When it comes to weddings (or pretty much any party), unique is the new traditional, and no event should be created alike. One of the most buzzed-about trends for the big day is to have fun with food by creating edible displays that are anything but expected. Guests will fall in love with a deliciously entertaining menu that doubles as memorable wedding decor.
Spanning every course, from appetizers to wedding cake, these arrangements take dishes from dull to distinctive and will keep guests talking about the wedding to remember.

Traditional dairy products – cheese, ice cream, butter and milk – can serve as simple staples to any impressive consumable creation.

The expert party and event styling pros at The TomKat Studio offer the following how-to guide for creating a standout wedding reception and dining experience. These unique ideas all feature dairy foods, with a special focus on another timely wedding trend: the rustic theme.

• Replace Traditional Wedding Cake with Tiered Cheese Wheels

Add savory to traditional sweets by layering wheels of various Real California cheeses.

Style Tip: Display layered cheese cake with paper flags describing the type of cheese for each layer. Follow these steps to make the cake picture perfect:

• Keep textures and colors in mind. Neutral-colored rinds offer a rustic look while waxy exteriors boasting yellow or other hues are best for colorful celebrations.
• Cater to different tastes by choosing an array of cheese profiles. For example, pairing salty manchego, buttery Camembert and nutty Swiss-Italian cheeses offer an interesting contrast of flavors. 
• For lower tiers, select a hard or semi-hard cheese for a solid foundation. Soft and semi-soft cheese can be used for upper tiers.
• Stacking the wheels works perfectly. Or add complementary preserve spreads or honey as "icing" to adhere the layers. When using crumbly cheeses, add parchment between layers.
• To add edible and non-edible decorations between tiers, place a shallow bowl between the tiers to prop up wheels. Then, decorations can be placed around bowl, camouflaging this structural element between cake layers. Edible items can include nuts, chocolate, fresh fruit and produce, while flowers and foliage work best for non-edibles.

• Raise a Toast to Cookies and Milk 

“Cheers” takes a unique form when warm chocolate chip cookies are wrapped around cold Real California Milk. 

Style Tip: Utilize servers to pass out shots for a toast – a real crowd-pleaser for guests of all ages.

• Serve Deconstructed Cheesecake

Switch out the traditional cheesecake. Instead, pair delicate squares of cheese with complementary flavors, such as delicious slices of fruits, veggies, spreads and finely sliced meat cuts. Place each bite-sized morsel on upright forks that are lined up within shallow, wooden boxes that are adorned with labels marking each dessert option.

Style Tip: Place a Styrofoam layer in boxes and top with salt to hide the foam and to give a clean, white appearance while anchoring forks within each box.

• Create a Cool Ice Cream Destination

Put a creamy twist on the traditional lemonade stand. Scoop Real California ice cream at a wooden ice cream stand, serving the bride’s and groom’s favorite ice cream flavors and toppings.

Style Tip: Create custom signage for the mini structure using the newlywed’s names and drill wood planks to serve as cone holders that are displayed on stand while guests wait for their orders.

• Send Guests Off with a Midnight Snack Box

Keep guests talking about the fun, memorable evening with a takeaway box filled with a selection of cheese, chocolate and individual milk bottles or champagne splits for guests to enjoy post-wedding.

            Style Tip: Place contents in reusable wooden, wire or paper box wrapped in wedding colors and customized with the couple’s names and wedding date.

For more dairy recipes and tips, visit realcaliforniamilk.com.

Photos courtesy of  Rennai Hoefer, Ten22 Studio

Sponsored by California Milk Advisory Board