Would you expect some sort of wedding cake if you'd already had afternoon tea?

[NibbyNibs]

We're having an early afternoon ceremony followed by afternoon tea and then an evening pizza buffet. We're contemplating not having a wedding cake. We're not bothered about the pictures and our original plan was to maybe do desserts alongside the pizza. However, I don't know if that's too much in the way of desserts given the afternoon tea and we're also trying to trim down the budget. Would you expect some sort of cake in the evening of a wedding if you'd already had afternoon tea? I appreciate the evening guests won't have had afternoon tea but they will be getting pizza.

Thanks all for your comments, I really appreciate it. I don't know how big the portions are but I'll obviously find out before the day.

As an idea the afternoon tea package includes:
Canapes, sandwiches, savouries, quiche, 2 mini scones per person, little patisserie style desserts, gateaux and a cheese board. The children have the same amount of food so in theory if they eat less there'll be more for the adults.

And then pizza, salad, coleslaw and garlic bread in the evening.

Good point about all the carbs. Maybe if we get some fruit platters for the day and other desserts for the evening that would help.

In theory the evening guests have the opportunity to eat dinner before coming but I appreciate that when there's alcohol involved people often get hungry.

My sister wasn't going to bother with a cake. As she was having afternoon tea as well. In the end due to Covid the venue stopped doing afternoon tea, and did something else instead. So she did have a cake. I'm glad she did, as the photos of the cutting it are lovely.

If you have a wedding at 2pm guest will need to be in location by 1.30/1.45, which means lunch will be at 12 at a restaurant near the venue, or a sandwich from pret/cafe/tescos.

if afternoon tea is cucumber sandwiches and dainty cake and macarons etc, and not hearty sausage rolls pork pies, plougmans etc they are all going to be very hungry and pissed by the time the pizza comes at 8pm?

so think carefully about where and how your good friends and family will have eaten before the wedding.
and how long it is between lunch and evening meal.

if it’s more than 6 hours, then that afternoon tea should be quite substantial, maybe including quiche or savory tarts etc

and I would want -as host- to see a full serving or if it’s a sharing thing I’d actually want to try sharing it between 4/6 people.

i would as a guest be happy to supplement the bar, but i will be miserable if im hungry.

Best wishes to you!

True! I went to a wedding in Holy Trinity Brompton, South Kensington.
and we were served delightful canapés outside the church.
mindful that they were canapés and there was an evening do, my friends and I showed our discipline and didn’t take many (despite it being early afternoon and not having had lunch properly because of travel etc )
Only after did we find out that was the main catering.
we ended up having to leave the wedding party to find a place to eat, because we were all starving .

24 years on, that’s the memory of an otherwise lovely couples nuptials.
twenty friends scarpering trying to find an affordable curry/pizza etc in a swanky part of town

We had 2 wedding cakes, the cake one, we cut and then it was swept away and served as dessert with our meal. Then a pork pie and cheese one, cut much later in the evening and served with fruit, crackers, posh bread, port and dessert wines.

I wouldn't bother with a wedding cake as I don't like rich fruit cake. I'd maybe get a sponge cake.

Oh wow pork pie and cheese sounds amazing! I'd love to do that. I'll have to have a look into those.

It all sounds lovely @NibbyNibs

I would expect a wedding cake and I would be disappointed if it wasn't a proper fruit cake.

I wouldn't care, I don't really like wedding cake and would rather have something else to be honest. I think you should do whatever you want. The cake doesn't especially go with the pizza vibe anyway, it's only the cake-cutting tradition you'd be missing out on and it sounds as though that doesn't bother you?

If you're having gateaux, and you don't like fruit cake, you could just label one of the cakes as the wedding cake...? But if they're going to charge you a ton to cut it up after you do the first cut, then by all means bin it.

I think you will be surprised by the number of comments about 'where's the wedding cake' but provided you're willing to say 'we're not having one' 1000 times, do whatever you prefer.

Friends had a pie cake, game, pork pie and something else in a tier. Also a tiered cake of cheeses. There were desserts too.

And crackers and nice bread and pickles.

No one missed the wedding cake.

We had cupcakes on a stand.

I would because it’s a party in essence and I like something sweet at a party. It wouldn’t have to be wedding cake, cupcakes, a selection of brownies/blondies whatever appeals to you. But I would definitely appreciate something sweet.

I always thought the wedding cake was packed and taken home in a little wedding cake box? Maybe that is just the weddings I've been to! At mine and many others, a different dessert was served- not the wedding cake.

TBH, with ALL the other carbs being served already, I wouldn't be bothered with wedding cake too! I'd prefer fresh fruit skewers.

The caterer should be providing an example meal of the afternoon tea they are serving. You can then decide if its enough of not. People will remember if they are left starving! If you wanted to serve cake after the pizzas, you could just have a selection of shop bought ones available.

Just get them to lay some pizzas on a tiered cake stand and "cut" it for the photo op.

You'd seriously go to someone's wedding, be fed and watered and entertained all day, and feel disappointment at no fruit cake??

The best wedding we ever went to (not ours!), the service ended just before 4pm. There was then a but if time for "friends" photos, then afternoon tea in the village hall whilst the family photos were taken.

When the b&g arrived in the hall after their photos, we had wedding cake, fizz and speeches, which tied up with the end of the afternoon tea beautifully.

Then dancing

Then a fantastic evening buffet

Then more dancing

The thing about afternoon tea is that it is very carb heavy, so you're hungry again soon.

Most people will absolutely not be “stuffed” after Afternoon Tea, op.

What time is your ceremony? Went to a wedding where it was more cream tea than afternoon tea, but guests needed to be at venue by 1.00 and the evening meal wasn’t until about 8 and that was similar to your pizza idea. No real time for lunch beforehand and not all guests were local. There was a stampede for the evening food!

I think you need to have a rethink on the food if you possibly can OP.

Neither afternoon tea or pizza in the evening are meals, so your guests are essentially going from lunchtime to whenever the evening ends without any proper food. If your guests are hungry, that will be their memory of your day.

It also sounds too carb-heavy, sandwiches, savouries and then pizza.

What is the evening budget? Is a buffet an option, but with hot meats, salads etc? A bit more variety and something that feels more like a meal?

I agree with the poster that said you need to cut the guest list before you cut the food, or you’ll find a lot of your guests disappear early to go and find something to eat.

No I would not expect cake in the evening. Either as a day or evening guess. Ideally I would suggest making sure there are plenty of sandwiches with the afternoon tea or savoury bites. They are bit more filling if people are drinking. Could you get some chicken, wedges with the pizza again to make it a bit more filling.

Your catering for the whole day just seems to be snacky type of food, afternoon tea, pizza etc. I think you need to provide more than just pizza, salad and garlic bread in the evening because everyone is going to be very hungry especially if they're drinking. Can't you do a proper 3 course meal, or 2 courses plus cake for pudding?
At my son's wedding we had lots of canapes, 3 course reception meal then the evening food was things like pulled pork, burgers, steak sandwich etc and the wedding cake was cut at the start of the evening do and used as pudding. The cake was stunning and the pictures of them cutting it are lovely. It was a sponge cake made with 4 different flavourings. There was a bit left over which the venue cut up in the morning after and left out with napkins so people could take it away as they left, none was wasted.

@NibbyNibs
Your initial plan sounds like my idea of amazing wedding catering and would be what I would have done, had we not eloped.
I wouldn't be fussed on the slightest over no wedding cake so long as there was plenty of pizza.

I’m not sure about your menu. Even for guests, weddings tend to be quite busy days, maybe involving long drives/travelling, getting ready all morning, rushing around with errands etc. Chances are they may skip breakfast/lunch or whatever before your wedding. Plus even the evening guests, might assume they are eating at the wedding, and not have a substantial meal before going to yours.

So I would err on the side of caution and get extra food to ensure you have an appropriate amount for your guests. It sounds like a finger food menu. Don’t just assume it’s another “Saturday” for them, and under order food as you’re assuming they are fine. They are likely to be more peckish than usual.

I personally have never seen afternoon tea as a proper meal. The individual items are small. It’s more the combination of food and drink, that makes you feel full.

In terms of the cake, I wouldn’t be fussed if there’s none. I have seen cake served on the day and also not served (but given to guests in boxes to take home).

I think “amazing catering” to describe finger food and an evening pizza is a bit strong, personally.