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.

This is my contribution 😁

Circulating the food means that no one really gets to eat as much as they want to. Keep the food in one place and let people fill up a plate, go and sit down and eat. It could then feel like quite a fest and people can put their own jam and cream on in what they consider the correct order. Make the afternoon tea a proper buffet with plenty of savoury options. I love scones but that would be enough sweet stuff for me.

Also...weather. this could be really lovely if the sun is out or a bit of a slog if it's damp and cold (both are a possibility). I've been to a few weddings where they've had games either on the lawn or marquee.

Make it really clear what time people can expect to go home and that a buffet will be provided.

Sorry but I wouldn't eat any of your sandwich fillings, and I don't like strawberries what do you plan to offer those who don't like cheese?

@mrstulip would you eat any of the scones, cake, crudités, pizza (could offer a non cheese option), quiche, veggie sausage rolls?

Think you need more savoury , maybe quiche some ‘sausage’ rolls or pies - afternoon tea usually has more than sandwiches and crudités on a June day will dry out plus any dips may become a health hazard

You could also go full afternoon tea and serve it on stands at the tables (you can hire these).

Whipped feta dip would be nice

Please do consider adding samosas! They are vegan, nut free and savoury..

I don't agree. It doesn't have to be hot food to soak up alcohol.

I agree that quiche is a good call instead of pizza.

I don't know why so many posters have an issue with it being an afternoon tea instead of a party with hot food and that goes on until the early hours.

@PermanentTemporary your invitation wording sounds perfect. And the wedding sounds like the sort of wedding I would enjoy. I tend to want to chat to family and friends I haven't seen for ages, and trying to shout above a disco is not what I would want, and it sounds like it wouldn't suit your guests either.

I think it sounds just right for the duration and time of day. Food and drinks sound lovely! I’d be delighted to be invited to an afternoon tea wedding.

I went to a wedding a few years ago that was afternoon tea as the main meal and it just wasn't enough and I was ravenous. That being said, I was part of the wedding party and it had been a very full on day getting ready etc so no time for lunch or anything. But it was just a couple of sandwiches each, a tiny piece of brownie and a scone and it was just not enough food at all. There was pizza later on but not until about 7:30 and by that point I was so hungry. I still remember it years later.

this to me feels like delicious food that people will eat

Are you sure about that? It sounds like mainly sandwiches with bits of cake. I worked for years at a very popular wedding / function venue and the least popular food on any buffet was always the sandwiches. At least consider some quiche etc as these can still be veggie.

Artichoke mousse
Aubergine dip
Blue cheese and citrus dip
A couple of wheels of cheese
Oatcakes
Poppy seed twists
Water biscuits
Salted and unsalted butter
Giant spanakopitta
Tomato and caramelized onion quiche
Seitan skewers
Candied walnuts
Éclairs
Fruit pavlovas
Baskets of plums and grapes
Rose lemonade
Rhubarb wine
Dandelion and burdock

Oh and sorry because I'm being really picky here and it's a me issue but the sandwich fillings are pretty samey. Not much choice if you don't like cheese. I think you need more variety

This is what we do for our charity afternoon teas.

You can't cater for extremely fussy people. If someone can't find something to eat from your menu then that is their problem not yours.

I hope you have fabulous weather.

If you look at her plan, there's plenty to eat, and a variety
More than a couple of sandwiches and a brownie.
Plus it doesn't sound like anyone will be so busy that they can't eat until then.

Ours was 2-6. Worked perfectly to be honest!

Devilled eggs
Sweetcorn fritters
Halva in different varieties (pistachio; rose; carrot)
Apple turnovers
Veg samosas
Veg pierogi
Lettuce wraps with smoked tofu filling
Savoury sliceable loaves
Any kind of pie
Mead

I agree re time, have a slightly late ceremony and make it clear there will be afternoon tea to follow, around 4pm/4:30 , and a stated end time too.
Also agree with pp re gluten cross contamination, if you have any coeliacs coming, then this is the big worry with buffets, and cakes that need to be cut. I’ve had to go without food fairly often as someone will cut all cakes with the same knife, for instance, or put sandwiches very close together. So having a small separate table for GF, if that is needed (it may not be) would be a really good idea.
I would love to go to an afternoon tea wedding, most weddings used to be more like this when our parents were young, with the bride changing into her ‘going away’ outfit and then the couple getting waved off on honeymoon. Lovely!

Yes, I think that's good timing.

But by 7:30, all of her guests will be at home so they can feed themselves, so they won’t have that issue. She is providing a midday meal it’s really not that hard to understand or workaround.

I think your timings are fine, OP. I hardly think people will be so desperate as to eat crisps in church!
The timings are clear and it sounds like you'll have plenty of delicious food.

Patatas bravas
Tortillas
Coleslaw
Quick semisweet pickles
Tempura vegetables
Good quality pakoras and bhajis
Spinach timbales
Mushroom 'pizzas'
Vegetarian rissoles
Arancini
Good quality macarons
Baklava
Lashings of gingerbeer

Exactly. People will have had breakfast, possibly a light lunch, then the wedding buffet.
When they get home they can have their evening meal.

If the ceremony isn't till 2.30 and you want people to be gone by 5/6, with a half an hour walk in between, bear in mind you may not get to speak to some people! How many are coming?

I would have less cake and more old school savoury nibbles-crisps, cheese and pineapple, party eggs etc plus grapes and tomatoes. I can just imagine curling sandwiches in the heat and I don't really like cake anyway. Oh, and I'd go for fresh orange for the non drinkers-elderflower is a very acquired taste.

Have people got to travel to the church-just thinking if they have to get ready, then an hour or more journey and then get there early if worried about parking on a busy road, they may not had much time for lunch first.

Honey sandwiches
Banana and Nutella sandwiches
Strawberry and cream cheese sandwiches
Olive tapenade, lime, and avocado sandwiches
Feta, mint, and tomato sandwiches
Ploughman's sandwiches
Earl Grey based cocktail