Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the food can be so delightful! A winter wedding is the perfect time to bring out some of the coziest, tastiest, and most comforting foods imaginable to your guests. Seasonal foods always taste the best, and chilly weddings get that extra dash of hygge when it comes to dishing up. Here are 12 delicious ideas for crafting the best winter wedding menu ever!

1. Hot Cocoa Bar

A winter wedding without a hot cocoa bar? Is that even a thing? Mugs of hot cocoa with tiny marshmallows and peppermint straws will be the main event of any winter affair. Make sure you provide enough for seconds...and thirds!

2. Mulled Wine

Few things taste more like winter than mulled wine, and incorporating this delicious drink into your wedding will be a perfect complement to the chilly air. You can create a signature cocktail around the mulled wine, or keep it classic and serve it up the old-fashioned way: steaming and smelling amazing.

3. Roasted Root Veggies

A platter of roasted carrots, squash, brussel sprouts, and potatoes sounds like a dream. The aroma alone would make guests giddy to dish up! Serve up these winter plates as side dishes, or all on their own. Vegans at winter weddings never feel left out of the goodies with roasted seasonal veggies around!

4. Fig Anything

Fig stuffing, fig pudding, fig pie—figs are a winter staple! Anything you add fig to will make everyone feel the season, especially with our favorite, Lardon-fig twists, complete with bacon filling. Serve these and guests will surely be talking about them the next day!

5. Mac ’n’ Cheese

You can make it fancy, you can make it traditional, but any way you serve it, mac ’n’ cheese makes everyone feel warm and happy. A mac ’n’ cheese bar, shooter, or side dish is always a big hit!

6. Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup Shooters

Anytime you're given the chance to serve your friends a grilled cheese sandwich—do it! A grown-up version of mini sandwiches atop a tomato soup shooter is a fun spin on the longtime favorite comfort food, making it a perfect winter combo.

7. Potato Bar

Whether you serve them mashed, baked, french fried, or skinned, a potato bar will leave no leftovers! A potato bar with all the best toppings from sour cream to melted butter is a truly scrumptious way to munch through a cold night!

8. Ramen Bar

There are few foods as warm and filling as a bowl of ramen, and a ramen bar is a fun way to give your wedding guests a spoonful of the best. Make a build-your-own-bowl bar with the yummiest toppings and noodles, complete warm broth to pour over, and it will be a crowd-pleaser for all!

9. Risotto with Winter Greens

Creamy risotto is one of the warmest, most delicious dinners to serve up, and a wedding risotto topped with seasonal winter greens is both comforting and classy. Whether you do a simple mushroom risotto or a delectable pancetta topped dish, risotto on any winter night will be a big hit!

10. Beef Wellington

Want to ditch the usual chicken main entrée? Beef Wellington is a combination of comfort and taste that's hard to match. Nothing says winter wedding like this tried-and-true dish of elegance. Serve this and impress the masses.

11. S’mores

Whether you have fire pits at your winter wedding, or small open flames, s’mores are always welcome on cold days! No wedding guest can resist the pull of gooey marshmallows and melting chocolate on graham crackers, and everyone will be lining up for more. S’mores are a guaranteed slam dunk for a winter dessert!

12. Gingerbread Cookies

A sweet taste of the season that brings a smile to everyone’s faces is a delicious gingerbread cookie. There are some tastes that just remind you of a time of year, and gingerbread brings everyone into the heart of winter with each bite.

No matter how your winter wedding menu turns out, this is a season of delicious flavors and comforting favorites. It’s impossible to go wrong, no one leaves a winter menu hungry!

Hero photo courtesy of Lilly Red Creative