I love wedding food! A delicious canapé, a hog roast…scrummy and satisfying. Keeping your friends and family well fed and watered throughout the day is an important part of the wedding celebration, and needs to be planned well. And there are so many options, and so many dietary requirements to think of!
Wedding food to satisfy everyone
It’s important to remember though that you should pick food that you love. Yes, you are catering for everyone’s tastes, but your menu should be a reflection of who you are as a couple.
Luckily when it comes to choosing your wedding food there is a huge variety of caterers to choose from. We are no longer confined to a formal sit down meal for the wedding breakfast (although that option is never a no from me…) Rustic food carts and sharing mezes abound nowadays, so you really can pick your favourite kind of meal to share with everyone.
Here are some culinary ideas for your wedding day to get the taste buds tingling…
Canapés
To get the celebrations started, there’s nothing like a canapé to add a touch of luxury to a champagne reception (and to provide a much needed lining before the merriment really starts…) Caterers provide many packages with the traditional finger food options, like salmon and cream cheese blinis or mini quiches. But you can go for more unusual choices, and even your canapés can make an impression. Try mini hamburgers or mini fish n chips, or something more exotic like haggis balls, Tibetan momos or spicy Mexican taquitos for an exciting start to the day.
Sharing mezes
Traditional three-course meals are always popular for the wedding breakfast, but you may want a more relaxed dining feel for your guests. In that case, sharing platters on each table are a great idea! meze dishes from the Middle East, Turkey and Greece are delicious and filling, and help to create a communal laid back atmosphere.
Small plates such as tabbouleh, falafel, keftethes (Greek meatballs), houmous, tzatziki with plenty of bread and olives make for a great first course. This can be followed up with sharing dishes of moussaka, stifado, yemista or souvlaki. The beauty of this cuisine is that there are plenty of meat and vegetarian dishes to keep everyone happy! The Greedy Greek Deli catered our wedding and were fantastic – have a look at their website!
https://thegreedygreekdeli.co.uk/catering-and-buffets/
Hog Roast
A Hog roast is a really popular wedding food choice. It feels rustic and informal, yet leaves your guests feeling satisfied and full! I’ve only really experienced them as an evening buffet, but there are catering companies out there that build the whole day around the roast. This is obviously geared towards meat lovers, but it’s not exclusively for carnivores anymore. Hog roast companies now take care to provide plenty of substantial vegetarian and vegan options, alongside the traditional salad and potato side dishes.
You can also find a variety of meats on offer, not just pork – spit roasted lamb, turkey or chicken are also delicious choices. Anyone else feeling hungry?! Check out these two companies for some inspiration!
https://www.hogroastmanchester.com/?utm_source=Adwords&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=Initial
https://spittingpigcheshire.co.uk/hog-roast-manchester/
Food stations
Food stations are a great idea to make your wedding food choices stand out, and be a real talking point for your guests. It’s also a good way to create different focus points throughout the day, and encourages everyone to get involved and chatting! Food stations can vary from simple things like nostalgic sweet and candy or popcorn stands, to more extensive grazing charcuterie tables or pizza bars.
Create-a-burger stations are always really popular, as is a pie and mash pick ‘n’ mix! You could also consider a sushi station or an oyster bar for something really specialised. If you are having a really communal affair, you could set up a Dessert or cupcake table that people could contribute to. These food station ideas are great at any time during the wedding day. They could be a pre-dinner activity, provide snacks later in the evening, or more substantial stations like a pad Thai or nacho buffet table could be the main meal of the day.
Evening food
Evening wedding food is important for everybody to refuel, top up their dancing energy and maybe soak up a wee bit of alcohol. I’ve always been a big fan of a buffet, but there are plenty of ideas out there to put your own twist on the traditional triangle sandwiches and sausage rolls.
A hearty paella is sure to be a hit with your evening revellers, or maybe a big dish of chilli. Classic options like bacon butties and fish and chips always go down well. There is an overwhelming choice of food cart companies available – I’ve put a link to one below which includes burgers, hot dogs, desserts and a candy floss cart! Also have a look at the Paella Fella website here:
https://www.paellafella.co.uk/wedding-packages/
http://www.deliciousfruitsandfountains.co.uk/fish—chips-carts.html
Wedding Cakes
The wedding cake is the centrepiece of the evening reception. It can also be an expensive element of the wedding day, so it’s important to get right. But maybe you don’t have a sweet tooth? You could consider a tiered cheese cake, with each layer a different type of cheese and served with crackers, pickles and chutneys. Or (and I think this idea sounds delicious!) you could go for a Pork Pie cake.
There are an abundance of cheese mongers and delis that offer bespoke cheese and pie cakes, but you can also pick them up from high street stores like Marks and Spencer or Waitrose. Have a look at these websites though to whet your appetite!
https://thecheesehamlet.co.uk/wedding-cakes/
https://www.westcountrycheese.co.uk/cheese-and-pork-pie-cakes/
And there I’ll leave you with your stomachs a-rumbling! Have fun planning your wedding food!
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