what food for a super relaxed wedding?!

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I need help!

we are having a 3pm wedding, next july.

Ceremony in a local council owned property (think old beautiful house, nice gardens etc) and reception literally directly over the road at a rugby club. Its been entirely re built, with a nice terrace etc and we have free run of inside and outside.

We want it to be really relaxed, people inside or outside whenever they want (hoping the weather wont let us down!) no speeches, no first dance, no cutting cakes etc.

We just don't know what to do about the food.

So there ceremony will be at 3pm, food about 4:30/5ish?

But what?! what fits with the relaxed summer theme? I don't want a sit down meal, we wont be having seating plans and ideally its something that can be eaten inside/outside

I don't really like the idea of a BBQ because its too easy to give people food poisoning and I probably wouldn't eat it myself (I don't have massive issues with food but stuff like that is my worst nightmare)

also, if the weather's shit we would be done for.

can anyone help!?

also we will be having maybe 10 extra evening guests - do we then have to do more food in the evening? I think we probably do but DP isn't sure people will want to eat again so soon?!

Thanks!

If you have guests with specific needs and they tell you in advance it's easy to ensure there's food. I provided gluten free vegan recently as we had 3 guests who needed different food and that incorporated all 3. Relaxed just means not structured

I went to a wedding years ago that did jacket potatoes with loads of diff toppings, eg beef chilli, veg chilli, cheese, coleslaw, prawns etc. With lots of different side salads. If you didn't want the carbs you could ditch the potato and have a big salad, dietary requirements all catered for. It was delicious food, very filling and quite reasonably priced.

A buffet table might suit? Also the pizza van sounds excellent...

Why does the phrase “ super relaxed “ seem to actually mean

to me, no sit down 3 course meal and speeches.. just friends.. food.. watch us get married.. have a drink and a dance?

We are so cheap we are only serving one type of food ( probably carbs with meat ) so those of you who can’t eat this can just fuck off with your religion / medical condition / disability / eithics “. Just remember to bring us a large gift”

well i'm not sure its going to be massively cheaper than a sit down 3 course meal based on the quotes I have got so far, but its far more mine and dps type of thing than a formal meal!

I will be asking about everyone dietary requirements whether they be religious, intolerances, allergies or just general dislikes. I would be doing this either way! I like my friends and family!

Disability wise both of our venues are accessible as I have a couple of elderly relatives that don't do stairs etc.

we wont be asking for gifts either! we have lived together for almost 5 years we have no need for gifts!

I’d rather go to a “non relaxed “ wedding and eat, if i had the choice. Having nothing to eat but not wanting to complain because you are someone’s guest is so stressful

that's fine, anyone who doesn't want to come can decline! I am pretty confident that nobody will starve though!

I’d probably not tho to a wedding like this because it would be so upsetting for me and my family - why on earth would it be upsetting?!

moreismore I am in west Yorkshire :)

moreslidingdoors ok a non carb eating veggie would pose a small problem I suppose, but I will def check everyones requirements and try work round them.

only ones I think we will have is gluten free but we can get gluten free pizza, and will check with whoever we go with for main catering but most companies seem to be able to work around that now!

comebackbarack

there will be a cheesy disco do not fear!

unfortunately not because the ceremony venue is really super strict on numbers and they wont compromise (fire regs)

thanks again everyone for your ideas!

I have contacted a couple of street food catering type things and am just waiting for quotes back!

will make sure to ask for dietary requirements with invites so I know in advance!

@MoreSlidingDoors
I had an informal wedding with, among the choices, vegan, wheat free, vegetarian and halal options.
Just because it isn't a formal meal doesn't mean that you can't cater for your guests. FFS.I think that your view is coloured by the fact that your friends aren't great at hosting, not that the OP won't be.

OP. At my wedding we had drinks and cake after the ceremony, then street food: 2 types of pulled pork, 2 paella, with salads, during the afternoon there was crisps and cake/biscuits/sweetie buffet/ice cream van, then in the evening the caterer served ploughmans from our cake of cheese plus additions (with vegan options). Super relaxed for us, though the caterers were busy. If you just have a van, who collects up the plates and generally tidies as you go?

I had an informal wedding with, among the choices, vegan, wheat free, vegetarian and halal options.

I’m veggie but usually can’t eat vegan as it’s usually carb based. I don’t eat bread, rice, pasta, pastry or potatoes. I eat dairy and eggs (not vegan). I’m allergic to tomatoes so many “standard” veggie options don’t work either.

I get that my needs are unusual, but they would be unlikely to be met by your list too.

At my wedding we had drinks and cake after the ceremony, then street food: 2 types of pulled pork, 2 paella, with salads, during the afternoon there was crisps and cake/biscuits/sweetie buffet/ice cream van, then in the evening the caterer served ploughmans from our cake of cheese plus additions (with vegan options). Super relaxed for us, though the caterers were busy.

From your list I’d be stuck with lettuce for lunch and cheese for dinner. I couldn’t eat anything else you’ve listed.

Pizza van is a fab idea. We had one for a party and it was a total hit. Very social too as random people would gather there and chat for the time it took for their pizza to cook.

moreslidingdoors blimey - not being goady genuinely interested - what do you eat on a normal day?

notatwork icecream van!! how do you go about hiring one of those? do you pay or your guests pay?

Full fat yoghurt with raspberries and flaxseed mid afternoon.

Dinner will be roasted butternut squash, peppers, onions, spinach with dressing and feta/a cheese and mushroom omelette and baked beans/veg curry with cauliflower rice/veggie sausages with loads of veg or stir fry/cauliflower cheese (made with creme fraiche rather than flour) with veg/egg mayo and hummus with veggie dippers/fathead pizza (with roasted red peppers instead of tomato).

Not hard when you’re used to it.

moreslidingdoors my sympathies, finding food away from home must be very difficult. But I would think as difficult even at a standard sit down meal too? The casual dining approach is no different in limiting options. Many caterers will find your requirements tricky.

@JoanMavisIcecreamGirl We contacted the local company and asked them to come. They gave us a set price for 2 hours which included up to a certain value of ice cream. Had we gone over that we could have paid extra.

@MoreSlidingDoors had you been a guest at our wedding I'm sure we would have found something to accommodate you. Our menu was chosen to accommodate our guests, so we'd have added a suitable option. It's what decent hosts do.

The only issue with a street food type vendor for me would be how many people they can serve at any given time. I don't want to spend half an hour queuing at someone's wedding.

yabbers that is a good point yes!

I’ve gotten used to taking a food bag with me to be honest.

How many guests will there be? Things like pizza vans and fish and chip vans are all very well but it can take a long time to get everyone fed and of course the choices are narrowed. A barbecue provided by a caterer would be my suggestion if you don't want the formality of a sit down meal. Or what about serving the food American 'family style' where it's put in the middle of the tables for people to share?

Unless you've a very small number of guests a bit of formality helps people feel comfortable as they know what to expect and when.

What Yabbers said - I don't want to spend half an hour (possibly outside in my weather-unsuitable clothes) queueing for food. If you go down this route, ask how fast they will get through the queue.

I think a buffet would be best and your evening guests will definitely need something to eat. If food is available, people will pick at it!

M & S Buffet food is great!

I went to a beautiful wedding once with middle eastern style catering. It felt very relaxed and fun but still delicious and quite refined.

Starters were mezze type things, big bowls of lovely dips, breads, olives, meats, hot pastry parcel type things.

Main was marinated leg of lamb and herby roast chicken, big bowls of different salads, cous cous/tabouleh, lovely dips.

(Was all dig in and pass along, long tables lend itself to this)

Pudding was a big table full of desserts and cakes made and brought in by guests!

@ImNotNigel please expand on why this would be 'upsetting'