Substantial Wedding Catering Melbourne
Your wedding isn’t a sit-down affair. It’s a celebration. And your food should move with it.
At CarmEli, we specialise in cocktail-style wedding catering in Melbourne, creating substantial, handcrafted menus that keep guests full, happy, and mingling all night long. Everything is made from scratch using traditional techniques and local produce, with generous portions that feel like real food, not tiny bites.
Our wedding menus combine generous finger foods with mini meals inspired by street food and food truck favourites, designed to be enjoyed standing, dancing, and moving through the night. Think beautifully balanced flavours, warm dishes served fresh, and food that feels exciting without ever being complicated.
This is wedding catering for couples who want their celebration to feel relaxed, memorable, and genuinely well fed.
Substantial Wedding Catering Options
Most popular Menu $58 pp
Our most chosen wedding menu features a generous mix of crowd favourite finger foods, handcrafted sliders, and a substantial world inspired mini meal that keeps guests full and happy..
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Your choice of four finger foods & canapés
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Your choice of one slider
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Your choice of one world-cuisines inspired meal
What's Included With Our Substantial Menus
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Real food, cooked from scratch, with flavours inspired by world cuisines. Designed for mingling, generous eating and weddings that don’t need seating charts.
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Chef & additional staff depending on the size of your wedding.
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All the equipment required inc serving equipment.
* Option to serve from our mobile caravan bar and kitchen.
* These menus include service staff for events with 40 guests or more.
* We require access to power and water. If unavailable, we can supply both for an additional fee.
Substantial Menu for Events That Need More $73 pp
When one meal isn’t enough. This wedding menu delivers extra variety, extra substance, and guests who leave genuinely full and happy.
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Your choice of six finger foods & canapés
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Your choice of one slider
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Your choice of two world-cuisines inspired meals
Custom Wedding Menu
If you’re working with a budget and a vision, let’s have a chat. Our custom wedding menus are built around your ideas and cravings, and we’re here to bring them to life.
If substantial catering is not quite what you’re looking for? We have other wedding catering options to suit your day.
Substantial Wedding Catering FAQs
What does “substantial wedding catering” actually mean? It means your guests are properly fed. Our substantial wedding catering combines generous finger foods with mini meals that feel like real dishes, not tiny bites, so no one leaves hungry.
Is this style of wedding catering suitable for a full reception? Yes. Our cocktail-style wedding menus are designed to replace a sit-down meal, offering enough variety and substance for a complete dining experience without formal seating.
How is food served at a substantial cocktail wedding? Food is served in waves, with hot items coming out fresh and continuously so guests can eat as they mingle, dance, and enjoy the celebration at their own pace.
Will older guests and family members be satisfied with this style? Absolutely. The menu balance ensures there is always something familiar, comforting, and filling alongside more adventurous flavours.
How many menu items are usually included? We design menus to include a generous mix of finger foods, sliders, and mini meals, ensuring variety, pacing, and satisfaction throughout the event.
Can the menu be tailored to our tastes and theme? Yes. Every wedding menu is customised around your preferences, cultural influences, and the style of celebration you’re creating.
Do you cater for dietary requirements? We happily accommodate vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, and other dietary needs so every guest feels included.
How long does food service run during the wedding? Service is timed around your reception flow, typically spanning several hours to keep guests fed from arrival through to the dance floor.
Is this style suitable for outdoor or relaxed weddings? It’s ideal. Substantial cocktail catering works beautifully for outdoor, backyard, winery, and relaxed venue weddings where flexibility and flow matter.
Will guests feel like they’ve had a “proper meal”? Yes. That’s the entire point. Our substantial wedding catering is designed so guests leave satisfied, comfortable, and talking about how good the food was.