards have widespread appeal, especially in the days of low-carb diets. If your bride is watching her calories, protein selections like cheese, nuts, and cured meats are ideal. Fruit and olives complete the board, creating an elegant display that’s perfect for nibbling.
12. Seasonal, locally inspired dishes
Making the most of the season ensures that every dish has the freshest possible ingredients. Including locally sourced ingredients provides delicious choices that are familiar and often elevated with chef-inspired recipes that take local ingredients to the next level.
From strawberry salad drizzled with bruschetta and topped with goat’s cheese to grilled duck and roasted corn tacos to asparagus spear crêpes with hollandaise sauce, locally sourced foods available at farmers’ markets are the freshest foods around.
13. Cider
Ontario has a growing number of local cider houses creating refreshing drinks that are ideal sipped on their own, or mixed in creative cocktails. Including cider on the menu, or better yet, doing something fun like a cider tasting or food pairing, is a great way to explore this delightfully fruity, sparkling drink that is all about celebration.
14. The bride’s signature cocktail
It’s always fun to find new ways to honour the bride. What could be more festive than creating a signature cocktail in her name? Consider her favourite spirits and flavours, and have the bridal shower venue bartender concoct a potable to greet guests as they arrive.
15. DIY food stations
It can be fun to have a DIY food station at the bridal shower venue where guests can create their own food or have chefs do it for them. Perfect examples are pizza, pasta, carving stations with a choice of proteins, salad bars, taco bars, or something sweeter like a candy or sundae bar. This is an interactive food idea that gets everyone involved while creating opportunities for conversation and food sharing.
16. Global cuisine
A menu featuring various dishes from around the world is an exciting way to try new foods. It’s also perfect when the bride and groom are from different backgrounds, allowing you to incorporate dishes from both cultures.
17. Hawaiian-influenced dishes
Lately, it seems everything is about Hawaii, whether it’s hints of pineapple, Hawaiian buns, or poke bowls. As interest in Hawaiian food grows, adding some island-inspired ingredients to your food and drinks could create new taste sensations that add a unique, unexpected touch to the menu.
Contact the Bridal Shower Venue Specialists
You’re sure to find inspiration from our 17 food and drink ideas to create the perfect menu to serve at your next bridal shower venue.
If you’re looking for the ideal bridal shower venue, Château Le Jardin offers elegant halls and customized catering that’s ideal for any occasion. For more information, you can call us at 1-888-529-8573, or book an event consultation here.
