Love is in the air in 2022! Couples from across the world are finally tying the knot, whether for the first time or the second, after the pandemic wreaked havoc on the wedding industry. But this year, things are shifting for the better. According to The Wedding Report, an industry-related market research firm, there will be an estimated 2.5 million weddings in 2022, which is the most the U.S. has seen since 1984. Are you ready for the influx of celebrations coming your way this year and next? Caterers and wedding vendors everywhere are struggling to keep up with the demand—which, in a way, is a good problem to have after the past few years.
So, what can you do to prepare yourself? Soak up all the creative energy and inspiration you can! That’s why today, we’re sharing inspiration from the 2021 CATIE award winners from the Best Catered Wedding category.
Top CATIE Best Catered Weddings from 2021 to Inspire
Ready to feel the love?
Photo courtesy Butler’s Pantry
Grand and Glamorous | Butler’s Pantry
For those that love beautiful blooms and elegance, this wedding will steal your heart. The design was inspired by the couple’s fairytale love story. And the romance throughout the design was palpable!
Photo courtesy Butler’s Pantry
The food was perhaps the most unique part of the wedding, besides the whimsical décor. The couple wanted people mingling and having fun with a vacation-like vibe. So, they decided on a cocktail-style dinner with global influences. Food stations incorporated small plates, sushi, an ice bar with raw options, salads, and of course sweet endings with an epic dessert station. Guests sipped on champagne from the champagne wall as well as a sweet signature cocktail all night long!
Photo courtesy Catering by Design
The Great Glamping Getaway | Catering by Design (Denver, CO)
Ah, the great outdoors. This nature-centric celebration of love was hosted at the couple’s very own newly constructed mountain home that was a true labor of love. They wanted to share this with their nearest and dearest, so they invited them to join for a glamping weekend to celebrate their new home and life together. Talk about a perfect way to celebrate!
Photo courtesy Catering by Design
The couple felt a deep connection with the woods and the great outdoors, which was featured in both décor and menu items for the big day. The tables were decorated with rich green moss and unique florals and greenery, while the menu featured a culinary journey that crossed both land and sea. Hors d’oeuvres were passed on living trays featuring bites like ginger compressed watermelon with pickled blackberry and shaved fennel and chicken-fried bacon with raspberry aioli sauce. For the main event, they featured a whole smorgasbord of fresh seasonal fare. Full and happy, guests slept in beautiful tents pitched for the occasion!
P.S. This was the 2021 winner in this category!
Photo courtesy Empyrean Events and Catering
Love Notes | Empyrean Events and Catering
The writing was on the wall with this epic love story! A pair of literature fans tied the knot, and this incredible caterer wove their story and love for novels throughout every aspect of their big day.
The décor was intentionally designed to share their love story, and it was a page turner. They used hand-wrapped and carved antique novels that held a secret love note cocktail written on 100-year-old book pages inside. Talk about a surprise! All the guests loved the unique details that they had never seen brought to life at any other event. The designers used the covers of Jane Austen novels to inspire the visuals throughout the evening.
Photo courtesy Empyrean Events and Catering
They continued the love story inspiration through the menu creation. One of the couple’s first trips was a trip to Colorado that ended with a dinner featuring Colorado river trout. The chef overnighted fresh-caught Colorado river trout to allow them to create even more special memories!
Photo courtesy Vicky Crease Catering + Events
Romance | Vicky Crease Catering + Events
This wedding was as vibrant as the couple’s love for each other! Plus, being set in an eclectic and international melting pot like Johannesburg, where art and African culture are in abundance, there was no better way to bring their day to life.
Photo courtesy Vicky Crease Catering + Events
The guests were welcomed by the most magnificent floral arch that draped from the iron door all the way to the cobbled streets, adding a pop of color upon entry. Then, each table and food display was enlivened with the same colorful blooms to bring it all together!
No stone was left unturned when it came to bringing artistic inspiration and color to the date. The menu featured items like crunchy coconut prawns presented on an electric blue agate canvas with gold accents and coal-grilled lemongrass and rosemary skewers, whimsically presented in a bird cage to create theatrical flair.
Photo courtesy Vicky Crease Catering + Events
Check out all the 2021 winners and tip your hat to their incredible creations from afar.
There’s still time to submit your creative events for Catersource 2022!
The CATIE award submissions are the pinnacle of creativity in our industry. Do you want to share your event visions and how they came to life? There is still time to submit your events and tasty creations to Catersource 2022! Apply on the ICA website by March 7th. The deadline is quickly approaching, so don’t miss out.
This year's CATIE awards will be presented LIVE during Catersource + The Special Event, which is May 2–5, 2022 in Anaheim, CA, hosted at the Anaheim Convention Center. Learn more about Catersource + The Special Event https://conference.catersource.com/) and register today!
For more information on how to join the ICA and to be notified of future catering industry webinars, events and education opportunities, visit internationalcaterers.org.
