Category Archives: Caterers

Choosing a wedding menu

Posted on by

As more and more couples become self-confessed foodies, couples are raising the stakes when it comes to choosing their wedding menu. When planning a wedding, whether you desire the ultimate five-course dinner, paired with wines and finished with petit fours and coffee, or you want to embrace global cuisines in a cultural celebration, you’ll find caterers and venues alike offering all of that and more. But, with choice comes a challenge – when you could have almost anything your heart desires included in your wedding menu, how do you choose what makes it onto the plate?

What type of food do you like?

If you find ordering at a restaurant tricky, you’ll find planning your wedding menu even harder. Do you go for something light, something heavier, or something utterly indulgent? Do you go for vegetarian, fish dishes, lots of spice? Do you keep it traditional or go for a full on fusion of flavours?

The easiest way to narrow down your choice of dishes is to start with what you as a couple both love. If one of you isn’t a big fish fan, and there will only be one main course on the menu, your wedding day probably isn’t the day to try to change it – you both need to enjoy your first married meal together!

If you’ve decided to offer several choices for each course in a menu sent out with your invitations, you’ll have a bit more flexibility, so if you and your new husband or wife-to-be don’t have the same tastes, you can still both be happy.

Will your guests like it too?

While we definitely believe that you should put yourselves first on your wedding day, you are going to be spending a lot of money feeding all your guests, too. By choosing dishes that most of them will like, you’ll be spending that money far more wisely and ensure that your guests have as good a time as you do. For this reason, it can be good to avoid some stronger flavours or more fatty dishes.

It’s also worth asking guests to disclose any allergies or dietary requirements beforehand and choosing caterers who can adapt to these – there is nothing worse as a guest than sitting down in eager anticipation of a decadent and delicious three courses only to find that you can’t eat them.

How do you want your wedding breakfast to be served?

Once you’ve narrowed down your flavours and dish choices based on what you love and what will work for your guests, you can fine-tune your wedding menu by throwing the dining experience into the mix!

While the days of an obligatory sit-down banquet have passed, couples who have chosen more traditional and formal weddings often opt for a three or four course meal, while relaxed and outdoor weddings will often embrace picnic, barbecue or buffet-style dining arrangements. Those with a sweeter tooth might like to mix traditional with contemporary trends and opt for an afternoon tea instead!

If your heart is set on a global feast and you don’t want to limit yourselves to a set three courses, why not have multiple food stations? They can serve up everything from popcorn and hot dogs to sushi and curries. They can cater to all tastes and all cultures, guaranteeing that there will be something for everyone.

Finishing touches for under £500

Posted on by

With a little planning, you can transform your wedding with finishing touches for under £500 – here are some of our ideas!

Outfits with wow factor

If you’ve got a bit of spare money in your budget, consider adding a little something to your wedding day outfit to really make it pop. Splashing out on a finishing touch like a brooch or bolero means you can change your look from day to night without spending a fortune on another dress – genius!

Eat, drink and be merry

Many venues will ask you to have your menu and drinks finalised long before the big day, but there’s still a lot you can do with a spare £200-500 at the last minute. Serving canapés with the wedding drinks is one option, especially if you’re worried that guests might get hungry waiting for the wedding breakfast. Or, consider serving extra snacks during the evening celebrations, when guests might get peckish. There are plenty of other ways to make your choice of food more entertaining – why not try an ice cream or pizza bar and let your guests’ imaginations run wild?

Dreamy decor

When you walk into your reception room for the first time, you’ll want it to be magical – an extra £500 can help guarantee that you and your guests will be blown away by it. 

If you’re holding your wedding in a marquee, there are lots of other low-cost decorating options. Scattering lavender flowers on the floor and tables will not only look pretty, but also smell fantastic. Wedding signs are also a great, cheap way to add impact to your decor 

Musical treats

For £500, you can hire talented musicians to entertain you and set the mood for your celebrations. At the ceremony, drinks and the meal, a string quartet is a classic option for a sophisticated feel. Look around for an excellent vocalist – it makes such a difference having someone sing as you enter the church and it’s great for your guests while you are signing the register.

For a musical idea that costs nothing but will mean a lot to your guests, include something on your invitations asking guests to RSVP with song suggestions – playing them on the day will ensure you get the musical tone right and that everyone hears something they like.

Evening entertainment

This is the area where your money will make the most noticeable difference to the day. Everyone will remember the fab toastmaster, salsa dancers or casino that made your celebrations so much fun. If you are concerned about your guests not mingling, hire a magician, human statue or caricaturist to get people talking. Book them for when guests are due to arrive at the reception venue, to work the crowd as they arrive, when people are quite shy – later on, the atmosphere and alcohol will take over.

Lasting memories

At the end of the big day, all you will have to remember those special moments will be your photographs. For many brides, it’s worth spending a bit more to get your wedding photographer to stay all day, from morning into the night so he can capture everything, especially those more relaxed moments at the evening party

Alternatively, buy a Polaroid camera and lots of film! Ask guests to take their photo and write a message on the back for you to keep as an alternative to a guestbook.

Have a unique wedding without breaking the bank

Posted on by

Music 

Have a unique wedding ceremony by incorporating different types of music. To save money, how about asking a friend play the guitar at the ceremony and have everyone in the congregation sing along to your favourite song? It’s a nice twist on traditional hymns and will be a special moment to remember.

Sharing 

Rather than serving a traditional three-course meal at your wedding, think about mixing it up a little. Serve a dish at each table for guests to share and enjoy. Think about a bespoke menu to fit your budget.

Creative cakes

Tiered cakes continue to be popular at weddings, but it’s great when couples look to do something different. Think about money saving options like cupcakes, cake pops and pick and mix stands. They’re often cheaper than buying a tiered wedding cake and can be personalised, too.

Trendy transport

Drive off with your new husband in something unusual. Think about leaving in style in a fab vintage sports car or be unexpected and save money by arriving to your wedding with your bridesmaids on classic bicycles!

Focal points

Think about working with focal points in your wedding venue to make them part of the style or theme. One example could include filling a fireplace with large white lanterns, and making a post box out of a wishing well where guests could safely post their cards and gifts.

Bright ideas

Invest in some lighting to help transform your wedding venue from day to night. It doesn’t have to be expensive, a few uplighters and coloured ceiling washes can make a huge difference. Think about some great lighting designs for my events that really add the wow factor but don’t blow the budget.

VIP guests

Make guests feel special by re-creating the VIP areas you see in trendy clubs. Place a chilled bottle of Champagne and vodka on the tables in the reception room for guests to enjoy – it really makes an impact and can help save on the bar budget!

How to cater for a wedding on a budget

Posted on by

Too much choice

Although you are catering for the whole wedding party, when choosing your menu, don’t offer too many options. Offering a multitude of choices for the wedding breakfast doesn’t enhance your guests’ experience, or make anything taste better. More choice only means more expense.

Cooking on gas

Some of the most beautiful wedding venues are outdoors – be it a marquee or a hog roast festival – but these celebrations do not have on-site kitchens or furniture. You will be required to pay extra to supply these facilities, so make sure you include this in your budget.

Smooth operator

The key to a successful wedding reception is timing and service. Making people wait for food and drinks is not a great idea. Pay for extra serving staff to ensure a smoothly-run reception and you will notice the investment – and your guests will love you for it!

Trade your toasting tipple

Champagne is everyone’s top tipple for parties, but it can be a little on the expensive side. However, there are some great sparkling wines available, which are just as good but cost less. To impress your guests on half the budget, add a little elderflower cordial and a hibiscus flower to Cava, to create the perfect festive fizzy cocktail. Not only does this add a light, sweet, floral taste to the drink, it makes the Cava go that little bit further – good news all round!

Bacon buffet

If you plan to party in the early hours of the morning, don’t serve an evening buffet – you are essentially paying for two full meals that many people won’t even touch. Why not serve bacon sandwiches or posh kebabs a la Lily Allen? This will give the illusion of an evening meal and your guests will be thankful for the traditionally British fuel injection before the trip home.

A cheesy ending?

Cheese cakes are a great alternative to traditional tiers. You can ask your caterers to cut and serve the savoury slices with fruit and biscuits as the dessert after your meal. Alternatively, cupcakes are a cheaper option than a tiered cake and work well as both a dessert and a favour.

Raise the bar

The drinks reception tab can easily set couples back a few thousand pounds, so limiting what is served can be a great way to reduce costs. Ask your bar to carry beer and wine, or alternatively, have a cash-only bar that your guests will have to pay for. If you have provided them with a lovely meal accompanied with great wedding entertainment, guests won’t mind forking out for a few drinks towards the end of the evening.

Caffeine fix

Coffee and mints are an essential part of any party and the perfect way to round off your meal. Why not add flavoured syrups and amaretto biscuits to freshly ground coffee, to give your guests a delicious caffeine fix? They’ll be guaranteed to keep dancing late into the evening after one of these!

Spend to save

Cutting corners doesn’t always mean cutting costs. If you cut out canapés, you will end up with hungry guests at the beginning of the day. Why not spend more on canapés but less on the evening buffet? Many people over spend on the evening food when most guests are still full from the wedding breakfast, which is a waste of both money and food! Lighter evening snacks will go down just as well with your guests, and save you money, too.

 

Plan you Wedding Cake

Posted on by

One of the highlights of every wedding; the cake!  Guests might forget your first dance song or the colour of your table runners, but your friends and family will always remember what your wedding cake tasted like — and looked like.

Whether you prefer sugar or fresh flowers, pretty blooms are the perfect accessory for your wedding cake!

Wedding cakes with flowers are one of the most popular big day desserts, and for good reason! Pretty blooms add vibrancy to an otherwise simple cake at a relatively low expense. It allows the bride and groom to skip pricier decorative techniques — like fondant or hand-cut details — in favour of floral adornments.

And though sugar flowers cost more than fresh, the fake buds are still a cost-effective way to upgrade your wedding cake without bursting your budget. The best part about going the faux-flower route is that the colour and design options are endless.

If you prefer to use real flowers (which look absolutely gorgeous on a big cake!), choose a bloom that’s currently in season and complements your wedding theme.

One of the most popular ways to include flowers on a big-day dessert; the topper! Many couples are forgoing traditional cake toppers in favour of fresh blooms. But if you can’t image skipping the classic bride and groom, consider other options, like sugar petal details or scattered buds at the cake’s base or between layers.

With countless options, including hand-painted, cascading, single-bloom, and overloaded-floral styles, it’s impossible not to find a delicious confection you absolutely love.

Unique weddings

Posted on by

Brides across the country are striving to make their wedding unique. Research shows that this is the main cause of anxiety for 53% of couples in Britain planning a wedding. Almost two thirds of couples said that, although their wedding was the best day of their lives, their day lacked distinctiveness. The areas where bride and groom felt they could have added a more personalised touch was through their wedding decorations and what they served to guests.

Save the dates

Create a really unique save the date card by sending a customised beer mat. You can follow this up by sending invites on a personalised label on a beer bottle with details in a scroll inside.

Party favours

You can expand on your save the dates by decorating the tables with colourful beer steins or personalised beer labels. Additionally, visiting a brewery with your husband-to-be makes for a fun pre-wedding event; it can also be a chance to provide guests with a very special, personalised gift.

Welcome reception

A welcome dinner or drinks reception is a great way to break the ice between your out of town guests before the big day. The local pub is a perfect location for this.

Guest welcome packs

Create guides for your guests who are visiting from out of town. Include tips on local pubs and leave it in their hotel rooms. You can also include a local beer as refreshments for the rooms.

Venue

Use dried barley or fresh hops to decorate the wedding venue instead of flowers. You can also use them in your bouquet! For a really rustic feel, you could have your wedding reception in a brewery or a barley field. Another idea is to use vintage beer crates for seating or to sign your vows on an oak barrel.

Seating

Instead of traditional cards, use personalised beer caps or coasters to tell people where they are sitting. An even better idea would be to use actual bottles so that guests can enjoy a drink whilst they find their seats.

Food

Use beer as a main ingredient in meals, such as beer battered fish or steak and ale pies. You can also pair your dishes and canapés with your favourite beers. This way, your guests are introduced to a new beer match with everything they eat! You can also put a twist on a traditional wedding cake by using beer as a key ingredient. For the best of both worlds serve a chocolate wedding cake made with a stout beer. This decadent treat will definitely be something to be remembered!

Drinks

A beer inspired drinks menu is a really nice touch. Serve beer based cocktails using a brew you created or choose beers that represent special times in your relationship. For instance, a beer from the country where you got engaged or the beer you were drinking the night you met.

Toasts

If your fiancée is not a fan of champagne, serve beer during the wedding speeches. Ditch the bottles and serve beer to your guests in tasteful chalices. There are many elegant beers with signature glassware, such as Leffe which has a cork and foil top.

Make your own

Posted on by

Most guests love to see a bit of a handmade touch in weddings, and that’s why there is no surprise about how many people are DIYing their wedding these days…

A survey conducted found that fewer than one fifth of weddings do not feature any do-it-yourself touches, with the vast majority of newlyweds relying on the method to save a bit of money, add that oh-so-special personal touch, and to make sure everything is done the way you want it.

When the newlyweds were asked to reveal which items were made or altered through do-it-yourself means, they found the most common DIY details to be the favours, wedding invitations, and the wedding cake. The more unusual answers included the wedding dress (9%), the music or entertainment (6%), and even conducting the service or ceremony (2%)!

Here are the top 10 DIY details at weddings:

Favours – 41%

Invitations – 38%

Wedding cake – 24%

Venue decorations/styling – 21%

Photography – 19%

Flowers – 18%

Wedding Catering – 15%

Order of service prints – 14%

Guest book – 13%

Beverages – 11%

It’s great to see that so many brides and grooms-to-be are drawing on their own talents, and no doubt those around them, to make their big day their own. It is lovely to be able to make your wedding special and unique to you by having real input into it.

DIY is not for everyone, though, and if you’re starting to feel a little overloaded or panicked, you need to make sure you have time to put your feet up too! It’s okay to get some outside help, but be sure you can trust the suppliers and that they can help you make your dreams a reality.

Clever ideas for foodies

Posted on by

Mini-foods-e1349885767810

Everyone knows that the wedding breakfast and reception will eat up the biggest chunk of your wedding allowance. So how can you squeeze the most out of your budget, while still being bang on foodie trend?

Informal dining options such as buffets, bowl food and rustic platters are shaping up to be hot this year. These all give guests the freedom to move around and enjoy proceedings, making for a more relaxed atmosphere. Remember, the key is to include a good mix of meat, fish and vegetarian options to accommodate all guests.

Offering wedding canapés as a starter or dessert adds a fresh twist and provides a good talking point for guests. Think miniature steak and chips with a warm horseradish cream – lovely!

Another huge trend this year will be reinventing classic dishes. Pay homage to your childhood favourites, with a twist. Think pie and mash, mini sirloin hamburgers, bangers and mash, or fish and chips all made from local produce. We particularly love the fish and chip option. If it’s not formal enough for the day time, it would definitely work for your evening guests, and it may work out cheaper than a buffet.

When it comes to desserts, the key is to think small! Opt for dessert tables or platters with an array of miniatures. smatterings of your favourites such as cupcakes, mini cheesecakes, dainty trifles, chocolate brownies or crumble will allow guests to tuck in. And with light portions they won’t be left feeling lethargic, meaning they can dance the night away!

One particularly lovely trend ‘bring a cake’ dessert table. Brides are asking friends and family to bring their favourite homemade desserts – cakes, flans and more. It’s a cost-effective way to add a personal touch, guaranteed to get everyone talking.

For a novel menu idea, why not serve an actual ‘wedding breakfast’ a la Carrie and Big in Sex and the City? A beautifully served full English with locally sourced produce, fresh orange juice or fruit to start and pancakes or waffles for dessert.

Save money and help you impress on your big day!

Posted on by

Happy talk

Build up the hype and get your friends talking before the wedding day by creating unique save the dates and invitations. A budget saving craze in the US right now is for couples to shoot a short film telling the story of their relationship revealing the date of their wedding, and then email it to friends and family!

Music to our ears

Have a unique wedding ceremony by incorporating different types of music. To save money, how about asking a friend play the guitar at the ceremony and have everyone in the congregation sing along to your favourite song? It’s a nice twist on traditional hymns and will be a special moment to remember.

Time for tea

Rather than serving a traditional three-course meal at your wedding, think about mixing it up a little. Serve a dish at each table for guests to share and enjoy. Think about a bespoke wedding menu to fit your budget.

Creative cakes

Tiered wedding cakes continue to be popular at weddings, but it’s great when couples look to do something different. Think about money saving options like cupcakes, cake pops and pick and mix stands. They’re often cheaper than a tiered cake and can be personalised, too.

Trendy transport

Drive off with your new husband in something unusual. Think about leaving in style in a fab vintage sports car or be unexpected and save money by arriving to your wedding with your bridesmaids on classic bicycles!

Fab focals

Think about working with focal points in your wedding venue to make them part of the style or theme. One example could include filling a fireplace with large white lanterns, and making a post box out of a wishing well where guests could safely post their cards and gifts.

Bright ideas

Invest in some lighting to help transform your wedding venue from day to night. It doesn’t have to be expensive, a few uplighters and coloured ceiling washes can make a huge difference. Think about some great lighting designs for my events that really add the wow factor but don’t blow the budget.

Take care

From flip flops for sore feet, pashminas for cold shoulders, fans to cool down in the heat and personalised ponchos for festival-style rain – all these budget saving but very effective ideas show your guests you have really thought about them, too.

All together now

Think about communal areas at your venue and how you can personalise them to make them unique to you. Think about high gloss banners to hang on top of signs at a wedding venue to announce the couple’s wedding. These spaces are perfect for guests to mingle and get to know one another. Think about candles, perfumes and essential toiletries in the bathrooms for a personal, thoughtful and simple touch.

VIP guests

Make guests feel special by re-creating the VIP areas you see in trendy clubs. Place a chilled bottle of Champagne and vodka on the tables in the reception room for guests to enjoy – it really makes an impact and can help save on the bar budget!

Losing a few pounds before your big day

Posted on by

There are more myths about dieting than any other subject. So we are here to help separate the facts from the fiction and get on the road to super slimming success to lose weight for your wedding day.

Myth 1 – Small portions are the key to losing weight

The truth; It’s an out of date myth that dieting has to mean deprivation. We now know it’s not the size of your portion that counts – it’s the kind of food on your plate.

The latest research into healthy eating shows that it’s possible to eat satisfying, filling meals, do light exercise and still lose weight by choosing foods that are low in energy density. Energy density is the amount of energy (or calories) per gram of food which means we can eat more of them while consuming fewer calories. Foods that are low in energy density include fruit and veg, lean meat, rice and pasta.

Brides-to-be should fill their plates high with fresh fruit and veg, pasta, rice, potatoes and lean meat and still see great results on the scales.

Myth 2 – It’s harder to lose weight when you’re older

The truth: You might think it was easier to stop a dress size in your teens or 20s, but that’s really your memory playing tricks on you.

There’s actually no evidence that the ability to lose weight for your wedding is any more difficult as you get older.

In fact, it could be a little easier if you’ve swapped partying, takeaways and eating-on-the-run for home cooking and healthy snacks as you’ve got older.

Follow a healthy eating programme and support it by staying as active as you can and you’ll be able to lose weight at almost any age.

Myth 3 – Diets only work short-term and you always put weight back on again

The truth: If you’re talking about your diet in the sense of faddy, restrictive, short-term, quick fixes then this is true because with those types of diets as soon as you go back to the way of eating that made you put on weight in the first place, you’ll gain weight again, meaning that even though your wedding photos look great, you’ll be putting weight back on soon after. Not a good boost for your self-esteem either!

Ban the ‘D’ word. It has so many negative associations for most people, making them think of being deprived and not being able to share meals with family and friends and enjoy social events.

Myth 4 – Healthy eating is expensive.

The truth: It’s true that more often than not it’s processed food like frozen chips and pizzas or packs of crisps and chocolates that are on cut-price offers. And a trolley full of fruit and vegetables along with fresh meat and fish may cost more than one loaded with all these processed food deals, but your healthy trolley will provide the ingredients for many more family meals.

Your weekly shop will go further, your overall food bills won’t go up – and neither will your weight.

Although they may be spending more on fruit and veg, the savings they make by cutting down on takeaways and processed foods mean their food bills come to less overall.