Small Weddings, Big Flavours: How UK Couples Are Changing the Menu
Wedding food is getting more casual, more global and much more creative!
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With peak wedding season in full swing, exclusive data from Add to Event, one of the UK’s leading event marketplaces, reveals how the wedding world has evolved over the past five years.
The analysis of more than 20,000 wedding catering enquiries between 2019 and 2024 reveals how couples are favouring smaller guest lists and more casual, global and creative food menus.
Savvy spending: a balance of budgets & creativity
As 66% of UK households reported rising living costs in March 2025 (up from 49% at the start of the year), couples are getting creative with their wedding budgets. The analysis reveals that couples typically set a budget of around £27 per person for their main wedding meal – covering everything from buffets to three-course dinners.
While 86% of UK couples say they’re flexible with their budget (down slightly from 89% in 2019), many are opting for more relaxed dining, with 68% favouring informal options.
Scotland tops the spending chart at £34 per head, 24% above the national average, with 90% of couples open to adjusting their budget. At the other end, couples in Yorkshire and Humber spend the least at £24 per head, around 13% below the UK average.
Britain’s buffet binge
Back in 2019, UK weddings were all about tradition, with formal sit-down meals comfortably taking the top spot. Sharing boards offered a slightly more casual second choice, while self-service buffets sat firmly in third place.
Fast forward to 2024, and the self-service buffet has taken the crown, with couples favouring its relaxed, flexible feel. Formal sit-down meals have slipped to second place, followed by sharing boards. Across all regions in England, self-service buffet is the most popular choice, while Scotland and Wales prefer formal sit-down meals.
British cuisine tops the buffet table, with 59% of couples choosing classic British fare for their wedding spread. Italian comes in next at 24%, followed by sizzling barbecue favourites (15%), vibrant Mediterranean dishes (14%), and indulgent Indian banquets (12%) – indicating an appetite for diverse and flavour-rich buffet menus.
Changing tastes: the UK’s top wedding cuisines
For the first time since 2019, Asian cuisine has soared into the top five most popular wedding cuisines, reflecting a wider national appetite wherein almost half (47%) of Brits now buy Korean-inspired food, products, and services – according to Just Eat.
The delivery food giant also reveals that orders of East Asian dishes have surged 23% year-on-year, while Korean restaurant partnerships have soared by 76% since 2024.
Micro-wedding boom
The micro-wedding boom shows no signs of slowing. In 2019, just 13% of weddings were considered small (21-50 guests) or micro (less than 20 guests). By 2024, that figure has risen to 18%, as more couples opt for intimate celebrations.
With smaller guest lists and bigger flavours, UK couples are scaling back numbers but dialling up creativity – buffets have overtaken formal dining, Asian cuisine has cracked the top five for the first time, and couples are keeping tighter budgets.
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Tim Maughan, Co-founder of Add to Event, comments: “After more than a decade helping couples find their perfect wedding caterers, we’ve seen wedding food trends evolve dramatically – and this year marks a real turning point. With more intimate gatherings, it’s no surprise that couples are moving away from formality. Relaxed dining simply feels more natural and sets the tone for a more chilled, joyful and personal day.
“The rise of Asian cuisine isn’t just a wedding trend either; it reflects a wider cultural shift in how we eat, influenced by TikTok, travel and beyond. From bao buns to sushi stations, couples want food that’s creative, personal and packed with flavour – and we’ve seen that appetite grow year after year.”
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