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Pros and Cons of Having a Wedding Catered By a Food Truck

As weddings become more and more focused on guest experience, food and drinks are the best way to ensure an unforgettable event. Whether that entails serving snacks before the ceremony, including a unique grazing table at cocktail hour, or offering elevated zero – proof cocktails at the bar, there are various of ways to do something different in this department—and one increasingly popular option is the food truck wedding.

More and more couples in the United States are getting their weddings catered by mobile catering trucks. And when you consider how great food truck food is, and the amount of money you could be saving, it really is a no – brainer.

One interesting part of the food truck industry is the fact that there is so much variety. When thinking of a lunch truck, most people tend to think of just the traditional hot dog stand, or a taco truck, but there are so many unique concepts that also call the food truck industry home.

If you are looking to go down this route, there are factors you will have to consider. For instance, if the main meal at your event will be served from a food truck, you will require a space that is large enough to accommodate the truck but is not too far away from your guests’ tables. Note that it is never a good idea to have wedding attendees trek away from the main party space to grab their food. You will also need to think about venue accessibility.

Also note and consider that special event, parking, and fire code permit requirements tend to vary by city and county. So if you are not working with a food truck with event experience, you will want to check with your local municipality. For events on private property, you generally won’t need a permit.

A good wedding especially in this age of trends and adjustments is all about setting the mood, and a food truck completely helps out in the ambiance department. Getting a food truck to cater a wedding is considered cool nowadays.

Pros of Having a Wedding Catered By a Food Truck

Catering is such a huge part of the wedding day, so it is good to do something different. If you intend to use this catering option, here are few benefits you are likely to enjoy.

1. Amazing Food Options

Some of the well known food trucks serve popular gourmet foods like tacos, sliders, cupcakes, and mini desserts. But if you look hard enough, you will be able to find food trucks that serve everything and anything. Are you a vegetarian?

Have a green truck come to your wedding! Are you catering to a heavily based cultural or traditional crowd that may enjoy their national foods? Have a German, Asian fusion, or Greek food truck, cater your wedding! The options are endless and super exciting.

2. Easy Clean Up

If you don’t have the plan to spend the morning after your wedding sorting out dirty tableware, then hiring a food truck should be an alternative to consider. Catering your big day from a food truck simply entails that there will not be nearly as much cleanup as would be needed were you having a traditional sit – down meal: After your guests have eaten they can simply throw away their plates and utensils, saving you from extra work the next day.

3. Save Money

At first glance, a food truck wedding can seem much more cost – effective than one catered by a traditional caterer. According to reports, the average American wedding is running about $66 dollars per guest for reception catering, so if you are running the average number of guests, then you are looking at around $8,844 in spend.

You should be able to negotiate $20 a guest for the night which would put you at $5,360 for two Trucks. It means that you are saving around $3,500 by using a Food truck instead of a traditional catering service.

4. Entertain Your Guests Outside

By having food truck catered wedding, you can entertain your guests during a reception or after a long night of lots of dancing. Instead of sitting around waiting for food at separate tables, guests can stand in line and mingle with other guests.

Note that is the perfect way to get all of your guests to interact with each other, without trying to force them to sit through hours of each other’s company at a long, over the top, dinner. In addition, having a food truck means everything can be done outside. There’s no need for a marquee, and the whole party will be wonderfully relaxed without any tiring sit – down dining.

5. Flexible Dining Schedule

A flexible eating schedule is a good thing because if someone is not hungry, then they can simply eat whenever they want. All they have to do is join the line of greatness that takes them right to the food truck window. Also, just imagine a food truck showing up late at night to a wedding.

Can you picture anything better? The guests — you know, family and friends who have been dancing and having a good time — will never be more excited than when they see a food truck showing up at a wedding at night.

6. Fresh, Tasty Food

Since food trucks bring the kitchen to the wedding, the food offered is often fresher, and tastier, than food that has been prepared elsewhere and brought to your wedding by caterers. Also note that most food trucks cook a dish to order and according to specifics, resulting in the most delicious meal.

7. Hassle – Free Catering

Note that bringing a food truck to your wedding is easy, especially since most food trucks in the United States have websites that offer questionnaires that can be filled out with the click of a few buttons. Also note that more established food trucks will also allow you to personalize your menu and create your own unique wedding – catering package so that your wedding can run exactly as you want it to

Cons of Having a Wedding Catered By a Food Truck

While food truck catering can be exciting and fun (and, occasionally, more budget – conscious) it also comes with its own set of considerations and limitations.

1. Legal Restrictions

Food Trucks are widely popular in cities such as New York, Seattle, Austin, and Los Angeles. And yes, you can have the food truck set itself up wherever you fancy, whether it is directly outside the venue, or in the yard at the back of the venue.

However, in cities like Chicago, there are stricter food truck laws. For instance, an ordinance in Chicago requires food trucks to park 200 feet away from any restaurant, and doesn’t allow them to sell for more than 2 hours at one location.

Unlike traditional caterers, who will arrive hours before to set up and stay through the end, food trucks are typically booked for a specific time and can only stay for a specific amount of hours. Once they’re gone, guests who missed the window to grab their food will be out of luck. Make sure you do your research before you book your food truck.

2. Lines Can Be Long

This is one primary limitation a lot of couples don’t realize when it comes to food trucks at weddings. Consider the number of guests you will have in attendance, and then imagine all of them lining up behind a single food – truck window.

However, to remedy these issues, it is advisable you hire at least two food trucks for weddings with 75 guests or more. This gives your guests a wider range of food to choose from. Also passing hor d’oeuvres and cocktails around while people are lined up—just so they have something to tide them over as they wait.

3. Dietary Restrictions Can Be Harder to Accommodate

Since food trucks more or less specialize in one main menu item (grilled cheese, pizza, Australian hand pies, kabobs, etc.), they can sometimes be a little less accommodating when it comes to dietary restrictions, especially since they don’t have the ingredients or capacity to accommodate these requests. So it is imperative you first talk to the chefs you are considering hiring beforehand to ensure they’ll be able to offer a vegetarian option and preferably a gluten – free one as well.

4. Guest and Number Restrictions

Have it in mind that with one food truck at a wedding, you can cater for around 75 guests. You don’t want lines to get too long, as that would ruin the spectacle of the food truck, and run the risk of your guests getting snippy with each other. But since we most times can’t specifically state the number of wedding guests, it can be very difficult if more people turn up for the wedding.

However, most people catering from food trucks for a big wedding have two or three food trucks arrive at the same time to help break up the masses. Keep in mind that almost every food truck will cater weddings; they just require a guarantee of a certain number of people to be in attendance.

5. Venue Logistics Can Be Tricky

Also note that food trucks are not exactly the smallest car in town, so if you are getting married at an isolated location or on a lakefront estate that sits at the bottom of a windy mountain road, for instance, then getting the food truck to the venue can be tricky. However, you can choose to work with your wedding planner ahead of time to ensure your venue can accommodate a food truck—and be sure it is able to park at or near the reception.

6. Weather

While guests will love mingling outside in the warm, dry, summer evening, huddling under a food truck on a cold, wet night, is not anyone’s idea of the perfect wedding. The food will be just as good, but the guests might not enjoy being forced to stand outside in the rain.

However, a contingency plan is necessary for any event with an outdoor element. Talk with your food truck vendor in advance about adjustments that could be made in case of bad weather: “They can prepare the food in the truck, and then serve it in a more traditional buffet or plated fashion,

Conclusion

Having a food truck cater your wedding might not be the most traditional option of all time, but food truck weddings are becoming more and more popular thanks to the convenience they bring to the table. Plus, the food is amazing. However, it is imperative you consider everything you need to know about hosting a food truck wedding before you commit to such approach.