Wedding Venue Trends 2024: Incorporating Pizza Ovens for Outdoor Receptions

For venue owners and wedding planners, staying on top of wedding venue trends is key to attracting more engaged couples and making their special days unforgettable. One particularly interesting trend is the growing popularity of pizza at weddings. More couples are eschewing traditional plated dinners for laid-back, interactive dining experiences, and outdoor pizza ovens have become a centerpiece for fun, delicious wedding receptions.

Incorporating a pizza oven into your outdoor wedding venue not only taps into this trend and attracts business, but it also creates a unique, memorable experience for wedding guests.

The Growing Trend of Pizza Weddings

Gone are the days when reception dinners were strictly limited to formal, multi-course dinners. In recent years, couples are opting for more casual, engaging food options that match their modern wedding concepts and fit their budgets. Pizza’s universal appeal, combined with its ability to be customized to accommodate all tastes and dietary preferences, makes it a perfect practical crowd-pleaser.

Offering pizza at a wedding not only tends to be more budget-friendly than traditional catering, but it also encourages a relaxed, fun atmosphere. This makes it particularly appealing for couples hosting outdoor receptions who want to create an atmosphere that is elegant without being stuffy.

Pizza weddings offer a unique opportunity to break away from the typical wedding dining expectations in both format and flavor. Couples can offer a wide variety of style and ingredient options, such as:

• Classic Italian Margherita pizza
• Gourmet truffle oil and arugula
• Spicy pepperoni with honey drizzle
• BBQ chicken with red onions and cilantro
• Fig, prosciutto, and goat cheese
• Vegan roasted vegetable and pesto pizza

How Do You Serve Pizza at a Wedding?

There are several ways to incorporate pizza into a wedding reception. Two popular options are to offer an interactive pizza bar or serve it by the slice.

Pizza Bar at a Wedding

A pizza bar is a unique option that allows guests to interact with the chefs, watch the pizza being made, and even customize their toppings. This setup offers a fun, interactive element to the wedding reception and adds to the overall experience. You can offer different stations with a variety of toppings, sauces, and crusts, giving guests the freedom to create their own pizzas. This type of setup ensures that everyone enjoys their meal regardless of age or preferences. It’s also a perfect way to bring guests together at smaller, more intimate receptions.

Pizza by the Slice

For large receptions, it may be more efficient to serve pizza by the slice. This can be served like a traditional plated meal with pre-selected options, but it can also be served in more socially engaging ways. Pizza ovens can churn out hot, fresh slices quickly, making it easy to feed large crowds without long wait times. Plates of pizza can be served family-style at the table, or couples can opt for waitstaff to pass around different varieties on trays, giving guests the chance to sample multiple types throughout the evening.

Stay in Step with Current Trends by Adding a Fontana Forni Pizza Oven to Your Venue