I need help for wedding starters with all these requirements!

[ThisMustBeMyDream]

My lovely wedding venue have given us free reign to suggest some starters as we like nothing on their (really quite extensive) menu. Yes, I am a fussy eater! And what I do like, DP doesn't!
Main course will be a roast, followed by sticky Toffee.
Things I do not like: most meat (other than chicken, bacon, ham). Fish. Cheese other than cheddar, mozzarella, halloumi. Risotto. Soup is ruled out (too messy, not special enough!).
Things I'd normally have as a starter: tomato bruschetta, tomato and mozzarella salad, garlic bread.
Things DP doesn't like: tomato. Goats cheese. Olives. Courgette. Cumin. Tacos.
DP nornally has a meat or fish starter.
We can only have one starter option for everyone to eat so also trying to keep it to something most will eat (barring dietary requirements).
The only potential we've come up with is bacon and cheese potato skins. Not sure if this works with our menu though!
Please help this stressed couple out so we can send a list to our venue to work with (so they don't hate me for being such hard work!).
Thank you kindly!

I would go for chicken pate and lovely warm crusty bread and oatcakes.

And for you and veggie guests mushroom pate and same sides.

Also remember, nobody will care or know what you eat. My friend had a jacket potato with a huge salad, tuna and cheese. She didn't want a roast, she wouldn't eat it, so she picked her favourite comfort food.

If you like carbs and the portions are small why not have something like mozzarella sticks with garlic dough balls? Alternatively if you like Indian starters like bhajis and samosa I’d go with them. Don’t worry about what ‘goes’ with your menu, guests will eat each course separately so it doesn’t really matter if starter is Indian and main is roast and not everyone will be excited by a roast so having a starter that’s very different may please more people!

Alternatively if the only issue with the Mediterranean menu was small portion sizes can you not ask the venue to add some carby sides like chips, garlic bread, focaccia or even just crusty baguettes and butter? Might be an easier solution than trying to find a starter that fits your criteria!

If you both like carbs and dominoes sides, why about dough sticks with a trio of dips, and maybe some leaves on the side?
Not sure it goes with a roast, but i think you are past that point.

Alternatively could you have mini yorkshire puddings stuffed with roast dinner for starters, and change the mains?

As I said earlier, the meals are small. You wouldn't be stuffed. Trust me. We were hungry after our tasting session. We saw couples eating the roast. It is not a big meal. It's what I hate about posh food! Give me a big plate of food to enjoy!

@ThisMustBeMyDream - change venue! What's the point of forking out thousands for tiny meals?? Your guests won't thank you if they are hungry all day.

You like halloumi, so how about that grilled with sesame seeds and honey, on a small bed of tabbouleh (without tomato!) Vegan option s same tabbouleh, but topped with that smoky aubergine dip

I'm so confused as to why you are keeping this venue. Unless the wedding is really soon? You don't actually like it.

I didn't eat anything at my wedding so all my fuss about food was totally pointless as I got distracted chatting to people and never actually ate anything!

Anyway I'd change venues in your situation. People will be super hungry as the timings are so awkward and you aren't sounding confident the venue can actually feed them.

Change venue, end of.

Wedding food costs a fortune, it’s rare it’s good and most people start drinking before they start eating so it doesn’t matter too much what it tastes like. Breads with dips sounds like it would suit. Maybe with halloumi like you get at nandos.

So you chose the venue because of the food, but you've discovered the food doesn't work for you.
I'd be looking for a different venue if I were you.

You both sound impossible to please.

Bread, oil, balsamic, tomatoes (separate so your husband doesn’t pass out), olives, tapenade m, maybe cold meats, cheeses etc (again all separate so you don’t have to eat them if it’s an issue!) etc. People can pick at what they want.

Soup sounds nice though and in keeping with the rest of the menu - not sure why it’s any less special than a roast!

Can't you do a meat based one that majority of guests would like and DH, then a bruschetta as the veggie/vegan option that you could also have?

Or tbh I would just go with soup, everyone eats soup and it's easy.
You could go with a cold gazpacho soup with it being July - that's delicious

Looking at this from the venue/chefs point of view this is whats actually in season in the UK. Anything here that both you and your partner enjoy?

Fruit: Blackberries, Blackcurrants, Blueberries, Cherries, Gooseberries, Greengages, Loganberries, Raspberries, Redcurrants, Rhubarb, Strawberries
Vegetables: Aubergine, Beetroot, Broad Beans, Broccoli, Carrots, Cauliflower, Chicory, Chillies, Courgettes, Cucumber, Fennel, French Beans, Garlic, Kohlrabi, New Potatoes, Onions, Peas, Potatoes, Radishes, Rocket, Runner Beans, Samphire, Sorrel, Spring Greens, Spring Onions, Summer Squash, Swish Chard, Tomatoes, Turnips, Watercress

I hear you love your carbs but guests might prefer a reasonably light starter in high summer, especially with a roast to follow. Are eggs ok for both of you? Perhaps a variation on salad nicoise? If not, a roasted vegetable tart with leaves and small potato salad?

I second burrata - it is delicious and feels more special occasion than mozzarella

Grilled peach and burrata salad with pine nuts and whatever salad leaf you prefer with a balsamic dressing

Or a salad of courgette ribbons, burrata, pea shoots, peas and a lemony dressing (also delicious with a homemade pesto dressing but I think you said one of you doesn't like basil)

Just order in Dominos and be done.

A roast and sticky toffee pudding is my absolute favourite meal but I really wouldn't want it in the middle of summer. If it's a scorching hot day that's going to be a very heavy meal for most people.

Christ I can't imagine being like this.

Chicken vol au vent maybe?

The thing I love at weddings is the bread rolls. Last one I went to you got one tiny one each.
so my suggestion is bread rolls, plenty off them.

Likewise.

Ps genuinely intrigued as to what you eat when living together every other day of the year!

Why are you choosing a venue where your guests will be left hungry after micro portions?

Watermelon soup is the most insane word combination I've seen in ages 😆

Most of the suggestions people have made would be acceptable to guests but its just you or DP don't like them. Pate and toasted bread is always a good general starter along with a veg option which would normally be bread and soup. If the portions are small then I think something bread based would be the way to go. Could you ask for a mixed brushetta with different toppings? Personally I would just go for soup at this point as it does goes with your winter themed menu

Why don’t you offer to pay the equivalent of a starter per head but for bigger portions of the roast dinner, or add some additional side dishes to the main course?

Or, if you’re insistent on a starter:
Grilled halloumi salad
Chicken and halloumi skewers (or chicken and vegetable)
Individual tart or quiche with fillings to suit your requirements
Chicken ravioli with garlic butter
Arancini

Although imagining "something out of Hogwarts" and wanting something that will please every guest, two very fussy eaters & go with some very heavy tradtional British food leads me to think you really need to adjust your expectations down. It's a wedding, not a coronation.

If it's warm, there is no chance in this world I'd be wanting to eat a roast dinner and sticky toffee pudding - plus a starter - at a wedding. I don't care how small the portions are, it's heavy and starchy and not great for the warmer months.

And I say that as someone who bloody LOVES a roast.

Also, the roast potatoes are so often a let down at these types of venues which really takes the shine off a roast dinner anyway.

Ask them to provide larger portion sizes and think about something lighter for dinner that goes with your potato skins as a starter. Maybe think about the kind of food you'd want to eat in July when it's hot.

You want food that you love at your wedding rather than trying to make sure you are fancy enough for some imaginary etiquette. Some people have fish and chips for their wedding breakfast! Perfectly fine. I went to a wedding last summer where there was a BBQ for the main meal and honestly, it was one of the nicest wedding meals I've ever had (posh BBQ as it was on a farm so the quality of the food was just amazing).

I would just keep googling wedding starters until you find something you like.

I quite like the sound of chicken tempura or a chicken terrine wrapped in bacon.