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’re right, this is fundamentally an annoyingly late lunch at current timings. Don’t want people having to eat packets of crisps in church.

Maybe 3pm ceremony?

Well, you will have a lot of drunk people if you are offering cremant and cocktails, with only a couple of sandwiches to soak it all up. Do people know it’s going to be two til six? It sounds like a children’s party! A couple of sandwiches, two little scones and a piece of cake doesn’t really cut it, especially if people have missed lunch in order to get to the wedding. I take it you’re vegetarian - but you could have some smoked salmon sandwiches for your guests. I’d be adding something like sausage rolls and veggie sausage rolls at the very least. It seems to me you’ve concentrated on the marquee and the vintage china rather than the food! And the huge garden will only be lovely if the weather’s fine.

No, 2 is fine as long as the invitation is clear and states afternoon tea. Then people can decide if they want lunch or not.

If I was going for afternoon tea I wouldn't have lunch but 2 is plenty of time for people to have a lunch as well if they want to.

Your wedding sounds absolutely lovely!
Absolutely add pizza!
If possible do the food options & start in the invite if this is what you are 100% set on as Pp said, set expectations so guests can snack/perhaps elevenses before hand.
It seems quite low on the food without pizza if there is cocktails etc.

We get married at 1pm, canapés straight after with drinks.
Wedding breakfast at 4pm
However, we are having a night doo at 6pm + with Italian buffet.

We are trying to feed as much as possible due to people drinking! And wanting to avoid guests being bored/hungry. One of the many wedding worries 🙈

I don't understand how people think afternoon tea won't be filling enough?

Make sure people know what's on offer and they'll be able to make their own decision about brunch/lunch before the ceremony.

As it's afternoon only they can also have dinner later if they're still hungry.

I also think your 2 pm ceremony is perfect, 3 pm is a bit late.

Have a 2 tier cake and serve the GF one separately.

My coeliac family would not touch the "gluten free" layer which almost certsinly wont be gluten free upon serving

Maybe provide more food for them too.
Cake and some crudites and a dip yhey may not be confodent to eat isnt going to keep hunger at bay.

As a non coeliac issue would be hungry after that. Add pizza or quiche or something more substantial.
2 is ana awkward time. I would make food provision clear on invite and be prepared for sozzled guests early especially if its hot.

Scone sitch sounds fine.

I think it sounds lovely. Should be enough food if you are clear in the invitation on timings ie. Reception x - x, afternoon tea reception x - x

If I saw that on an invitation i'd have a light lunch before and not expect evening food/dancing etc.

Definitely a fully vegetarian wedding. (I’m not veggie in fact but dp is and I don’t want a thing served at his own wedding that he can’t eat). I’m not providing 2 small sandwiches, think 2 full rounds per person, plus scones, plus up to 3 pieces of cake, now adding pizza in.

Im not that focused on the vintage china, more that I wanted to paint a mental picture… but I do get that a pretty vibe full of hungry people is no good.

Yes to a certain extent I’m doing it on the cheap, in that I remember doing a full on sit down gourmet buffet for my previous wedding and most of it going home with the caterers at £25 per head (20 years ago, more like £50 a head now)… this to me feels like delicious food that people will eat

Why do you think there won't be enough sandwiches @sesquipedalian ?

This afternoon tea sounds very filling.

@SalmonOnFinnCrisp I mentioned keeping the GF layer separate upthread (and suggested putting all the GF food on a separate table) which the OP has taken on board.

I would definitely add the pizzas. Re cooking things yourself this is an extra layer of stress, as PP’s have stated, but on a practical level have you checked your venue and/or whomever you would be asking to ice and manage them allows this? I used to work in a venue and we required food hygiene certificates, insurance etc. from anyone bringing food in, so this may be something you need to consider.

Not sure why anyone thinks people will be pissed either. The food and drinks are being served at the same time as I understand it so not a load of cocktails on empty stomachs.

OP’s afternoon tea doesn’t sound as filling as many afternoon teas are. The local ones near us, offer at least twice as much as she is offering. Adding in an extra savoury element will also help.

@PermanentTemporary will you be doing speeches etc, photos?

Again the wedding I went to that sounds similar set up, felt quite disjointed. Didn’t help that there wasn’t enough seating. The cakes were buffet style. So lots of standing around whilst photos taken and then more standing around! No time for lunch beforehand. By the time you had eaten 2 cupcakes you weren’t sure what to do! It felt like that time most people hate between ceremony and reception whilst you are waiting for photos to be taken, but there wasn’t the sit down meal to then go to, well not until 8pm! At least you have an earlier finish time.

OP’s afternoon tea doesn’t sound as filling as many afternoon teas are

Why not? Genuine question. Plenty of sandwiches, scones and cream, selection of cakes. So a standard afternoon tea.

Plus if people think they're going to be hungry, they'll have the option of brunch/lunch beforehand so no-one should be 'starvjng' and need a huge meal.

OP’s afternoon tea doesn’t sound as filling as many afternoon teas are.

@sittingonabeach If you think that two rounds of sandwiches per person, pizza, a couple of scones and a load of cakes isn't filling then perhaps you have a problem. That is loads of food.

A few more savouries.
Yes you can definitely freeze the cakes but would really suggest you get someone to do fresh scones on the day .

I think it's plenty of a food considering it's basically an afternoon reception and not a lunch or dinner. Just one thing, the strawberries might not be ripe in early June. It depends what kind of variety they grow and what kind of spring you have.

Taking on board the seating. I know the farmer and venue owner, we’re all in our 50s with incredibly ancient parents so seating is definitely a priority lol. You can hire hay bales to add a bit of extra seating for the youngsters.

I think realistically I need to hire a marquee big enough to shelter us all if it’s one of those frustratingly cold June days.

I agree with other PPs:

• not enough food, I'd be starving and disappointed. In my eyes, weddings are a feast and I'd expect a bit more abundance and indulgence
• I always find weddings with no sitting down meal exhausting and like something is missing. Sitting doesn't mean it has to be a 5 course meal or really complex or expensive, but it is the opportunity for people to rest a bit and gather some energy (plus have a good chat) before the rest of the party
• I'd consider big sharing platters of meat, veg, potatoes, breads, fruit, dips, etc.

But it IS the party Chica? This is the reception, there isn’t an ‘after’. People will be going home to their own beds/ on to the pub if they want to.

Im 100% on board with adding pizza in, am very grateful to you lovely vipers for that. Also being real with the gluten free provision.

@RampantIvy for me there wasn’t enough savoury, I hadn’t seen OP’s post about how many sandwiches. As this will be many people’s lunch, not everyone will want to fill up on cake (lovely as cake is!)

You need some non-vegetarian sandwiches, and I agree sausage rolls would be good. Your DP will just have to cope.

They don’t need to at all. Vegetarian weddings are very common and I imagine he won’t want meat serving
people will be fine without meat for one meal

Nope, fully veggie, that’s non negotiable. This is Oxford 😂 so few people will be shocked, even the Suffolk farming contingent will cope imo, but I might look at some additional sandwich flavours.

Why does she need non-vegetarian sandwiches? I think the sandwich fillings are fine.

Ohhhhhh.......

Is it the 'can't survive for a few hours without meat' crowd?

Expected to eat weirdy vegetarian food like cheese sandwiches, plus crudites and dip, fruit, scones, cake?

Yeah, OP. Don't you know it's the law to serve processed pork by the tonne at functions like this?