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 cater for charity afternoon tea events regularly. Those sandwiches don't sound wet to me. Plain cheese would make a very dry sandwich. The clotted cream would be optional as it comes in separate pots.

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.
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.

@BeardedBarley @ZenNudist @satsumas26 if you think the above is not enough food then you have a problem.

@PermanentTemporary I think moving the ceremony to 3pm might be a better option as it allows people to have lunch beforehand. DH and I got married at 3pm for this reason. It also allowed people who were travelling plenty of time to get to the wedding.

I think your afternoon tea and shorter day sounds perfect BTW.

I had a plan to ask the guests all to bring a cake, then panicked totally that this really was being too cheap - I love a bring and take wedding when I’m a guest but feel worried about asking others to do it, especially when we are not a young and broke couple but are visibly comfortably off.

Well Rampant, they are. Chutney is not dry and neither is squishy Brie and grape. if you don’t like cheese or cake here you’re buggered. But then it’s a 3 hour wedding so I’d be ok as I’d go for a meal afterwards

It sounds lovely but to be honest sounds more like the canapés that are served post ceremony rather than the meal part of the wedding. People might pick of the sandwiches and crudités then expect a sit down meal later.

I think people are missing that this is a wedding of people in their mid 50s and guests aged accordingly. It's not an all day wild party of younger people. It all sounds great. Provided people know what to expect they will all be old enough to sort out their personal catering accordingly. If anyone is hungry they can top up themselves in the evening.

I think afternoon tea sounds great if you're very clear about timings and info. However you definitely need enough seats and tables. Standing around in high heels on soft ground slowly getting a headache is my least favourite part of any wedding so if there's any risk of that, try to mitigate it. Plus juggling tea cups and plates and champagne glasses is a fricking nightmare for clumsy people like me so maybe try hiring these kind of things? https://www.nisbets.co.uk/olympia-snack-plates-240mm/y102

Don't try to bake your own scones. Has "WHY DID I DO THIS" on your wedding eve written all over it.

@SterlingsGold it just needs to be made clear in the invitation, that it is an afternoon tea type meal and what time the event finishes. If timings are moved slightly, it also means people will have time to have something to eat beforehand if they want, but also better time for an afternoon tea meal.

If you’re good at baking, making them yourself is great.
Otherwise, I’d get a professional to do the scones, cakes.

I’d do meat sandwiches as well as veggie. Maybe sausage rolls, quiche as well? A nice choice of savoury. Salad not so much, but maybe the likes of potato salad, coleslaw etc…

I am now at the age when, after food, seating and toilets are my priorities!

@SterlingsGold current wording of invitation based on this thread;

X and Y are delighted to invite you to our wedding

Saturday X June 2027

2.30pm (?) at St Suburban’s, Busy Road

Then please join us for afternoon tea and cocktails at Surprisingly Rural Farm, Cute Lane, 3-6pm

plus a long letter of arrangements re no presents, dietary requirements, places to stay/eat etc etc

@PermanentTemporary I think it sounds perfect. I don’t think you need the pizza. What you need is just to be clear to everyone what they are in for. That they will be having food at 2 and finished by 5:30 etc. I think most people will then have a large brekkie or a brunch before the day begins and they will have supper in the evening. You could use ChatGPT to help you form a little poem/rhyme to send them about this to make it a fun message as such maybe?

Friends of friends did an afternoon tea reception some years ago. Everyone going knew the plan (timings/food offering) and from multiple reports all had a thoroughly lovely time.
A well worded invite should manage expectations so guests are not surprised.

You're incredibly rude. The OP has asked for a critique of her wedding menu. Multiple people have suggested it may not be enough food and you've repeatedly called them "overeaters" and accused them of "having a problem". If multiple people are suggesting it, then (whether it is or it isn't enough), it may be a valid point for the OP to consider. What comes across from your posts is, if anyone has an issue with food quantity, it is likely you. From this post you say you cater afternoon teas, so you're coming across as defensive, taking any criticism quite personally. It isn't about you.

This sounds perfect.
Also, having the entire even last only a few hours means even if someone is sufficiently picky they don't like any of your choices, they won't exactly starve and can just go have dinner afterwards!
I personally don't think pizza would blend well with your current offerings. Especially if everything else it so be served premade/cold? I would go with adding a few more savoury choices that fit the afternoon tea theme and call it good myself.
Re seating, are you having chairs around tables, or are people going to be balancing plates and glasses on their laps while sitting on benches?
Id prefer lots of tables and chairs if it was me, but I'm not very dexterous 😅

Ooh be viperish to me, not to each other. All contributions and thoughts have been really helpful, thank you!

I don't think it's about the quantity but the variety.
And also yes, most people would expect some kind of luxurious abundance at a celebration. I would eat a sandwich for lunch at home, but at an event I'd more likely expect the choice of a small sandwich and something different as well, not just a bigger sandwich.

I think it’s a lot of carbs and sugar so personally I’d be looking to add something like soup or quiche. Pizza seems a bit off brand for afternoon tea - a bit mess if it’s a wander around eating while socialising vibe, maybe easier if it’s tables to sit at to eat?

How about some grazing platters? We had wonderful veggie grazing platters at my daughter’s recent party - lots of fruit, cheese, nuts, olives, dips and such.

I love the cocktail idea as I don’t drink wine or beer but would love a gin cocktail and some cake :)

I wouldn’t cook anything yourself - doubt they’d let you anyway for food hygiene reasons but it would add a whole second level of stress. You could make a favour for people to bring home if you really want to make something.

Oh, you mentioned GF and allergies. Are you hiring caterers? Who is plating up and distributing the sandwiches etc from the local shop? Just be aware that if is going to be useful to anyone with allergies etc then there needs to be a complete separation, including tools/handling serving plates etc.

Multiple people have suggested it may not be enough food
And all of them seem to have misunderstood how many sandwiches were being offered. It's plenty of food for the event that it is and the invitation wording makes it perfectly clear what to expect so anyone who thinks a generous afternoon tea won't be enough and wants to have brunch beforehand can do.

OP it all sounds great.

I think with the savoury food additions you will have a lovely spread.
I made gingerbread people as wedding favours and froze them in advance. I made 150 and it was fine.

This is a simple fix…change your expectations…

That reads perfect I will look forward to my invitation 😉

personally I wouldn’t do pizza, that would fit well into the evening if you were doing dancing etc, but not afternoon tea and cocktails. Afternoon tea and scones give a vintage vibe but throwing in pizza is just wrong.

i would go more onto sausage rolls I love cheese and onion ones with a little chutney, or maybe mini quiches or flans.

how about individual trifles, so British and who doesn’t love a good trifle. I went to a do last summer when they served little ones along with individual cheesecakes.

remember not to mix your gluten free cake (or anything really) with the normal stuff to avoid cross contamination.

How far is the church from the venue, and how long will it take your least mobile guests to walk it? Plus how long will the church service, and getting out of the church take? Your timings seem a bit tight.

I was going to suggest adding something lik sausage rolls or pork pie... maybe a vegetarian equivalent?

Only on Mumsnet would this lack of meat for one afternoon be a problem! I think it’s absolutely right that DP should be able to eat all the food at his own wedding! My only recommendation would be that it should be very easy to manage expectations (and maybe NOT require the pizza) if you make it clear on the invitations that people will be joining you for the wedding and then a boozy afternoon tea reception. I think it sounds really lovely for a second marriage! And at a city-centre pick-your-own-strawberries farm in Oxford?! Please invite me! 😂

I love afternoon tea and as long as it is clear on the invites ‘cocktails and afternoon tea to follow, carriages at 6pm’ or however it’s worded these days. I think you’ve got enough food - people will have their own evening meal afterwards. Provide enough seating for everyone - standing around for three to four hours is too much. No one wants to balance a drink and a plate and their handbag etc.
As for making it yourself - you’re catering for 150? That’s a lot. Where are you going to store the food? Maybe do just the cakes? And do offer actual tea as well!