For thousands of years, weddings have been a special way to celebrate the formal union of two people.
Ever since 2350 B.C., when the first formal marriage took place in Mesopotamia, different cultures across the world have adopted the sacred tradition of marriage. And while this tradition has been around for quite some time now, the idea of wedding catering wasn’t conceptualized until 1820, when the catering industry emerged out of Philadelphia, PA. Ever since then, wedding catering services have been one of the most common, and affordable, resources for providing guests with food.
Now let’s fast forward to 2022 when the entire world was still in the shock by COVID-19 pandemic. People’s lifestyles and the way they operate their businesses have changed significantly since the beginning of the year. Not only that, people who were expecting to get married, as well as wedding caterers, were thrown for a loop.
Catering Industry Market Trends 2022
With that being said, let’s take a look at some of the unexpected “wedding catering trends” that local catering companies have adopted in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Outdoor Venues
Many wedding catering companies in Pittsburgh are now recommending outdoor venues for weddings in order to accommodate people while maintaining social distancing protocols. Unlike indoor wedding venues, outdoor venues are not restricted by ventilation concerns.
Safety Requirements
While it’s extremely difficult to enforce, many local catering companies are doing their best to ensure that proper safety measures are being employed to protect the safety of you and your guests. Thorough sanitation measures, thermal scans, social distancing markers, and masks are now being utilized for both indoor and outdoor wedding events.
Seating Arrangements
Given the current circumstances, conventional seating arrangement styles for weddings have changed considerably. In many cases, the traditional rows of side-by-side seating have been replaced with a ‘U’ formation, which allows for social distancing and the ability to still interact with other guests.
Food Preparation
Just like restaurants, catering companies should always abide by industry health and safety standards, especially during these unprecedented times. Preparation areas, storage areas, equipment, and utensils should be thoroughly sanitized before preparing food. Some catering companies are now utilizing thermal scans of their employees to ensure they do not have symptoms of the Coronavirus.
Food Serving Changes
Buffets and dessert tables are the commonly used methods for weddings and other large events. Not only are they convenient, but they’re also affordable. Unfortunately, this could lead to potential cross-contamination between guests, which is why many catering companies are recommending that food be served directly to the guests at their arranged seats.
Be Smart While Staying Safe
While these might not be the ‘wedding catering trends’ that you were looking for, we hope that you gained some insight on how to keep you and your wedding guests safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to overcome this situation and get back to the ‘new norm’ both catering companies and customers need to be resilient and work together. For more information, contact our cooked goose catering experts today at 412-258-5944.
