How to Choose the Right Wedding Catering
There are many elements to the perfect wedding day and choosing the right catering for a wedding is certainly one of them! Good food and good entertainment will be some of the most memorable experiences for guests as well as you, so it’s important to get it right. Here are our top tips.
Consider what type of wedding you want to have
How formal you want your wedding to be will have an impact on what type of food and drink you have. If you decide to go for a buffet, then you will need to check that there is plenty of room for many people to be up at once and weaving through the tables and that there won’t be a big wait for food through queuing. This is typically why people opt for a sit-down meal with table service, as everyone will be getting a predetermined meal, which won’t run the risk of everybody’s favourite item running out.
How many people are you having?
The more people you are having, the more food you will need and the more expensive your wedding catering is likely to be. Sometimes this is solved by inviting people to the evening reception, instead of the wedding breakfast but you should also look into the packages at your wedding venue, as you may find that their wedding catering options aren’t as expensive as you think.
The number of people may also dictate what seating arrangements you can include, as more people will mean that you will need to take on a different style of seating to get everyone in. If your venue is as adaptable as ours, this shouldn’t be a problem.
Plus remember to order a big enough wedding cake for the number of guests attending because everyone loves cakes!
How long will your day be?
If you’re having a long day of celebrations, try to think about when you and your guests will need to eat. If your ceremony is at noon, this will probably mean that your guests last ate at breakfast so they will probably need something to tide them over if the wedding breakfast won’t be until the evening.
If you don’t have the budget to feed your guests more than one meal or you think that you might end up overfilling them, consider canape, grazing tables and finger foods that they could have to fill a small gap between meals.
You might need to consider whether you’ll need to offer catering for your wedding reception, plus the initial wedding breakfast. This could be the perfect time to offer a buffet or opt for something fun like a hog roast or wood fired pizza!
What are your favourite foods?
Whilst you should consider catering for all guests, you should also consider the type of catering you’d like to celebrate with as a couple on your big day. Maybe you have a favourite dish that could be incorporated into the wedding food catering, a memory that a certain dish reminds you of, or maybe food from your first date!
Do you need to consider any special dietary requirements?
If your guests have dietary restrictions for health, religious or moral reasons, you will need to consider what they will be eating on the day and if there is a way to cater to them with as little disruption as possible. For severe allergies, you may need to think about keeping certain foods completely away from the venue. The sooner you find out about any dietary requirements the better, as this will allow for you to plan your menu more effectively and will reduce the amount of stress later on.
Talk to experts
At Milton Hill House, our wedding reception venue in Oxfordshire, we have a team of experts on hand to help you plan the perfect wedding day and offer excellent catering services so we’re happy to discuss ideas to ensure you have the best day possible. Get in touch today or call us on 01235 831 474 to speak to an Event Manager.
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