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.

I'd hate it but only because my DD hates pizza (she's 7 btw). she also hates pasta, crisps or anything potato based (including chips) so you'd leave her without food, so I'd probably only go to the ceremony.

What exactly can't the caterers can't do? Maybe you can find someone to provide food that you can warm up and just hire staff to hand it out.

We had Pizza Hut delivery for the children at our wedding. I spoke to them far ahead of time and negotiated a very significant discount. They could do about 15 large pizzas at a time, which worked for our numbers.

I think it sounds great OP.

You might also want to consider hiring someone to help manage the food on the day.

I think you should contact some local Indian restaurants, curry is easy to keep warm and the food at Indian weddings is gorgeous.
Ditto, chilli, baked potatoes, lasagne.
Pizzas will just go cold and be a congealed mass of grease in no time .

They’ll all be leaving at 8pm to nip to the chippy!

Best idea on the whole thread, but don't wait until 8pm

I seriously don't get all the fuss about Dominos. It's massively overpriced and awful. Pizza can get messy and cold very quickly too.
As others have said, you won't please everyone but it's your party, do what you like.

Personally I would just get someone to do a nice finger buffet. Easier, nicer and probably a whole lot cheaper. And would be supporting a local business rather than a chain.

For the main meal, I would hate it and judge.

Pizza (especially Dominos - but appreciate you’re thinking of a pizza restaurant now) feels cheap, unimaginative, messy, greasy and like you didn’t care about your guests. It’s fast food, not a celebration feast.

Hot pizza slices served at midnight would be a different kettle of fish entirely.

I think it sounds amazing, as long as you have enough. I’d say 1 large pizza between 2 and that will average out for people who take more/less.
I’d let guests know beforehand so they know what to expect

I did a work venue function around that time and papa johns gave me buy one get one free. Threw in free soft drinks too.

Pizza gets cold so quickly. I don't think it would work. Have sandwiches and salads instead.

I agree with PP saying it would be a logistical nightmare to get that many ( and I think you would need more ) delivered at the same time .

I would make sure there is a light buffet available for when people arrive,
chicken wings
mini pork pies
cheese / sausage rolls

crisps
dips
not a huge amount , just enough to nibble on while everyone arrives .

Then using a independent pizza place , get them to deliver 10 at a time , ask them to cut the slices smaller than they normally would , this will help the pizzas to go further and make them easier to eat.
Make sure the guest know there is more coming so they dont get greedy and scoff loads at once

Each batch of 10 should have something for everyone ie plain , spicy , veggi , with/without peppers / mushrooms or whatever .
and chips , nuggets, dips

10 at a time means the pizza place should be able to cope and the guest get to have a almost constant stream of fresh ones arriving .

Also I would recommend ordering calzones , they are more filling and stay warm for much longer .

The last batch of 10 could inc any puds the shop offers.

Cold Dominos is lovely so don’t see the issue with that.

Have you tried all your local cafes OP? Many do buffets as a sideline when they are closed.

I think pizza could work if mainly family guests, I'm oldest out of 6 with grown up nephews and nieces so can completely understand 110 being family only. The hog roast idea is good, with a veggie option obviously. Surely the venue has a couple of parking spaces?

Or try your local catering college? They might be able to help for not a lot of money. Another option is M and S do catering, you could order from there and delegate a couple of guests/bossy family members to lay it out for you.

I like pizza, and would be happy with informal vibe, but I don't think pizza would work for a wedding, sorry

My concerns would be (1) too slow, (2) cold pizza, (3) confusion about vegan, GF (4) greasy finger food on nice clothes, (5) I think could turn out expensive but not feel special = worst of both worlds

For a summer wedding, cold meat, quiches and salad would work and you could ask friends to bring salad to keep costs down

Or, hire caterers to serve simple food eg choice of chilli and baked potato / macaroni cheese, and ask friends to bring cakes / puddings to share

Pizza - great! Domino's - bit yuck, sorry.

@VariationsonaTheme

You’ll never get 65 pizzas delivered hot. As much as I love dominos I wouldn’t be doing this.

^this. Cold, or worse, luke warm & greasy.

I did once go go to a wedding where the local chippy delivered packages of fish & chips or sausage & chips to the local community centre where B&G were holding their wedding reception. They went round and asked everyone their preference first then phoned the order in & it was all delivered piping hot. It was a great do.

Sorry press send too soon. They told me 3 large slices per person and there was 12 slices to a large pizza. That was without sides.

The more I think about it, the more I think no tbh

For a small wedding, with a later start time, I think...maybe, but not domino's I don't think as it's not great pizza.

But 120 people grabbing slices to eat standing up, I can't see working tbh. It will be a lot of effort to serve it to that many people and I honestly don't think grabbing a slice for yourself with no organisation would work. Maybe something in between, where you get them to queue and someone hands them a plate? But it isn't an easy option IMHO. I think because domino's clearly aren't going to provide someone to serve it, they'll literally drop it in boxes and you'll need to rope in family members to help and dish out plates yourselves or pay for help which doesn't make it that cheap an option I wouldn't think

It might be a bit smelly as all the pizzas cool down.

I love it! If we were allowed outside catering I would do this 🤣 We aren't having a sit down meal either, we are having a big bbq instead.

Pizza is greasy food. Weddings are dressy.

Also a wedding from 4pm is nit just an evening do. Thats only an hour from a standard wedding length. Half a pizza over 12 hours (thinking if when the guests would have last eaten) is not enough.

Have an outside caterer come with something substantial at 6, like hotpot etc. pizza in the evening around 10. Otherwise youre going to have hammered, hungry guests who may go home early.

Hot Pot, Hot Pot, Hot Pot

Slightly different idea. My son's 18th was catered by mission burrito. That was a smallish group but they do big parties too and will provide serving staff for a big group. It was fresh, tasty, hot and very good value (far far more food than we needed). missionburrito.co.uk/catering/parties/