In my mind, our big day would be a simple, understated, and classic Americana wedding: timeless white florals, pale vintage blue, and traditional place settings. However, there was one thing I knew we needed—a carb bar. I envisioned various types of carbohydrates—everything from loaves of bread to donuts to traditional slices of bread & rolls to donuts and cookies. If I could only eat one macronutrient and live a safe & sustainable life, it’d be carbs. Not to mention, one of my favorite pastimes is baking bread, so it almost felt as if it’d be a bit inauthentic not to provide some of my favorite carbs for our guests.

We didn't want this carb bar to replace the hors d'oeuvre / appetizers that were passed around before our wedding dinner but more so to complement the open bar towards the end of the evening when our guests were in a snacky mood.

Adding a ‘specialty’ bar of some sort that represents your interests and personality is a fun & simple way to add a personal touch to your wedding day (or even a dinner party)!

Want to do this for your next dinner party or afternoon cookout but not sure how much food to provide for an appetizer? Keep it simple with this guideline: 3-4 pieces per person and 3 to 4 different options.

Here’s what we included in our Wedding Day Carb Bar

The carbs:

• French baguettes

• Rolls

• Croissants

• Cinnamon rolls

• Naan

• Lemon bread

• Banana nut bread

• Donuts

• No-bake cookies

• Chocolate chip muffins

• Vanilla brioche

The spreads:

• Blueberry cream cheese

• Chive & jalapeño cream cheese

• Plain whipped cream cheese

• Butter

• Jam

• Laughing Cow spreadable cheese

Photos by BC Parker Co

Other specialty/wedding bar ideas:

• Bagel bar - a couple different types of bagels plus sweet and savory cream cheese, smoked salmon, fresh fruits & veggies

• Candy bar - the bride and groom's go-to candies; chocolates, sours, sweet & salty, etc

• Champagne bar - you can’t go wrong with this one. Chat with your local liquor store for bulk ordering!

• Cookie bar - top 5 favorite cookies served with milk; chocolate chip, no-bake, lemon crinkles, peanut butter cookies, monster cookies

• Nacho bar - you could really get wild here

• Pancake/waffle bar - plus fresh fruit, whipped cream, and jams to finish it off

• Popcorn bar - freshly popped popcorn with all your favorite toppings; candies, butter, cheese, seasonings

• Potato bar - baked & mashed potatoes with all the fixings; butter, sour cream, bacon bits, ranch, salt & pepper

• Pretzel bar - soft-baked pretzels with nacho cheese, marinara, and icing (Auntie Anne’s style!)

• Trail Mix bar - chex cereal, nuts, rye crisps, pretzels, m&ms, craisins, plus small bags so your guests can make their own trail mix!

xx, Riss

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