Critique my catering plan

[PermanentTemporary]

Give me your most viperish take - I’ve got 18 months to sort this.

Plan: early June. 2pm ceremony, 2.45/3pm reception. Gorgeous huge local garden, marquee/stretch tent for cover as needed. Seats and occasional tables scattered about. Circulating staff facilitating the food. Vintage china (hired). Buffet food tables/tablecloths.

Fizz on arrival (cremant de Loire) or sparkling elderflower. Jugs of water available.

Cocktail bar making jugs of 4 different cocktails for the staff to circulate- likely Pimm’s, a gin cocktail and 2 nonalcoholic ones.

Vegetarian sandwiches from local sandwich place: cheddar and chutney, Brie and grape, roasted veg &hummus, cucumber.

Crudites and 2 dips, probably tsatziki and hummus again.

Cake: 2 mini scones per guest with clotted cream and jam (300 scones). Choice of rich chocolate cake, lemon drizzle, Victoria sponge with strawberries and cream. Additional gluten free and vegan option depending on numbers needing this.

Wedding cake bought from local
cake maker: fruit cake layer, gluten free layer, vegan layer.

Also plain strawberries with/without cream on offer (the venue is a farm that does pick your own strawberries).

Big question: is it crazy to think I could make the scones and basic cakes myself and freeze them over the months, and hire someone to defrost them over the previous 24 hours, ice them and manage them on the day? Money isn’t necessarily the issue so much as preferring my own baking. 300 mini scones, 10 each of the large cakes above.

You absolutely can. But it adds a new layer of stress in an already stressful time. Do you have the freezer space?

Also, are you sure that's enough food? Is this for a party that goes on till midnight? I imagine guests will have had lunch before they arrive, so this is the evening meal to soak uo the booze?

This is afternoon tea. If I were invited to this I probably wouldn’t eat lunch or dinner, but then I’m 56, I’d expect most people would. The venue can do pizza, so perhaps I should add that in?

Youre probably right about the stress. Dp’s mum has the freezer space at the moment but might easily decide to downsize home before the wedding!

2 mini scones is not enough! And freezing them…. Hmmm

Strong message that I’m undercatering.. I’d certainly much rather over provide than have people heading off to Maccie D’s afterwards.

Is that it for food for an event from 2pm until night?!

What time does this finish?

I went to a wedding, similar sort of timing, and had a sort of afternoon tea offering, but only sweet stuff not savoury.

Problem is not really enough time to have lunch beforehand and get ready, especially if travelling.

They had a separate thing in the evening which offered food but not until 8pm. Everyone was ravenous.

I was only thinking 2pm to 5/6 pm tbh.

I would keep the gluten free part of the wedding cake separate and not as a layer to avoid cross contamination. If money is an issue don't bother with the gin cocktails. Ditto keeping the gluten free sandwiches separate from the rest of the food. Maybe have all the gluten free food on a separate clearly labelled table.

However it sounds absolutely perfect to me.

Your wedding is from 2-6?

Will there be seating for everyone, toilets?

It's fine as long as you are very clear with people on the invitations what the timings are. Any wedding I was invited to at 2 I would expect to be getting a full meal plus evening buffet and dancing. If you plan to finish at about 6 having offered a generous afternoon tea that sounds lovely but you have to be certain people know it is afternoon only and not going on in to the evening.

Editing to say actually if you are clear with timings I don't mean it sounds fine, it sounds absolutely lovely!

Sounds perfect but make it clear on the invitation it's afternoon tea only.
Honestly I'd save yourself the hassle of doing the scones and find someone local who'll do them. By local I'm thinking cottage industry v expensive bakery!

People will be absolutely starving. Not enough food! People probably won’t have had lunch to be ready and travelling for a 2pm wedding.

Yes… I’ve never been a fan of evening dos if I’m honest so it’s a single stage reception. A bit of background music (jazz trio or something like that) but no dance floor or dj.

This is a city centre farm, a good chunk of the guests will be walking to the church and venue so will be within easy reach of home.

I think you are under catering: these are the kind of light snacks people serve (while photos are being taken) and before the actual meal

It does feel like you are doing it on the cheap. Most people would expect a meal so you need to make it clear on the invite to manage expectations and avoid disappointment.

Not everyone has a full day/night party. A low key wedding with afternoon tea after the ceremony is fine if that’s what the OP wants - she’s 56, maybe it’s a second marriage and she wants something simple.

If you add in the pizza then I think it would be enough. Sandwiches, crudités, pizza then scones and cake is a great menu.

😂 @Comeonpup i agree in some ways but we’ve already got a packed 2026 with other stuff plus when we fixed the date dp’s daughter was planning to get married in 2026 as well.

Right, am definitely going to add fresh pizza into the mix.

Two scones plus lots of cake after lots of sandwiches is plenty.

Scones freeze very well. Even one day old scones don't taste good. If they are frozen the day they are made and defrosted on the day of the wedding they will taste better than one day old scones. (I cater for large charity afternoon teas regularly).

@RampantIvy thank you, good advice on gluten free.

Im also thinking that the slight improvement in flavour from doing my own baking doesn’t outweigh the stress - I’ll get someone else to make the cakes and scones.

When we got married we didn’t have an evening do, but still provided 3 course meal, plus wedding cake.

If you want to do afternoon tea option, I would push it back a little if you can, to give people time to have lunch. Even if most guests are local, they will be getting to church about 1.30.

It's plenty of food. Afternoon tea can be very filling.

@PermanentTemporary your afternoon tea plans sound lovely. Ignore the overeaters who say it isn't enough food.

Sound nice

I would make the times and the afternoon tea clear on the invitation