If you’re getting married, it’s likely that you’ve come across countless wedding guides and articles offering tips and tricks that will save you hours of stress. In truth, planning a wedding can be a time-consuming process, but it can also be really fun, especially when it comes to looking around venues, trying on dresses and sampling menus. If you’re at the point when you’re thinking about catering options, here are some suggestions to give you inspiration and some helpful hacks to please all your guests.
The question most people ask when they’re thinking about what kinds of meals to serve on their wedding day is whether they want a sit-down meal or something more informal. Traditionally, the wedding breakfast is a fairly formal affair, which involves guests sitting at a table in a specified place and waiting to be served a 3-course meal. This option works really well for some couples, but it’s not the only way of doing things. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with considering alternatives, especially if you’re worried about the budget or you have a very large party. Sometimes, sit-down meals aren’t practical, and they can also be very expensive. If you’re in the throes of planning, get some prices and quotes based on your party size and think about the kind of meal you want to eat on your big day. Your wedding should represent you and your relationship, so if you’d rather have a sandwich and fries served from a mobile van than fillet of beef served under a cloche, that’s your prerogative. It’s always useful to set a budget before you start throwing ideas around. Once you’ve got a figure in mind, this can help you decide which options are most suitable for the occasion.
This is one of the most fun aspects of wedding planning, especially if you’re a foodie. When you’ve decided what kind of meal you want and how much you have to spend per person, you can start planning your menu. It’s your day, so of course, you should include your favorite dishes, but don’t forget about your guests. If you have niche tastes or you’re going for something a little out there, it may be a good idea to provide a choice. It’s also essential to ask guests to provide you with information about dietary requirements and allergies. If you do have people coming who require halal catering or you have friends who are vegetarian or those with allergies or intolerances, you can offer a menu that caters for their preferences. When you’ve got some ideas in mind, search for catering companies that provide the kind of food you’re looking for and set up some meetings. You can go through ideas, draw up some menu plans, get some quotes, and of course, sample the produce. Some firms will offer set menus and packages, but it’s often possible to put your own stamp on the menu and add a personal touch.
If you are offering your guests a choice of meals, include the menu with your invitations and ask them to complete the form and return it to you in plenty of time. This will enable your caterers to prepare in advance and prevent delays on the day.
Many couples choose to have a traditional wedding breakfast or a main meal that is served after cocktail hour and canapes. If you don’t want to go down that route, there are lots of other options to choose from. In this day and age, it’s possible to have almost any kind of meal you could possibly imagine. Here are some fun alternatives if you’re looking for something a little different.
Are you planning an al fresco gathering or hosting a festival or country fair themed wedding? If so, options like hot dogs, burgers, fish and chips, noodle dishes and takeout pizza are great. You can serve them from hired vans or set up a series of tables from which your guests can help themselves. This is a much cheaper option than a formal 3-course meal, and it also fits in really well with the theme.
If you’re getting married at the beach, what could be better than firing up the grill and having a barbecue and a cool drink as the sun goes down? Make sure you have details of allergies and requirements before you place an order with the caterer. If you have guests who don’t eat meat, you can offer alternatives such as halloumi and vegetable kebabs or portobello mushroom burgers.
If you love the idea of a sit-down meal, but you want to bring the concept into the 21st century, feasting menus are an excellent idea. You can serve platters of food and invite your guests to dig in. This is a great way of getting everybody talking, and you can make it even more fun by appointing a chef on each table and asking them to put an apron on and serve each guest at the table. Antipasti dishes and tapas-style delicacies are perfect for this kind of menu.
Buffets are a brilliant option for large parties and informal gatherings. You can serve a wide range of foods, which ensures that there’ll be something for everyone, and you can produce large quantities without blowing the budget.
Brunch is such a trendy concept at the moment, and if you love nothing more than avocado and eggs on toast, pancake stacks or brioche buns with chocolate spread, this is a perfect idea for your wedding catering. If you’re getting married early in the day, brunch is a particularly good choice. If you’re in it for the long haul and you expect everyone to still be on the dancefloor at midnight, you could serve snacks such as bacon rolls, slices of pizza, cones of fries or corn dogs during the evening. You can also offer dessert in the form of a candy cart or a cake table.
Are you planning your wedding? If you love food and you want the meal to be one of the many highlights of the day, you may be considering your options. Bear your budget and your party size in mind, have a think about what you like to eat, and design a menu that suits the day, caters for your guests and delivers on taste.
Formal vs. informal
The question most people ask when they’re thinking about what kinds of meals to serve on their wedding day is whether they want a sit-down meal or something more informal. Traditionally, the wedding breakfast is a fairly formal affair, which involves guests sitting at a table in a specified place and waiting to be served a 3-course meal. This option works really well for some couples, but it’s not the only way of doing things. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with considering alternatives, especially if you’re worried about the budget or you have a very large party. Sometimes, sit-down meals aren’t practical, and they can also be very expensive. If you’re in the throes of planning, get some prices and quotes based on your party size and think about the kind of meal you want to eat on your big day. Your wedding should represent you and your relationship, so if you’d rather have a sandwich and fries served from a mobile van than fillet of beef served under a cloche, that’s your prerogative. It’s always useful to set a budget before you start throwing ideas around. Once you’ve got a figure in mind, this can help you decide which options are most suitable for the occasion.
Designing Your Menu
This is one of the most fun aspects of wedding planning, especially if you’re a foodie. When you’ve decided what kind of meal you want and how much you have to spend per person, you can start planning your menu. It’s your day, so of course, you should include your favorite dishes, but don’t forget about your guests. If you have niche tastes or you’re going for something a little out there, it may be a good idea to provide a choice. It’s also essential to ask guests to provide you with information about dietary requirements and allergies. If you do have people coming who require halal catering or you have friends who are vegetarian or those with allergies or intolerances, you can offer a menu that caters for their preferences. When you’ve got some ideas in mind, search for catering companies that provide the kind of food you’re looking for and set up some meetings. You can go through ideas, draw up some menu plans, get some quotes, and of course, sample the produce. Some firms will offer set menus and packages, but it’s often possible to put your own stamp on the menu and add a personal touch.
If you are offering your guests a choice of meals, include the menu with your invitations and ask them to complete the form and return it to you in plenty of time. This will enable your caterers to prepare in advance and prevent delays on the day.
Fun catering options
Many couples choose to have a traditional wedding breakfast or a main meal that is served after cocktail hour and canapes. If you don’t want to go down that route, there are lots of other options to choose from. In this day and age, it’s possible to have almost any kind of meal you could possibly imagine. Here are some fun alternatives if you’re looking for something a little different.
Festival food
Are you planning an al fresco gathering or hosting a festival or country fair themed wedding? If so, options like hot dogs, burgers, fish and chips, noodle dishes and takeout pizza are great. You can serve them from hired vans or set up a series of tables from which your guests can help themselves. This is a much cheaper option than a formal 3-course meal, and it also fits in really well with the theme.
Beach barbecue
If you’re getting married at the beach, what could be better than firing up the grill and having a barbecue and a cool drink as the sun goes down? Make sure you have details of allergies and requirements before you place an order with the caterer. If you have guests who don’t eat meat, you can offer alternatives such as halloumi and vegetable kebabs or portobello mushroom burgers.
Feasting menu
If you love the idea of a sit-down meal, but you want to bring the concept into the 21st century, feasting menus are an excellent idea. You can serve platters of food and invite your guests to dig in. This is a great way of getting everybody talking, and you can make it even more fun by appointing a chef on each table and asking them to put an apron on and serve each guest at the table. Antipasti dishes and tapas-style delicacies are perfect for this kind of menu.
Buffets
Buffets are a brilliant option for large parties and informal gatherings. You can serve a wide range of foods, which ensures that there’ll be something for everyone, and you can produce large quantities without blowing the budget.
Brunch
Brunch is such a trendy concept at the moment, and if you love nothing more than avocado and eggs on toast, pancake stacks or brioche buns with chocolate spread, this is a perfect idea for your wedding catering. If you’re getting married early in the day, brunch is a particularly good choice. If you’re in it for the long haul and you expect everyone to still be on the dancefloor at midnight, you could serve snacks such as bacon rolls, slices of pizza, cones of fries or corn dogs during the evening. You can also offer dessert in the form of a candy cart or a cake table.
Are you planning your wedding? If you love food and you want the meal to be one of the many highlights of the day, you may be considering your options. Bear your budget and your party size in mind, have a think about what you like to eat, and design a menu that suits the day, caters for your guests and delivers on taste.
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