When you think about a typical wedding reception, you probably picture a fancy multicourse dinner, an elegant family-style meal or even a delicious buffet. Yet thanks to a burgeoning street food trend and creative thinking by today’s couples, food trucks are now a common sight at receptions across the country. If you want good eats of the inexpensive and portable kind at your own nuptials, here’s what you need to know to make it happen.
The West Coast Origins of the Food Truck
Street food itself likely originated in ancient Greece, and the chuckwagons of the late 1800s were among the first to serve food on the move in the United States. Nevertheless, the modern food truck is a decidedly 20th-century invention. Smithsonian Magazine contributor Jonathan Gold delved into its Los Angeles roots, pointing to the local need for eats on the run. L.A.’s fast-paced, automobile-centric culture first birthed drive-in food establishments and roadhouse eateries in the 1930s.
By the 1960s, Mexican-American neighborhoods in the area played host to plenty of “loncheras,” or small microenterprises that served fresh Mexican cuisine. While the name “taco truck” stuck, it is a bit reductionist as a lonchera might also offer burritos, tortas, gorditas, sopas, chile rellenos and other portable edibles. As Chowhound writer John Birdsall divulges, lonchera owners and operators were among the first to innovate the contemporary business model. Other vendors later borrowed it to offer other kinds of cuisine, precipitating the current food truck trend.
Tips for Your Wedding’s Mobile Munchies
With the availability of these mobile eateries exploding exponentially, finding a truck for your wedding reception shouldn’t be difficult. The hard part will be narrowing down your options and choosing the right vendor to cater your celebration. The Knot contributor Vi-An Nguyen reminds readers that temps can soar for an outdoor reception in the summer and advises hiring your delicious dream cuisine for a spring or fall wedding instead. Along with that piece of sage wisdom, Nguyen makes some other key recommendations:
- Hire one food truck for every 75 guests
- Make sure the truck’s appearance complements your theme
- Work with the truck’s owners to plan your menu in advance
In addition to these tips, Offbeat Bride suggests other essentials to keep in mind during your planning. First, read your venue’s contract and rules carefully and ensure that your food trucks aren’t prohibited. Many private venues have stipulations against “outside catering” and public locations such as historical monuments may be governed by city ordinances against parking these trucks on municipal property. Speaking of parking, make sure your area has ample space for your vendors. Lastly, be sure to add up the cost of food, furniture rental, dishware and any other incidentals to confirm that you’re really saving a buck by using food trucks.
Other Essentials: Drinks and Seating
Meanwhile, it’s important to ensure you don’t forget about seating arrangements for your crowd. Renting tables and chairs, or selecting a venue that already has outdoor seating is a smart move. Moreover, providing alcoholic drinks to your guests will be easy, as some food trucks also serve alcohol. If the ones you hire don’t offer drinks, Nguyen explains that you may be able to hire traveling wine or beer trucks or a mobile mini-brewery unit for your event.
Make Your Food Truck Reception Truly Awesome
Reducing one’s expenses is a timeless pursuit, but modern couples getting married seek innovative new ways to pinch pennies while planning their nuptials. Since not every catering option is a money-saver, it takes some scrupulous planning and cost-counting to ensure your great idea also fits into your budget. Picking the best vendors, planning for seating and drinks, and double-checking your venue’s rules are sensible steps before bringing a food truck to your own event.
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