If you have a wedding celebration coming up, it's likely catering is a top priority in your planning. You're in luck, because now there are more options than ever to help you create a unique and memorable event for you and your guests. Here are six new trends you may want to try on your big day.

Brunch Reception

The recent trend towards comfort food at weddings has morphed in the best comfort food of all: brunch. A brunch reception can still be elegant while saving money on your venue and catering.

Think stacks of tiny pancakes skewered with berries passed as canapes, colorful local produce, and gourmet omelets. Brunch is a natural for fizzy, champagne-based drinks like mimosas and Bellinis.

Buffet Serving

While buffets are nothing new at weddings, the contents are a far cry from the steamed chicken and mushy green beans of old. Today's wedding buffets are offering regional and international cuisine, like paella, chicken satay, and jambalaya.

There are multiple advantages to serving your reception meal buffet-style:

• Guests mingle more, making the event more social.
• Attendees get exactly what they want to eat--more of this, less of that.
• You can easily accommodate special diets, like gluten-free or vegetarian.
• There's less worry about last minute RSVPs.

If you're interested in this kind of catering, contact a company like Marians Island Wide Catering.

Complex Cakes

While reception entrees have become less formal, many couples are choosing to focus any fanciness on their cakes. The elaborate Gatsby-style weddings of recent popularity have spurred a return to bright color schemes like peach, turquoise, silver, and gold. Wedding cakes are reflecting this with brilliantly hued icing and intricate decorations mimicking jewels and lattice work.

Signature Drinks

It can be overwhelming and expensive to provide an open bar for your guests with every kind of liquor they would possibly want. Instead, receptions are featuring signature drinks that go with the theme of the wedding or the cuisine, such as mojitos, margaritas, and Manhattans.

Champagne is back in a big way, and you'll see lots of champagne towers showing up at receptions. Another huge trend is tastings, whether beer or wine flights--a great option to get people talking and to offer a variety while still limiting cost.

British Influence

Downton Abbey and royal weddings are showing their influence across the pond these days. In addition to foods like scones and jam at those brunch receptions, British flavor can be noticed most in table settings.

If you have a penchant for Victorian style, you'll love the "new" trend towards lace tablecloths, vintage flatware, and gold-rimmed stemware. Old-fashioned flowers like peonies, lily of the valley, and hydrangeas look wonderful with these settings in the garden. For more formal receptions, nothing tops classic red or white roses.

Hot Chocolate Bar

Want a fun trend to have all your guests smiling? Try a hot chocolate bar, especially great for winter weddings or even cool summer nights at barn receptions. You can add scrumptious toppings, like gourmet marshmallows, whipped cream, cinnamon, or peppermint sticks.

While a hot chocolate bar is a perfect diversion for your guests when you are busy snapping photos of the bridal party, it's also a great send-off before they head home into the night. With personalized mugs for each guest as a favor, your wedding will be a happy memory every time guests use them for a hot drink.