Couples are always looking for ways to wow their guests with new and unique experiences on their wedding day. One trend we’re especially excited about is showcasing a cart at your ceremony or reception (or both!) that serves anything from food, drinks, and unexpected treats. Not sure where to begin? Here’s some basic info—as well as some fun trends—to get you started.

How do you find them?

Your wedding venue might be able to help you track down some carts for your event. You should also ask around to get recommendations from recently wed couples and be sure to visit local fairs, festivals, and farmer’s markets for some inspiration.

What to consider?

Serving Size

According to Megan Koll of Little Fox Cups + Cones, the most important thing to figure out is how many people the cart can serve, and then compare it to how many guests you plan to have in attendance.

Staffing Needs

“We typically encourage our clients to hire Little Fox as a self-serve option because that's how we designed the trike to operate as well as the fact that it saves the couple of paying the fee to staff the trike,” Koll explains. “We also found that people really like the idea of discovering what's in the bike for themselves.”

Of course, there are some carts that require a staffer to be on-hand, especially if it’s offering mixed cocktails or food that needs to be prepped in any way.

Venue Access

Before you sign on the dotted line, make sure your venue will allow the cart on the premises.

Location Concerns

Figure out where you would like the cart to be positioned at the venue, and then discuss it with the cart company to make sure that’s feasible.

Insurance/Permit Requirements

Couples should make sure that any company they hire has their own insurance as most venues require it. Even if your venue doesn’t, it would be wise to request it, says Koll. That way the couple knows that they're not liable for anything that happens while the cart is on the premises.

As for permits, most cart companies should have their own, but it’s always smart to check with the vendors—as well as the venue—to find out if any special permits are required.

Wedding Cart Ideas

Carts can be decorated according to your wedding theme and attached to a vintage car, bike, or even served from a horse trailer. Some fun ideas include:

Minibar

Instead of having everyone crowded around the venue’s bar, get a portable bar where select drinks can be served to your guests. You can offer anything from prosecco and frosé to international beers and craft cocktails. While it can be self-serve, you might still want to hire a bartender to keep everything organized.

Honey

Madeline Blackstone of Oh Lovely Day Mag featured a honey-bee-themed wedding that boasted a cart with small glass pots filled with unfiltered Canola honey from Oregon as wedding favors. “We added honey dippers to make a set for each guest, and honey caipirinhas and apple cider were served on the same cart,” she explains. For the kids who attended the wedding, a cart with honey bee cake pops, mini long donuts, and lemonade was on-hand.

Ice Cream

Perfect for a summer wedding, guests will be lining up to score a cone or sundae from the cart. Make sure you also offer a variety of toppings and maybe even a lactose-free option for family and friends with an intolerance.

Koll’s Little Fox Cups + Cones offers an ice cream taco cart for a variety of events, including weddings. “We have a whole list of different tacos that people can choose from, as well as the option to create a custom flavor specific to the couple,” she says. “A few fun flavors for weddings coming up are a Strawberry Aperol Spritz taco and a Lavender Honey taco.”

Popsicles

Another treat for a hot summer day, hire a cart with a variety of popsicle flavors that guests can indulge in while cooling off after an outdoor ceremony. You might even want to offer a few alcohol-infused pops during the cocktail hour.

Food

From pizza and tacos to mini grilled cheese sandwiches, these comfort food carts will be a huge hit with your guests. We love the idea of offering them on the way out of the reception as a goodbye surprise for your family and friends as they head home or back to the hotel.

Mini Desserts

Pastries, donuts, cake pops—there’s no shortage of sweet treats that can be served from a cart. Think about something fun like cookie shots with milk inside, as well as one bite cookies or brownies.

Hero photo courtesy of Camila Margotta