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Original poster

Evening wedding reception food - Dominos!?

366 replies

Discolady123 · 06/03/2022 15:37

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.

OP posts:
JustLyra · 06/03/2022 17:04

If you do go for it then don’t have the pizzas on a buffet table. Put a couple of pizzas on each table so that there’s just the 8/10 people from that table eating them, rather than people queuing up

MyDcAreMarvel · 06/03/2022 17:05

65 pizzas isn’t anywhere near enough though , you need one each for anyone over the age of 12, especially for those drinking. People will come abs get extra slices if the course of an hour or two. Still don’t think it’s expensive though. Wedding food at £9pp plus a few quid for sides is a bargain.

ArmWrestlingWithChasNDave · 06/03/2022 17:05

For that number of guests, a buffet is the only sensible option.

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Weddings
Girlmumdogmumboymum · 06/03/2022 17:05

I think it sounds like It would be horrifically expensive

Abaababa · 06/03/2022 17:06

I would be horrified to go to a wedding that offered Dominos (not a single ingredient in their pizza can I have), but more because it’s tacky. I would probably make an early exit.

Please don’t be the person who is known for feeding her wedding guests Domino’s.

If you’re budget can’t cover food properly, consider just having nibbles and drinks and being very clear with guests it is a drinks reception only.

Best of luck!

Lunificent · 06/03/2022 17:07

Yes hot pot as warm option and your typical finger buffet.

Malibuismysecrethome · 06/03/2022 17:07

I wouldn’t want to eat pizza if I was dressed up for a wedding so it’s a no from me.

CleaningForPocketMoney · 06/03/2022 17:07

@Abaababa

I would be horrified to go to a wedding that offered Dominos (not a single ingredient in their pizza can I have), but more because it’s tacky. I would probably make an early exit.

Please don’t be the person who is known for feeding her wedding guests Domino’s.

If you’re budget can’t cover food properly, consider just having nibbles and drinks and being very clear with guests it is a drinks reception only.

Best of luck!

Get over yourself, you wouldn't be missed.
LesLavandes · 06/03/2022 17:08

Pizzas for that many isn't going to work. They will be stone cold when served. I don't think this is going to work

harrystylestaylorswift · 06/03/2022 17:08

I think its not too bad of an idea in theory but like people have said, a lot of the pizzas will just be sat around getting cold before they're even delivered

Malibuismysecrethome · 06/03/2022 17:08

^ that’s 2 of us who wouldn’t be missed then

SunshineCake1 · 06/03/2022 17:09

I love pizza but would hate this. So many reasons it wouldn't be nice.

2andahalfpints · 06/03/2022 17:09

I’ve been to a wedding reception where it was pizza but the venue had a pizza oven outside so everyone could order what they wanted if they didn’t want the choices from the buffet pizzas - maybe an independent travelling pizza oven like what you would see at a festival would work better?
The wedding also had pork pie and cheese round wedding cakes which were served with crackers and chutneys

CurlyhairedAssassin · 06/03/2022 17:10

I went to a wedding where the bride and groom disappeared after the ceremony and we waited round for ages (with young kids) for them to come back. Turned out they'd gone round the city to have photos taken .This took AAAGGGES, and no-one really told the guests what was going on, so we were standing for ages outside freezing waiting for them. Then they turned up and there was more faffing and it was well past lunch time by then. There was a buffet that had been stood around for what must have been a couple of hours by then. They announced over the microphone that they were going to do the speeches first for some reason. So that went on for ages. Then FINALLY the food was served to the starving masses. Grin Stodgy cold pizza that had been sitting round for a couple of hours, and other bits and bobs. It really wasn't very nice. And then for the evening do they just did burgers, but they smelt like street truck/fairground burgers which was a bit bleurghhhh.....

The couple had also wanted a laidback vibe. I'm all for that. I've been to laidback weddings before. Barbecue style do's but with proper caterers who are used to doing for big crowds at weddings (ie. not fairgrounds!) Just be careful not go so laidback that it looks like you're not bothering.....

UniversalAunt · 06/03/2022 17:10

Depending on the £ & contract terms, howabout having a couple street food wagons for a few hours.

I went to event at a local cricket club where there was a felafal wagon, pizza oven & ice cream cart, coffee/tea cart & a generous bar. People mingled & queued as they pleased. Not every one is hungry em masse so no need for everyone to have a sit down meal, as long as children & the munchers get fed earlier on, people will sort themselves out.

Nice if it is a summer wedding with marquee & garden space.

Robotdott · 06/03/2022 17:11

@Abaababa

I would be horrified to go to a wedding that offered Dominos (not a single ingredient in their pizza can I have), but more because it’s tacky. I would probably make an early exit.

Please don’t be the person who is known for feeding her wedding guests Domino’s.

If you’re budget can’t cover food properly, consider just having nibbles and drinks and being very clear with guests it is a drinks reception only.

Best of luck!

Horrified? Really?! I've been to plenty of weddings where the food is disgusting, many have spent loads on it as well, it wouldn't cross my mind to leave as food to me is the least important thing.
UniversalAunt · 06/03/2022 17:11

Oh yes, avoid the fairgrounds tricks. Looks cute but food not so interesting.

hugr · 06/03/2022 17:12

Food van? Went to a wedding once that had a fish and chip van, heard of another that had pie and mash.

I would worry about temperature of pizza and sides with that amount of pizza

Simonjt · 06/03/2022 17:12

I don’t know why people think the pizza will be cold, my employer has a party twice a year that Papa Johns caters, there are around 140 of us, the pizza is delivered in a van, once in the venue each flavour ‘stack’ is put on the hotplate, the servers change the pizza for a fresh one when it runs out. Always hot, never congealed.

Whinge · 06/03/2022 17:14

@CurlyhairedAssassin

I went to a wedding where the bride and groom disappeared after the ceremony and we waited round for ages (with young kids) for them to come back. Turned out they'd gone round the city to have photos taken .This took AAAGGGES, and no-one really told the guests what was going on, so we were standing for ages outside freezing waiting for them. Then they turned up and there was more faffing and it was well past lunch time by then. There was a buffet that had been stood around for what must have been a couple of hours by then. They announced over the microphone that they were going to do the speeches first for some reason. So that went on for ages. Then FINALLY the food was served to the starving masses. Grin Stodgy cold pizza that had been sitting round for a couple of hours, and other bits and bobs. It really wasn't very nice. And then for the evening do they just did burgers, but they smelt like street truck/fairground burgers which was a bit bleurghhhh.....

The couple had also wanted a laidback vibe. I'm all for that. I've been to laidback weddings before. Barbecue style do's but with proper caterers who are used to doing for big crowds at weddings (ie. not fairgrounds!) Just be careful not go so laidback that it looks like you're not bothering.....

Yep, people remember being hungry / rubbish food and it really taints the memory of a wedding.

OP, you really don't want people to remeber your wedding as the one where they were served cold pizza.

pussycatunpickingcrossesagain · 06/03/2022 17:14

@Abaababa

I would be horrified to go to a wedding that offered Dominos (not a single ingredient in their pizza can I have), but more because it’s tacky. I would probably make an early exit.

Please don’t be the person who is known for feeding her wedding guests Domino’s.

If you’re budget can’t cover food properly, consider just having nibbles and drinks and being very clear with guests it is a drinks reception only.

Best of luck!

This^

I would eat nothing, and leave really early.
Either have a proper "do" or invite fewer guests.

I'd rather not be invited

NeverDropYourMooncup · 06/03/2022 17:16

With that many people, perhaps you could get a selection of hot food catering vans?

That way, if somebody wants to risk ruining their clothing (hope you have some sort of apron or a change of clothes so you aren't trying to find somebody to get greasy tomato smears and child sized handprints off a silk dress in the morning), they can. Or they can have chips and a proper meal on the way home.

mrsbyers · 06/03/2022 17:16

I think it sounds dreadful

MotherOfWhippets · 06/03/2022 17:19

Best wedding I went to was a reception in a really pretty village hall kind of place they had decorated themselves. Cheap bar and they ordered loads of pizzas on the night and we all helped ourselves. I didn't even really know the couple and it still sticks in my mind as being lovely.

I got married at 4pm and went straight to the reception where we had fish and chips.

Great big sit down meals are great if that's what you want but I find whole day weddings incredibly tedious - a more laid back affair is so much nicer (imo before I offend half of MN)

pussycatunpickingcrossesagain · 06/03/2022 17:19

@Simonjt

I don’t know why people think the pizza will be cold, my employer has a party twice a year that Papa Johns caters, there are around 140 of us, the pizza is delivered in a van, once in the venue each flavour ‘stack’ is put on the hotplate, the servers change the pizza for a fresh one when it runs out. Always hot, never congealed.
What happens if the guests don't actually want Pizza? I hate cheese (it's just congealed fat) so wouldn't go near it. DH wouldn't because he has a heart condition - but you wouldn't know if you didn't know We'd leave early.