It cannot be overestimated how important catering is. That doesn’t mean you need to spend a fortune. Catering is usually one of the main wedding expenses but there are ways to keep costs down (SOURCE: Wichita Falls Wedding Photography). If guests are going to be with you all day then you must feed them and make sure the food is good.
When I was trying to find a caterer the fact that I live in London, and had my wedding there, really worked against me. Many caterers had on their website that they did not want to be contacted if your budget was under two thousand pounds or under a certain amount of people. Stress. But everything is achievable so I started being more creative. Friends helped and also made some great suggestions. One was that Marks And Spencer make great party food. As do Waitrose and many other supermarkets. It would be very easy to feed your guests with great food without spending too much if you did it this way. A great tip for saving money is to do two courses and then have the wedding cake as the third course.
My main idea, and the one I did want to go with, was to do a wedding hamper. Each table would have a wedding hamper for a certain amount of guests, in the hamper would be lots of wonderful things like Parma ham, cheese, bread, wine, sandwiches, salami and various other fresh foods and drinks. We thought it would be fun and get everyone involved but we made the mistake of asking for opinions from a few family members who were negative about it and ended up not doing it. I still think it would have been amazing though. Each guest would also have gotten some stuff to take away and we would have gotten the best food and imported some stuff from this organic farm we love in Tuscany called Fattoria La Villa. This is where we got our wedding wine and many of the guests said it was the best wine they had ever had at a wedding.
We also found a company that will send individual hampers to a venue. Many companies also do picnic food which they will deliver to a specific place. Depending on your wedding and the theme you can save money by thinking outside of the box and also give your guests an experience they will never forget.
For ideas check out food blogs, think about your favourite food, favourite restaurants and go through cookbooks. When choosing take in the season of your wedding. Hot soup on a hot summer’s day may not fit but at a winter wedding would be greatly appreciated. Have lighter food for a summer wedding. Most weddings have fish, chicken, lamb or beef along with a vegetarian option. Don’t see this as a bad thing as these are what people usually like to eat. Think mass catering. That doesn’t mean you have to compromise on quality or fun. If you can’t decide on what dessert you want then you could have a dessert table.
All of this leads me to my amazing caterer: The Pickled Fork. We found the Pickled Fork because my sister-in-law, Alexandra, used to work for a pop up restaurant and met the guys who run it. She contacted them initially and then we met Alex in a pub and struck a deal. So with catering it helps to contact smaller, up and coming chefs and companies that are doing pop ups and catering. You will be surprised at the amazing food you can get for a fraction of what you would have to pay a bigger company.
Other great ideas include taking your guests to your favourite restaurant (depending on whether they can do the numbers and will give you a good deal), an afternoon tea party, a barbecue, a finger buffet, a burger or pie van, fish and chips, hog roast, pancakes, tapas, sushi or even street food. You could even do the catering yourself with the help of friends and family if you think you are talented enough and have nerves of steel. My husband wanted to do this initially and I panicked until I managed to talk him out of it. If you decide on doing your own catering then keep the recipe simple and make sure you have a lot of helpers on hand. Make sure you have somewhere to store the food and to transport it. Make sure it is cooked and heated properly. Food poisoning is not what you or your guests want on your wedding day. Hire some waiters too. You could even get them cheaply if you hire some students or maybe pay some cousins.
You could also try a culinary school. Some of their former students might be able to do a wedding cheaply, they may have an association or something. Post a ‘caterer wanted’ on their bulletin board.
This all depends on your venue however. Some venues will not allow you to bring food or drink in and some will charge more for an outside caterer. Although, if you are just bringing food in and not an actual caterer this is something worth negotiating over. Make sure you find out what is allowed before you book the venue. Venues who offer in-house catering packages can be a lot cheaper, especially if you book them off-season.
Get recommendations before you book your caterer. Make sure you search online for any information too. Bad reputations spread and in this day and age of social media and the internet it becomes easy to sort the good from the bad. You could also contact previous customers through social media. Make sure you meet your caterer in person and go with your gut, do you like them and trust them? Do they look clean and tidy?
Has your caterer worked at your venue before?
What kind of experience do they have?
Do they do big or small weddings?
How many weddings have they done?
Can they work well in the space provided?
Do they only do weddings with a certain number of guests? Some caterers will specify a minimum amount of guests.
Ask for a tasting, ask to see sample menus and photographs of previous weddings if possible.
Ask for previous clients’ information so you can ask them some questions. Ask them if expensive items were sparse, if the food looked and tasted good, were staff prompt and professional? Did the caterer do a good job? What, if any, negative comments they have.
What kind of food do they specialise in? If they are not known for the type of food you want then it might be better to go somewhere else.
Talk through exactly what you want. Whether it be a sit down meal, canapés, three-courses or just two with the wedding cake served at the end. Decide if you want it to be formal or more casual. Will you want tea and coffee served afterwards? If you are on a budget then let your caterer know. They should be able to work with your budget in mind and will certainly be able to cut some costs by choosing cheaper options like seasonal food and less expensive cuts of meat. If they are rude about it then immediately go with another caterer. You want someone who is on your side.
Ask for details on pricing. Then you can see what can be cut and what is costing a lot of money. Ask as many questions as possible and get a full quotation in writing. Check if VAT is included.
If you are getting married in a marquee or a barn then the caterer may have to bring their own cooking facilities. This will probably cost more so do check.
Decide if the venue or the caterer is supplying the alcohol, or if you are supplying your own. Make sure you get the best deal. Will the venue charge to serve the alcohol? Corkage fees can really add up.
Can you bring in your own wedding cake and will the venue charge to serve it?
Check whether the price includes staff and if they provide crockery, cutlery, napkins, tables and chairs if your venue does not. Also ask about breakage charges. Reasonable breakage should be included in the price. A ratio of one waiter per ten people works.
What is the hourly rate of the staff and is a tip included?
Will the caterer provide menus? How much will they charge for this?
Ask if they are working on any other jobs on the day of your wedding. Might not matter but good to know.
Will the catering staff help set up the room? Will they charge more? How long will it take?
Can they cater to every dietary requirement: vegan, vegetarian, allergies or food for kids?
Will they supply food for other wedding suppliers? Would they do it for a reduced rate and how much notice will they need?
A smaller, pop-up chef might not be able to do a tasting but you should be able to go along to one of their events prior to your wedding. Just like you try on your wedding dress before you buy it, I don’t think it is reasonable for a caterer to not at least give a little bit of a taster. You need to know what the food tastes like. Catering is not cheap either so be firm with them. Most should offer one anyway. If this is not okay then maybe if they are doing an event they could prepare a take-away box for you to try. Don’t bring too many people to the tasting. It will probably just be you and your fiancé but having too many opinions might not help nor be fair to the caterer. If the tasting is bad then beware. If the caterer cannot cook a good meal for you and your fiancé, then the chance of them cooking a good meal for a hundred guests is pretty low. Make sure the food will be served in the same way on your wedding day. Presentation is important.
When tasting try and taste with the wine you will have on the day. Either bringing your own or ordering some through the caterer. Write down suggestions and ask for any changes that you want. Make sure you write it all down. Your caterer might be working on more than one project at the time.
Usually, but not always, a cheaper option. It may also be a couple of hundreds of pounds cheaper but significantly less quality. If you are on a budget the entire thing will also probably be cold but not always. Despite the criticism a buffet can really work and is also less old-fashioned than a sit-down three-course meal. Guests will mingle more and there will be a good variety. You could also make your own buffet so it really could cut your costs. Another great thing about a buffet is that you can cut down on waiting staff. Guest get their own food so it works out cheaper but you will still need staff. Don’t underestimate or overestimate how much your guests will eat. You don’t want too many leftovers or anyone going hungry.
You can have staff behind a long table serving out the food or just have the food out so guests can help themselves. You will need some staff either way. To make sure there are no long queues you can ask certain tables to go first or have more than one food station dotted around. Make sure you make/buy some menus to let people know what the options are.
Cocktails are always a huge hit and you could make up your own to celebrate your wedding day. Cocktails are also a brilliant way to make your alcohol go further and cut costs. Bellini’s and Buck’s Fizz will cut down your champagne bill.
The Wedding Breakfast is so called because it is the first meal of your married life together.
Think about your guests and their blood-sugar levels. If there is a long stretch between the ceremony and lunch then make sure you have some biscuits or nibbles handy. They don’t have to be expensive but you don’t want your guests fainting.
Great if you can afford them. Keep in mind that guests will be having a full meal later so keep canapés light and make sure they can be eaten with one bite and easily so. Try and mix it up, so if you are having fish for your main, choose something different for your canapés. Canapés are usually included in the package or priced per person or canapé. Make sure they are cost-effective and include vegetarian options. For a ninety minute reception have between six and eight canapés per person.
Tea and coffee is a great idea at a wedding. If your wedding lasts all day it is better to not have everyone drunk. Tea and coffee is a digestive too and great after a meal.
Many people these days have some kind of dietary requirement. Whether it is gluten, wheat, dairy or meat, pleasing everyone may be hard. It helps to know what you are dealing with prior to deciding on your menu so ask your guests if they have any special dietary requests. Put the vegetarian option on the menu and make sure you make a note for the caterer and let the waiting staff know where they will be sitting.
Make sure you find out if any of your friends have any specific dietary requirements. It helps to include this on the invitation so people can email you. Many people are now vegetarian or vegan and there are also a lot of people who cannot eat gluten or dairy. Let your caterer know in advance and include this information in the seating plan or make a separate list for your caterer and the venue. This will also make it easier for the waiters.
Our wedding caterer was The Pickled Fork. Alex Motture is an amazing chef and many of our guests said it was the best wedding food they had ever had in their life.
The presentation of his food was also amazing. I have an interview with him below. Check out his site at http://www.thepickledfork.com
How did you get into wedding catering?
I first got into wedding catering whilstworking at Mustard Catering 4 years ago. Although I had catered for weddings in the past it was not on the same scale.
Tell us about the Pickled Fork
Here at The Pickled Fork we are all about using the best of British seasonal produce whether it be from the land, sea or sky. We host weekly pop up restaurants around London and are also involved with local breweries and distilleries.
What is the most important thing to get right?
For me the most important thing to get right is your timing. If you don't get this right things can spiral out of control very quickly
What should couples look for in a wedding caterer?
Couples looking for a wedding caterer should be keeping an eye out for someone with flair, patience, attention to detail, a passion for food and a strong background in hospitality.
What kind of questions should a couple ask their caterer?
A couple of questions that I think should be asked would be: How much, and are you flexible on price!?
Talk us through a day catering for a wedding.
Slightly tricky question as every wedding is different therefore no two days in the kitchen will be the same. Although generally the day will generally run the same depending on what style of menu the couple have chosen. It will usually involve an early start and a late finish with lots of prep in between.
What kind of food do you recommend for weddings?
It all depends on what the couple want. Probably the most straightforward and least problematic from my point of view would be a hot and cold buffet. Another good option is to have sharing platters placed on the table and the guests help themselves.
What about seasonal weddings? What food is better for summer rather than winter?
Definitely menus should be based on seasons. There is no point putting a braised ox cheek with root vegetable dish on in the middle of summer. Food should match the time of year, that way it keeps it simple and the ingredients can shine.
Any tips for couples on a tight wedding budget?
Decide on a nice, simple menu and price and stick to it. Don't let the cater bully you into spending more than you budgeted for.
Any decadent ideas for those with a lot to spend?
I guess if you really wanted to impress your guest you could go for a menu that would include hot and cold canapés, 3-5 courses, Amuse Bouche in between each course followed by cheese and port trolleys
What is the most important thing to remember when catering for a wedding?
The food!
What is your favourite wedding meal?
For me it would have to be a good charcuterie selection along with some nice local cheeses and freshly baked bread. Can’t get much better than that in my opinion!
Thank you Alex.
Think about what you want to do with the leftovers. You can give them to the homeless, a charity or ask the caterer to box them up so guests can take them home.
Typically your guests will go and sit down in the room where the wedding breakfast is situated. You will then be announced when everyone is seated. Everyone will stand and applaud until you are seated. It can be a little daunting if you are shy but we got caught up in the moment and it was a wonderful experience, all of our friends and family there, about to celebrate our first married meal with us.
For a personal touch, have a member of your family or someone that everyone will know announce you.
Make sure your photographer captures this moment. One of my favourite pictures from my wedding is a picture of my husband and I as we walk into the room, our faces the very encapsulation of happiness. It was taken by my father-in-law Michael. He captured the moment perfectly.
The seating plan is one of the hardest things about weddings. Especially when it comes to divorced families. It will cause many sleepless nights but don’t let it get you down too much. Everyone should be on their best behaviour and act like an adult. At the end of the day, it is your day, not theirs so they should respect your decisions and take it with grace and a smile.