Five areas of wedding day catering

Food and drink play an important role in the wedding day so your wedding day catering is likely to be a big concern when you’re planning the wedding. Good food can be the difference between a memorable wedding and one that blends into all the others. Here are five areas of wedding day catering to consider.

Wedding day catering – pre-ceremony

While it’s not customary to feed guests before the ceremony, many couples are now offering something to snack on when guests first arrive. If you’re having your ceremony and reception at the same venue, you could go with something simple like coffee and cookies before the ceremony.

Many guests will have spent the hours in the run up to the ceremony getting ready and travelling to the venue so would probably appreciate having something to eat or drink when they get there. This pre-ceremony time is a good chance for the groom and best man to welcome guests, although they should be careful not to spill anything on those smart tuxedoes.

Wedding day catering – the drinks reception

Catering at the drinks reception should consist of small portions such as finger food which doesn’t make too much mess. Your guests will certainly be hungry when they arrive at your reception, especially if you didn’t provide pre-ceremony catering. Make sure there is plenty to go around; some guests will arrive at the reception later than others and it wouldn’t be very hospitable to greet them with empty plates.

Guests will be starting to drink so they will need some food to soak up the alcohol. Popular appetisers for the drinks reception include satay chicken skewers, sushi rolls, mini burgers with gourmet toppings, mini Thai fish cakes with a sweet chilli dip, and falafels.

Wedding day catering – wedding breakfast

The wedding breakfast is the main event when it comes to wedding day catering. You have a lot to squeeze into your wedding day, and between the ceremony and the wedding breakfast you will probably have a wedding car ride, a photo session, and a receiving line, but try not to make your guests wait too long to have their meal. Provide entertainment to keep them occupied, and try to limit your initial drinks reception to one hour before the guests sit down to eat.

Whether you choose a banquet style extravaganza, trendy food stations, a three course sit down dinner, or a simple buffet, your wedding dinner should satisfy your guests’ appetites and fill them up for the rest of the day.

Wedding day catering – wedding cake

The wedding cake is often served with coffee shortly after the wedding breakfast. One fashionable option for your wedding cake is to have a coffee bar in a lounge area away from the dance floor with your cake as the central feature. Serve a variety of coffees and liqueurs together with your cake and a few other sweet offerings. This means that your guests can decide when to enjoy a piece of your wedding cake instead of making them eat it straight after the main meal.

Each couple has different views on how the wedding cake should be served. Some want to just have the cake cutting ceremony and then send wrapped pieces home with the guests as favours, while others want to have it as the dessert for the wedding dinner.

Wedding day catering – late night snacks

If you have some guests that are just attending the evening part of your reception you will need to serve up some satisfying food for them. Try to combine your evening snacks with your wedding theme. A burrito bar, a hot dog cart, or a seafood grill are all popular choices. You might feel totally full after the main wedding dinner, but if you expect your guests to keep dancing all night, you will need to keep the refreshments flowing.