How Wedding Menus Are Becoming the Ultimate Love Story

Guests at Ira Singh and Imaan Mehta’s wedding, founders of F Six, a Delhi-based wedding design firm, loved everything from the decor of exotic flowers to twinkling lights. But it was the food that became the mainstay. A six-course dinner that felt like art: mascarpone dumplings in parmesan dashi, miso carbonara twirled on porcelain coral, every course a chapter in their story. “They gave us full creative freedom,” recalls Vedika Vats, Founder of Homa Caterers and The Dinner Box. “Ira loves carpaccio, Imaan lived off ramen, so we married both worlds. It was irreverent, indulgent, and oh-so-them.” Delicious and peppered with thoughtfully designed details, couples today don’t want food to be an afterthought. They want to serve an experience. This instinct for authenticity defines the modern wedding menu. Best known for curating Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh’s wedding menu, Sanjay Vazirani of Foodlink Catering tells Manifest that it’s “less about trends and more about the emotion.” Couples are moving away from endless buffets and leaning toward experiences that are an edible extension of their story… Like their favourite comfort dishes or flavours from places that hold meaning for them.

Storytelling Through Food Is The New Luxury

We’re seeing everything from hyper-local ingredients inspired by a family’s heritage to global pairings that showcase the couple’s favourite destinations. We’ve also had couples request wellness-driven dishes, or sustainable, farm-to-table concepts that reflect their values,” says Sanjay. It’s much more than adding your initials to a menu card. “When it comes to food, couples want as many touchpoints as possible. Looking ahead, we see celebrations becoming more indulgent, more theatrical, and more global in their influence. From bartenders to culinary artists, we’re bringing in international talent to infuse fresh techniques and a sense of artistry at the table,” shares Akshat Agarwal, Business Head, Sage & Saffron.

At the same time, there’s always a thread of familiarity. Reimagining global favourites with an Indian soul keeps the food rooted and comforting. The future of celebratory dining lies in creating harmony between food, drink, and design so that every element feels like part of one seamless experience. And at the heart of it all are the couple— every choice, every pairing, every flourish designed to tell their story, so the celebration doesn’t just look beautiful but feels theirs unmistakably.

Intimate And Intentional

However, bringing these ideas to life is no cakewalk. It’s about diving into the details and turning memories and personalities into menus that truly resonate. Shreya Goel, Business Head at Creative Cuisine Inc., likes to begin with a blank slate. “In our first meeting, we avoid showing any menus,” she explains. “It keeps ideas intuitive and unique to the couple.” While at Homā Caterers, Vedika conducts what she calls a “taste mapping” session—where couples answer questions like ‘If your relationship were a dish, what would it be?’— before her team translates flavour personalities into food form. For her, no detail is too small. In fact, it’s often the little things that spark the most meaningful ideas. And while the dishes are being decided, the key is to tie them in with the ambience, too.

Sometimes, the menu and service styles change dramatically depending on the setting. Vedika says, “The ambience, temperature, lighting, and even wind direction affect how food tastes and holds up.” Both she and Akshat agree that interactive food experiences work best outdoors. “Indoors allow for theatrical plating, delicate garnishing, and temperature-sensitive dishes,” adds Vedika.

Bespoke Details

The most successful menus don’t just complement the decor; they complete it. Shreya adds, “Outdoor venues lend themselves to movement—grazing tables, food vans, mobile carts. Indoors are ideal for intimate, plated dinners. The goal is to let food flow with the tone of the evening.” For Sanjay, cuisine is design language. “If the decor has a royal Mughal aesthetic, we weave in an imperial Indian spread with intricate thalis and ornate serving ware. For a wedding with a minimalist, modern look, the plating and presentation shift toward sleek, contemporary lines.” Even cocktails, desserts, and live counters are designed to visually and emotionally harmonise with the overall atmosphere. But personalisation doesn’t always have to mean grand gestures. “Often, it’s the small, meaningful details that make the biggest impact.

Draw from your story—the meals you’ve shared, the flavours you grew up with, the little traditions that make you, you. From there, trust your team to translate those memories into food that works beautifully in a wedding setting. When you stay true to what matters to you as a couple, the menu will naturally feel special, and your guests will feel that sincerity in every bite,” Karan Malik, co-founder of Farro, says.

The Last Course

In the end, what guests remember isn’t how much they ate, but how it made them feel—the nostalgia of a childhood flavour, the joy of discovering a story in every bite. “When couples want their menu to feel truly celebratory, we encourage them to think of presentation as an extension of the mood they want to create,” Akshat adds. He recommends interactive stations for the same. “When guests see a chef finishing a dish in front of them, it sparks curiosity and connection. Pass-arounds and small plates work beautifully too— they let people mingle freely while still enjoying the best of the menu. And then there are grazing tables and themed counters, which double up as decor. Layered with height, colour, and texture, they become a visual feast as much as a culinary one. Above all, the presentation should reflect the couple’s shared history and the tone they want to set, so that the celebration comes alive in the most authentic way.”