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.

I think that it sounds lovely, as long as everyone knows ahead of time what the timings are and to expect an afternoon tea.

As someone who used to work in catering and has made a lot of buffets a few suggestions. By two rounds of sandwiches per person, do you mean two full sandwiches per person? There's no way that will be eaten, especially with all the cakes as well. We used to cater 3 quarters of a sandwich per person, plus other snacky bits. I would cut down on the cake slightly and add more savoury bits. Most of these have probably been suggested already, but things like samosas, onion bhajis or spring rolls are always popular. If you want to keep it more traditional then quiche, some kind of sausage roll equivalent or voluvents (egg mayo, cheese and spring onion mayo or humous all make good veggie fillings). A lot of people are surprisingly unadventurous with sandwich fillings. I know you've decided to include egg mayo which is a good idea, but the brie and grape and humous and roasted veg might not be that popular, especially with older guests or children. I would have some left very plain, such as plain cheese. In my experience the crudities won't be eaten, so I wouldn't provide too many.

You mention bringing in the sandwiches from an external shop. Is there adequate fridge space to store everything and are there some kind of caterers overseeing everything? You really don't want food left out in the heat for any length of time. No one wants their wedding remembered for poisoning their guests.

Sorry, that turned out quite long, hope some of it's useful.

The ones who’ve got ready and travelled to an event to be there at 1.30 for a 2pm ceremony. They miss lunch, lots of folk don’t eat breakfast. The majority of wedding guests are starving by the time the food arrives, or drunk!

This is not your average wedding. This is a wedding that takes place in the middle of the day for three hours. It’s not the same thing.

I think it sounds lovely @PermanentTemporary. When I got married (a long time ago) it was normal for a wedding to finish with the B&G leaving at 6. SO weddings were either at 11 followed by a sit down wedding breakfast or at 2 followed by afternoon tea. The poshest I went to was the latter with finger sandwiches, mini quiche and mini cakes plus fizz.

I wouldn't go for pizza I think it will spoil the vibe - you could consider a non gluten savoury - perhaps a mini frittata instead. I also wouldn't do dips as they do get messy quickly - a cold soup in a shot glass would look lovely though and be very elegant.

@Statsquestion1

they still need lots of food

Maybe I live in a different world but where I come from most people know how to feed themselves accordingly to the plan of the day…when I have to go to a wedding at half one I make sure that I have a substantial breakfast at a slightly later time than I usually have that way when it comes to lunch or dinner, I’m not absolutely starving or keeling over because I’ve just so happened to have a drink. It’s not rocket science.

Perhaps they could, as has been suggested, plan ahead? Eat something light before they go?
I'm sure we've all done that for events, holiday travel, catching flights, whatever.
You know you'll have afternoon tea at 2.30? Plan accordingly.

Why? Are they fasting for the rest of the day? Are they bottomless pits? Is she feeding a full on Rugby team? Can we not assume that these grown adult adults can feed themselves a substantial breakfast in the morning and have supper when they get home? It’s fucking lunch! I’m actually baffled,

Thank you - a cross post, essentially!

Thank god it's not just me. Bizarre.

I work in the industry, but I’ll bow to your superior knowledge and superior picnic packing friend set.

Baffled 100%

Invite to witness our Wedding and celebrate after with Afternoon Tea - make this clear

But then do a proper afternoon tea.

TBH, and not sure why this is 18 months not 6 months time, this feels very lazy, basic and cheap.

Cake - you can not mix fruit layer, GF layer and Vegan layer. They need to be separate and not contaminated.

You can make an Afternoon Tea wow - so do it, it's your wedding.

Re timings - if the ceremony is at 2pm the reception will not start at 2.45 - you have photos and so on to fit in and this takes time.

I'm not sure of the Vibe, the ages, involved, or what you are aiming for, but I am totally underwhelmed by your proposal, particularly with so much time to plan.

I like an afternoon tea wedding breakfast, although I’d be sad at the lack of music and dancing but that’s your choice. But this menu feels very bland and joyless to be honest. Very dull sandwich fillings and dips and a slice of cake. Pizza would help, although it’s yet more dull cheese if it has to be vegetarian.

I wouldn't eat any of the sandwiches or snacks other than scones and some of the cake. But as the invite is very clear (maybe attach a 'menu' too?) I would just eat before/after.

Oh, and don’t go for pizza, OP. If you’re wanting an afternoon tea, garden party kind of vibe then pizza doesn’t fit with that

No, nobody packs picnics they just have a substantial breakfast… you don’t need to work “in the industry” to understand that people have three meals a day. And if they choose not to then that’s their problem, not the person who’s hosting the wedding. I have never woken up on the day of the wedding and thought “oh I know, I’ll not eat all day because I’m getting fed later” 😅

What about something like falafel and hummus in a mini pitta?

Tortilla (the Unearthed spinach one is really good, but better heated up) cut up nicely could be another option?

There you've got two proteiny options for the carb fearers who think they'd keel over if they had one meal without meat.

But if people don't think afternoon tea is naice enough for a wedding, someone should better tell all those hotels who charge £30/50/close to £100 pp for it.

With the caveat that they can be temperamental in the defrosting and hate to touch each other so she will need a large amount of surface to lay out on!

(Catered weddings with scones and owned a Cornish cafe famous for our banging cream teas!)

I think it sounds like loads but also it sounds too sweet!! I’d want a bit more savoury, even if it was just posh crisps or some breadsticks/cheese sticks. My mouth would hurt at all the sugar!

Also just adding in for the super fussy ones (like me! Your friends might be fine so ignore if necessary!) maybe a plain sandwich? Plain egg mayo or plain cheese. Sometimes everything is too fussy and I can’t eat it.

Because it’s day only, what you are offering sounds fine but I would consider adding in pizza or hot sausage rolls or similar.

I assumed the chicken nuggets post was satirical. I'm clinging on to it being so and that poster just stringing out the joke. It has to be.

of course I was taking the piss!! Chicken nuggets at a wedding - WTF?? Although I did see a Mumsnet post once where that was suggested, no word of a lie.

I love the tea party idea and think it all sounds lovely - like others have said though, you just need to be sure guests know it's afternoon tea and not lunch/dinner otherwise you can end up with hungry people or very pissed people who're drinking on empty stomachs.

I think a few other savoury options - veggie sausage rolls (as I take it you are vegetarian), a quiche or two, some nice little tartlets - would help people line their stomachs!