Catering weddings has become more challenging than ever before due to COVID-19. Companies have to ensure everyone’s safety while serving food and beverages that amaze guests. The social distancing standards have forced businesses to get creative and find new ways on how to safely communicate with wedding planners, prep meals, and serve guests. In this detailed guide, we provide you with seven tips on how to safely cater pandemic weddings so you can provide your clients with an everlasting experience.
1. Take Safety Measures
Whether you’re catering an on-site or off-site wedding, implement safety measures that your staff must follow at all times. While some employees may find constantly sanitizing equipment or wearing a mask when catering outdoor events bothersome, it ensures everyone’s safety. To reassure clients that your business is taking the extra precautions to keep them protected, consider carrying out these safety measures.
Wear Masks
Whether your team members are serving plated dishes during the reception or crafting drinks during cocktail hour, require them to wear a face mask. While it may be uncomfortable and is likely a rule you didn’t have in place prior to the pandemic, it keeps everyone protected. Face masks have been known to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. They prevent respiratory droplets from making contact with frequently-touched surface areas and staff members from touching their mouth or nose.
Use Gloves
Food-safe gloves create a barrier between dangerous pathogens and the food you are handling. Wearing gloves when plating ready-to-eat or raw food reassures clients that their meals aren’t contaminated. Food handling gloves are only effective when used properly, making it essential to inform your staff to constantly change their gloves before beginning a new task.
Complete Temperature Checks & Screening Forms
Prior to the start of the event, have your caterers complete screening forms and check their temperature. While it may seem excessive, you’ll be able to let your clients know that your team is healthy. Your staff will also appreciate the extra precautions you’re taking to ensure no one is ill since they’ll be working together during the wedding.
Wash Hands Frequently
Most caterers are accustomed to constantly washing their hands throughout events since they are working with food. However, before every event, simply remind them to properly wash their hands before and after setting up food stations or handling food. Consider setting up hand sanitizer stations throughout the venue so caterers can quickly clean their hands and continue to safely serve guests.
2. Use Disposables
A number of catering companies are using single-use products to serve meals due to the pandemic. Their clients feel more comfortable enjoying dishes using individually wrapped utensils rather than reusable flatware. Single-use products are known for their high level of hygiene and it puts their guests’ minds at ease knowing that they are the only individuals that have used the flatware. To make the COVID-19 wedding you’re catering as sanitary as possible, consider serving drinks and meals with the following disposable products:
- Plates
- Bowls
- Food boats
- Utensils
- Cups
- Straws
- Napkins
3. Adjust Menu Tastings
Oftentimes, the bride and groom will want to schedule a tasting before making a deposit for your wedding services. This is the time you’re able to show off your culinary skills and discover exactly what it is they would like on their big day. Some companies are no longer scheduling tasting sessions due to additional safety measures regarding the pandemic which can affect their business. However, rather than eliminating menu tastings, consider adjusting the way you schedule and host tastings during the pandemic:
- Make it outdoors: Outdoor dining has become extremely popular due to COVID-19. It makes it easier to keep your distance from others and respiratory droplets and particles will quickly dilute with the fresh air.
- Limit it to just the couple: The bride and groom like to bring their immediate family to tastings so they can get their opinion. While most caterers allow this, COVID-19 menu tasting should be limited to just the couple to help keep your staff safe.
- Sanitize surfaces: Properly sanitize chairs, tables, and other equipment your clients will make contact with before and after the tasting.
- Use disposables: Rather than using fine china to impress your guests, inform them that you are using disposable tableware to ensure their safety. They will appreciate the gesture and you’ll be able to simply dispose of plates once they finish their tasting.
4. Make Changes To Cocktail Hour
Many wedding guests are excited for the cocktail hour because it’s the first opportunity they have to enjoy hors d'oeuvres and drinks. They typically spend this hour walking station to station to try your selection of appetizers and sauces. While it’s always nice to see clients enjoy your dishes, food stations aren’t hygienic during this time because guests are using dipping sauces and grabbing appetizers from communal plates.
To keep wedding guests safe during a COVID-19 cocktail hour, have them take their seats and your staff serve the food, drinks, and condiments. You’ll be able to easily prevent cross-contamination and guests will still be able to pick and choose what they’d like to eat. Plus, it gives you more control with portions so you can guarantee there are enough appetizers for everyone.
Some businesses have also opted to serve individual appetizers for each guest. They have gotten creative and are serving boxed cheese boards or charcuterie boards. Serving prepackaged appetizers provides guests with a new experience while keeping everything sanitary.
5. Adjust Your Bar Service
During a wedding, guests typically go to the bar to ask the bartender for a drink. The mixologist crafts the cocktail or pours the beer in a glass and serves it. However, in a wedding during a pandemic, it’s important to get creative to keep bartenders safe and prevent long lines. Below are a few ways you can adjust your wedding bar service.
- Set up grab-and-go stations: Place coolers or drink displays throughout the venue to help prevent lines at the bar. You can simply store ready-to-drink cocktails in drink pouches and offer bottled wine and beer.
- Use plexiglass dividers: If you or your clients would like to have set up a bar like a traditional wedding, use plexiglass borders to keep bartenders safe. These glasses help create a barrier between bartenders and guests to help promote social distancing.
- Take drink orders: Have bartenders go to each table during the wedding and take drink orders. This will prevent large gatherings at the bar.
6. Modify How Dinner Is Served
The majority of catering companies allow couples to decide if they would like a buffet, family-style, or plated dinners. For a COVID-19 wedding, caterers should continue to provide clients with each option but modify how they set up and serve dishes. To guarantee everyone’s safety during the wedding dinner, consider making changes to each of the serving styles.
Plated Meals
To navigate COVID-19, many catering companies are opting to serve plated dinners because it’s the quickest and safest way to serve meals. Guests don’t need to wait in long lines to serve themselves food which allows them to continue practicing social distancing. Food is also directly served to each guest which prevents them from handling tongs or serving spoons that have been touched by a number of individuals. To keep everyone safe, caterers should wear a mask and gloves when serving guests.
Family-Style Meals
Before the pandemic, one of the biggest trends was family-style dinners. This wedding menu style replicates big family dinners at homes, allowing guests to help themselves to whatever dish they’d like. It provides guests with an intimate and interactive dining experience while eliminating the need for them to get up from the table.
While communal dining may not seem ideal during a pandemic, you can keep everyone protected by providing each family with their own table. Seating each family separately will allow everyone to practice social distancing and feel comfortable while enjoying their meals.
Buffet-Style Meals
Wedding buffets face the most obstacles during a pandemic. Guests tend to line up to serve themselves food and each person makes contact with the equipment and serving utensils. While a wedding buffet menu may seem challenging to set up, there are few changes you can make to keep your guests safe:
- Eliminate self-service buffets: Place a team member at each buffet station and have them serve guests. This will prevent each guest from making contact with serving utensils and equipment.
- Call guests by table: Instead of having everyone come up to the buffet at once, coordinate with the DJ to call up people by tables. This limits the number of individuals in line to ensure social distancing.
- Require face masks: Whether it’s an indoor or outdoor wedding, inform guests to wear their masks when going to get their food.
7. Find Alternatives For Wedding Cakes
In many traditional weddings, the goal is to make the wedding cake the center of attention. It’s displayed at the beginning of the reception in an area that is well lit and easy to spot. However, in the midst of the pandemic, caterers should speak with couples and recommend other dessert options. Leaving a large cake that is uncovered during the reception increases the chances of it becoming contaminated.
Work with the bride and groom to create wedding dessert alternatives that satisfy their sweet tooth while complementing the theme of their wedding. Below are a number of wedding dessert options you can add to your catering menu and recommend to clients:
- Mini shooters: Prepare dessert shooters and package them in disposable cups with lids. This will keep them covered and allow you to display them on dessert tables in a sanitary way.
- Individual desserts: Whether you’re serving a variety of sweets or a slice of cake, package treats in dessert boxes and serve them individually. Each guest will be able to enjoy desserts without needing to wait in line at the dessert station.
- Cake in a jar: If your clients want a cake and dessert table, you can display mini cakes in a single-use mason jar. Serving individual cakes will be covered while leaving guests in awe.
