Evening wedding reception food - Dominos!?

[Discolady123]

I’m having an evening only wedding reception in a few months and we are really struggling with the catering side of things. We will be having a ceremony around 3/4pm for 1 hour, then onto photos at the church grounds, and people will go straight to the venue from there. We aren’t doing a sit down meal as we want a more relaxed vibe.

We are seriously thinking about ordering a large quantity of dominos pizzas to the venue and having a pizza buffet. We LOVE pizza as a couple and feel like it’s a bit different to the standard wedding hot buffet. (the venue doesn’t really have outside access so a pizza truck wouldn’t work, hence a takeaway option).

We were thinking of having sides at the start of the buffet table (pasta, salad, coleslaw, crisps, cocktail sausages & breadsticks) & then the rest would be pizza.

What is your thoughts on this? Would you be mortified if you turned up to a wedding reception and had pizza? Or would you prefer a standard finger buffet?

Also how many people would you say could share a large dominos pizza? This will help up with quantities etc.

Tbh if it's in a few months time the weather will be warm and cold buffet perfectly fine if there are no cooking facilities. Order from the party section of Waitrose or Sainsburys - much nicer and cheaper than pizza, and they don't need a couple of weeks.

Sounds like a disaster OP

You’d genuinely be better of making a massive chilli

At least that’s warm

That does sound a bit grim and I say that has somebody who does really like pizza. Do people just stand there holding it, are you giving out paper plates, how would it work? You can't eat pizza and hold a glass.

A friend did sides ( pasta and rice salads, veg options, coleslaw, pickles and such) then went to a local butcher that does home cooked meat and got cooked beef, chicken and pork, all sliced.

Cash and carry for puds and breads and it was a great buffet.

How do you know 110 people that live locally 🤯

I’d love pizza at a wedding, but worth checking out some other ideas if you can.

A pizza truck or someone turning up with one of those mobile ovens would be really fun

Fun? Queuing with 110 guests for a slice of pizza? These vans are slow to serve. That wouldn’t be fun for me.

I’d be happy enough with a pizza buffet, but would want it not to be dominos if I had a choice.

@Snoopsnoggysnog you are incorrect.
I attended a wedding last year which had a pizza van with a wood fired oven and 3 choices. So they had a guy prepping them all in the background constantly.
Each one took a few minutes tops. It was great, obviously everyone didn't pile up to the van at the same time but was a nice relaxed way of eating.
Beautiful quality and much better than dominos IMO.

Personally, I'd love this as a guest as long as there were plenty of margherita/plain pizzas. I'd find it much less stressful than usual wedding food, but I know I'm not 'normal' in terms of my food preferences (autistic vegetarian with a pretty restricted diet due to sensory needs).

I disagree with those saying Dominoes wouldn’t be able to make 65 pizzas. We’ve ordered about half that amount for large family parties in the past. They will also do 2 drops so one delivery day 30 mins later. So you can have warm-ish pizza if you were going for it.

I like really can't imagine how you would put out 65 pizzas. I would get a food truck if some sort. Hog roast etc - can't it go at the front of the venue there must be a car park. I just don't see how pizza will work practically for that many guests.

I love pizza and Dominos but it's hard to imagine the logistics of so many pizzas being cooked, delivered and served.

Sounds great to me

m.youtube.com/watch?v=y5gu1YLPMY8
Everything you need right here in this link….You’ll want the diamond cut pizza

Op I also went to a wedding which had a mezze buffet of salads, olives, breads, cheeses etc. The caterer was serving from 3 big cauldrons of stew/ tagine too. That was lovely.

Been to kids parties where they ordered dominos - always late! I would risk it.

(I should add that even freezing cold pizza is far preferable to me than the usual meals at weddings but, again, I know I'll be in the minority!)

Or borrow as many slow cookers as possible.

1 Chilli
1 Chicken casserole
1 Veg casserole
1 Curry meat
1 Curry Veg
1 Spicy Sausage Cassarole.

X 3 slow cookers each

DON NOT DO RICE UNLESS CAN BE KEPT AT TEMP SAFELY

Lots and lots of bread, puds and cakes.

Bowls and spoons and your away

• wouldn't

We wanted a more relaxed vibe so had a hog roast with lots of sides that people went up and collected what they wanted? A local butcher came the next day with some massive bbqs and did bbq food which could also be a possibility?

[quote catfunk]@Snoopsnoggysnog you are incorrect.
I attended a wedding last year which had a pizza van with a wood fired oven and 3 choices. So they had a guy prepping them all in the background constantly.
Each one took a few minutes tops. It was great, obviously everyone didn't pile up to the van at the same time but was a nice relaxed way of eating.
Beautiful quality and much better than dominos IMO. [/quote]
That’s great but was it over 110 people and was it the main meal?

I’ve been to birthday parties where this was the catering and it worked well but at casual garden parties etc where people are milling about with drinks and don’t mind being outside.

OP I guess you’d only know if this would work if you rang round a few and asked them how it works with that many people.

Try a independent pizza place and if close enough could they deliver a few at a time so they don't get cold

Hire an independent food truck for the evening!!!!

Pizza is a great idea but Dominos is over-priced and disgusting. I can't eat it - gives me a very bad belly - no other pizza company does that too me!

Freezing cold pizza is a no no tbh. Maybe try and find a proper catering company who can do a hot and cold buffet and can serve etc , you don’t need all the stress on your wedding day 😁

I’d bloody love that. Domino’s are fab. A few salady things too for those who don’t like pizza and job done.

Yes the pizza may get a bit cold but you just don’t open too many boxes at a time and keep the rest in their boxes warm and insulated if you can somehow? Not sure regular cool bags would be big enough right enough but if you could come up with a plan to keep the food hot while piled up it would be good.