As well as general wedding planning chat, today we are talking about catering at weddings with top tips from Ross and Ross Food #UKWedLunch
TOP TIP 1: consider food stations – different types of food that your guests can approach & select what they want to create a social aspect to your wedding & allows variety instead of a plated dish #UKWedLunch
TOP TIP 2: use seasonal food – to ensure the produce is fresh and of excellent quality #UKWedLunch
TOP TIP 3: think about a sharing board – great for your guests to connect and socialise #UKWedLunch
TOP TIP 4: establish dietary requirements – construct a menu with your caterer to suit your guests’ needs. Confirm with guests and show them specific ingredient lists from the chef #UKWedLunch
TOP TIP 5: communication is key – let your caterers know enough in advance about any special requirements or changes so they can plan and prepare for different meals #UKWedLunch
TOP TIP 6: trust in your suppliers – you have chosen them for a reason, so relax and leave the work to them #UKWedLunch
Food, food, glorious food – a guide to catering a wedding reception
As mentioned, in the post ‘How to keep your wedding guests happy’, my number one top tip to keep your wedding guests happy (and ensure your wedding is remembered as a great day by all) is to keep your guests fed, watered and entertained.
If you get this right then you pretty much can’t go wrong by them. Fail at one of these things and your guests will get twitchy, tetchy or bored. Plus as someone with dietary requirements, I’m always impressed (& relieved) when different diets are considered at a wedding (take a look at my post on ‘Catering for special dietary requirements’).
Top tips from top caterers
Here are some tips from top local caterers Ross & Ross Food, who have been recently named ‘The Best Wedding Caterers in the UK’ in the Hitched Wedding Awards 2018. Here is their insight into catering your wedding reception and a look at current catering trends to consider in your wedding planning.
1) Food stations are a huge trend right now
Since we started wedding catering in 2015, we noticed a big spike in people’s love for food stations. Basically, they are small stations of different types of food that your guests can approach and select what they want.
The idea behind our food stations is that it creates a social aspect to your wedding. It also allows your guests to try a variety of different foods, instead of having a simple plated dish. Our food stations include Iberico Ham stations, Oyster stations, Doughnut walls and Yakitori stations.
2) Seasonal food is a must
At Ross & Ross Food we pride ourselves on quality and a bespoke service. We provide this excellent quality by always using seasonal food in our clients bespoke menus.
Using seasonal food ensures the produce is fresh and of excellent quality. This, therefore reflects in the standard of our food and evidently our clients are always blown away. We pride ourselves on the idea of supporting local, so always try to use local producers around the Cotswolds.
3) Sharing boards are great for socialising
Sharing boards are a great idea for your guests to connect and socialise, whilst tasting amazing food! Some of our sharing boards include: Our famous Scotch Eggs & Coleman’s Dressing; Hot Smoked Salmon; King Prawns & Lemon Mayonnaise and Cotswold Cured Meats.
Hopefully these will give you some ideas, if you are looking at the idea of sharing boards. They are also a great opportunity to try a variety of foods, instead of one traditional option.
4) Trust in your suppliers
Once you’ve decided who is going to cater for your wedding, you must put your trust in them! You have chosen them for a reason, so you know they are going to a fantastic job.
We ensure there is regular communication with our clients to ensure they are happy at every stage of the process. All of our clients have had extremely positive things to say about our food and service which is why we are a trusted caterer. Once you have been through your ideas and requirements, just relax and leave the work to them.
Once you’re over the hurdle of preparing your guest list and the headache of waiting (and chasing) for RSVPs, it will be time to decide where to seat your nearest and dearest for your wedding breakfast.
Take a look at our 10 point guide on how (and where) to seat your wedding guests to help you through what can be another tricky juggling act of keeping everyone happy. There’s etiquette, tradition, logistics, safety & practicalities to consider (as well as who Aunty Vera may have fallen out with) so that all can see and been seen by the bridal party.
1) size and shape
Firstly, establish what is possible at your venue. What could you fit in to the room? What is already available there? You need to think about the space, tables and chairs. Taking in to account the size, shape and style of these three elements. Count the number of tables and determine how many chairs can fit around the different shapes of table. This amount should accommodate your final guest numbers.
2) style of meal
How you lay out the tables can be dictated by the style of food that you will be serving. For example, if you’re having a casual meal or buffet then you may opt for guests to pick their own places when they’ve got their food rather than a formal sit down meal where everyone has an allocated place setting. To get guests to mix up, you could provide a bowl of numbers and people pick out their table number as they enter the reception.
3) structure
The formation of the tables will depend on their shape and the atmosphere you want to create. Family style sharing meals work well on rectangle banquet tables with benches on either side. Laying long tables in a horseshoe or T shape creates a focal point of the bridal party. Whilst round tables surrounded by chairs can cluster groups together for good interaction. Square tables give a great modern feel and don’t feel restricted to use a uniform type of table – mix and match shapes and sizes to suit your needs.
4) standard
Traditionally there is a head (or top) table containing at least the happy couple. In addition, etiquette suggests their parents, along with chief bridesmaid and groomsman join this long table facing the guests so that everyone can view the top table (eg Chief Bridesmaid, Groom’s Father, Bride’s Mother, Groom, Bride, Bride’s Father, Groom’s Mother, Best Man). Working away from this focal point, others from the wedding party are grouped near to the top table, followed by closest relatives, then friends, and finally colleagues.
5) substitutes
Let’s face it, you can have whoever you want on the top table (or no top table at all!) Nowadays there are many alternative schemes to factor in different family circumstances and partnerships. The top table could be round rather than rectangle so the wedding party get to chat too. The top table could just contain the two most important members of the day whilst the rest of the bridal party host their own family members on separate tables. Sometimes brides and grooms choose to sit at a different table for each course to mingle with all their guests.
6) special considerations
As well as knowing how many people you’re seating, you’ll need to factor in any accessibility requirements for any young, elderly or incapacitated guests such as incorporating requests for highchairs. People with any tasks to carry out during the meal or speeches should be able to get out of their place easily too. There’s always a temptation to match make with a singles table, though my advice would always be to keep people with people they already know (and like). Tradition suggests alternating men and women around a table.
7) system
How to plan who sits where is a fine and delicate art often thrown by last minute cancellations and feuds. There are lots of online planning tools, apps and software available to help solve this issue. However, nothing beats a large piece of paper containing the floor plan of your room with blank tables drawn in the right places. Then get some small coloured sticky tabs in perhaps three colours (for men, women and children). Write each guest’s name on the relevant coloured tab and stick these around the table templates until you’re happy with the seating combinations.
8) selecting tables
There are many options and ways to personalise your tables including the names you give each table or how you number them. One of my favourites at the moment is showing a picture of both of the happy couple at the age that the table number corresponds with.
9) seating plan
There a couple of options to ensure that guests get to the table you’ve allocated to them. Firstly, you can display a seating plans of the different tables listing which guests are sat at each table. Ideally have a couple of these plans to avoid everyone bunching around one and placing it outside of the room for people to view it ahead of time to avoid a rush on entry. Alternatively, escort cards can be displayed (perhaps alphabetically) which each contain the name of a guest along with the table name/number where they are to be seated. In both scenarios, place name cards on the table can show guests where to sit or they could pick their own seat.
10) seating at ceremonies
It’s not just the reception to consider but you may want to offer a modern take on where people sit at the ceremony too. Traditionally in a religious building, the Bride’s family sit on the left of the premises and the Groom’s sit on the right. However, many people are asking their guests to pick a seat not a side. Plus if the venue is less formal you can move away from rows of chairs and opt for a circle around the couple or even a spiral of chairs working inwards to the couple.
Food, food, glorious food – a guide to catering a wedding reception
6) special considerations
