wedding food - inspiration needed!!

[flamingofridays]

we are getting married next july, v relaxed wedding. Ceremony at 3pm at one venue, then reception (literally over the road) at another venue (rugby club)

I want a relaxed meal, definitely not some kind of 3 course monstrosity that nobody actually likes. Also, something inkeeping with the (hopefully nice) weather.

Was thinking possibly hogroast, served about 4.30pm - the thing is its literally just a pork sandwich isn't it? will everyone be starving? they do offer "sides" but i'm picturing it as a very expensive salad and a few roasties (Will this be enough for people or will It leave everyone still starving?)

Would I be better just having hogroast only (no sides from them) and buying my own cold sides, like salads, potato salad, pasta-y kind of things? I cant do anything hot really needs to be easy on prep.

in addition to that we want to have pizzas around 10pm ish to soak up the booze but I have literally no idea how many pizzas would feed about 60 people? can anyone help me who has ever catered an event before because I have no clue!!

also having no cake but doughnuts instead and a sweet buffet.

my no.1 hate is being left to starve at weddings and I really don't want it to happen at mine! I need help!

thanks! (and well done if you got to the end of that!)

[user1466690252]

I went to a lovely summer wedding where they had a ham, chicken and salmon with loads o lovely different salads and fresh bread rolls. It was delicious and perfect for the July temps aswell. Really good different salads and olives and bits like that. Probably the best wedding food I’ve had including my own wedding.
Pizza sounds fab. I’d ring up a pizza place and ask how much they recommend

[Crazyfrog007]

We are having a bbq earlier in the day, hog roast in the eve, afternoon tea table rather than cake and a table of nibbles for people to graze. Doing sides from the company with the bbq but it's working out really cheap. Shop around. We managed to find one place that did everything very reasonably.

[flamingofridays]

mmm that does sound nice actually!

I like the idea of a hog roast but I am worried it will be disappointing whereas with something like that it cant really go wrong can it!

yes I think I will, my favourite pizza shop ever is round the corner from my venue but DH to be recons that they wouldn't be able to cope with the amount we need. I might ask them anyway though!

[flamingofridays]

crazy where abouts are you? im in west Yorkshire!

all the ones I've looked at have seemed reasonable but then when you add all the extras they get crazy expensive!

[Atalune]

Lots of people don’t like hog roasts. They are quite fatty. Lots of people don’t eat pork either.

I would do a really beautiful and simple cold buffet.

Cooked ham (you can do this in advance)
Roast beef (same!)
Smoked salmon (but in bulk when on offer)

Potato salad
Olives
Cornichons
Rocket, pear and Stilton salad
Super food salad with spinach, broccoli, sugar snaps, seeds
Selection of chutneys
Great hunk of cheddar, and Stilton
Beetroot, salad with horseradish .
Lovely fresh crusty bread
Served on big platters.

Pizza- allow for half a pizza per person then add a few more. So I would order 40.

[Atalune]

Buy in bulk

[user1466690252]

That sounds just like what we had in the wedding we went to and it was amazing! Deffo that

[user1466690252]

Add a pasta salad in aswell to bulk up the carbs to fill people

[SouthWestmom]

Best wedding food I've experienced:

Pizza van outside topping up the buffet table - way more than half each though !

Mozzarella and tomato cooked in ciabatta and bacon sandwiches

Curry buffet

[flamingofridays]

Mmm all sounds good!

[daydream86]

we had an amazing bbq which was served to the tables in sharing platters with sides, chicken, spicy sausages, lamb and salmon, with sides of buttered new potatoes, sweet chilli noodles, greek salad, and something. else can’t wbwr but it went down very well with the guests and no one went hungry! the same company did evening food of little “yorkshire” tapas dishes which was served to guests on foot canapé style but again plenty to go around. our wedding was in west yorkshire so if your intetest Pm me illl send u details x

[anniehm]

A hog roast will work well but I would do your own sides so you can get plenty (and cater for any veggies) cash and carry is your best bet, though most supermarkets do catering now. Pizza sounds like a good idea too - for large (16inch) I would suggest feeds 4.

[KatyaZamolodchikova]

I’m in West Yorkshire & we’re having a pizza van in the evening & we’ve gone for one pizza per person.

[user1474894224]

Just talk to the hog roast company....lots of them offer lots of options. As for pizza....our local does a deal (nearly all year) 2 large pizza, 2 sides and 1 bottle pop for £25. For 60 people for tea (assuming they all had earlier buffet) I would get up to 15 pizzas .....although that then isn't cheap (8*£25=£200 )....maybe pop in and ask if they could do you a special deal.

[SauvingnonBlanketyBlanc]

I'd say 25 pizzas for 60 people

[SouthWestmom]

Wow. I'd say at least 40. 25 pizzas for 60 people?

[user1474894224]

@Noeuf depends on type of pizza - a large Domino's cuts into 8 large slices. Whereas a woodfired individual pizza will be smaller and maybe only 4 slices .....

[SouthWestmom]

My three kids each had a large dominos the other night - they are scrawny but sporty and hadn't eaten much all day. Similar could happen with guests, especially if drinking and needing to soak up alcohol/less worrying about calories

[user1474894224]

@Noeuf yes. But the guests have already been fed earlier in the day. And wedding budgets have a limit.....some guests eat more some less....you have to pick an average.

[Fiddie]

@user1474894224 15 pizzas for 60 people is nowhere near enough

[BikeRunSki]

The absolute best wedding I ever went to was at 2 pm ish. Reception was in the village gall. afternoon tea during the speeches at 4pmish, then some dancing (ceilidh band). Big buffet at 7ish. More dancing. It mixed up the traditional order of things, by having speeches before the main meal, but there was minimal hanging around, lots of food - so lots of happy guests - and it was great fun.

[flamingofridays]

crikey I couldn't eat a whole dominos to myself!

to be honest I am not expecting anyone to eat a full pizza to themselves when they've been fed a few hours before, but I think ill estimate for about half a pizza each? and some garlic breads I think.

think we may just cook them at the venue and get "naice" ones from supermarket / wholesalers / whatever

we aren't having any speeches / first dance / cake cutting and v limited professional photos (if any!) so there will be minimum waiting around!

[lurker101]

Also - Dominos and probably papa johns offer 2for1 when you spend above around £50 - so that could bring pizza costs down if you wanted

[Nodrama999]

I just had a quote from a pizza caterer (home made oven type) they recommended 1 pizza per person in three flavours

[jackstini]

We had a bbq with lots of sides and it went down really well
Enough options to cover veggies plus we had chicken, steak, salmon lamb and sausages I think
Some salad sides, pasta, dauphinois, grilled veg etc.
Love relaxed wedding food :-)