Which of these wedding dining styles will you choose?…

From a outside perspective you could say food is one of the most important elements of your day and one that will definitely be remembered (good and bad) by your guests. When it comes to planning your wedding, the style in which your food will be served will depend entirely on 1. Your budget and 2. Your theme.

Hosting your special day in a pristine country manor would almost certainly suit and offer a more refined menu. To contrast, a relaxed and informal affair in the family garden or barn might tempt a buffet style or barbecue if catering for larger numbers particularly. Just remember this decision will also massively depend on the size of your guest list and you’ll be amazed how much of your budget a sit down three course meal can take up! Be sure to work out a realistic budget allocation for your catering and check out the price brackets for different styles of dining.

In recent years with Wedding Ideas gorgeous real weddings we have seen a super surge in trend to position buffet and barbecue style street food stations for guests to enjoy at their leisure. Since a rise in ‘fast’ food made healthy with high quality ingredients and simple cooking techniques, a hefty percentage of couples have turned to a refined comfort food experience/style of dining which can be cost effective, fun, loved by everyone (even the kids) and puts no time restrictions on when the bride and Groom AND guests can or cannot eat.

Consider how each of these seven dining styles might fit in with your budget and day…which will you choose to serve?

Alfresco

We’re talking mediterranean inspired, sun ripened fruits,vegetables and light and refreshing dishes your guests can delve into and help themselves! Alfresco – commonly meaning outdoors, this style of eating you might expect for a destination wedding where authentic flavours set the scene for salads, cured meat and cheese platters, fresh fish, sundried preserves, tapenade, tapas style bites…the list goes on. This is a great option if you have a proportion of vegetarians attending your wedding or even the bride and groom themselves. Food is vibrant, summery and full of picked produce, maybe even homegrown?!

Barbecue/hog roast 

Leisurely eating might look like this and who doesn’t love a barbecue or hog roast?! Withholding the capacity to cater for large numbers, this style of dining is cost effective and  will fashionable take centre stage of a British outdoor festival feel day. With the centre piece taken care of rope in the charity of friends and family for a DIY english style picnic buffet! – One dish each will soon amount to a banquet and the best part no added cost!

Sit down Dinner

Probably the most common option, your chosen venue will usually offer a wedding package with a sit down meal included dependent again on numbers of guests as to additional costs. From here you can choose a menu that best suits your personality and the style/theme of your day. Despite the copious amounts of talking and mingling you will be doing as the bridegroom, you can have peace of mind that a full 3 course dinner service for you and your guests is taken care of! This style may also work in your favour of making sure you eat your wedding breakfast too since everyone will be eating simultaneously around you.

Afternoon Tea

If you are a country bride through and through, celebrating all that is British about your stunning country venue will feel all the more authentic and indulgent! Serve high tea to your guests over champagne and a cup of english tea with the works: Sandwiches, miniature cakes,strawberries, scones and anything else you might want to put your twist on.

Finger food

Staggered canapes through the course of the afternoon post ceremony is a smart and sophisticated way of keeping your guests satisfied until a more substantial evening meal or catering option. This way you cut dramatic costs by only having to organise one evening meal rather than two. Often after ceremony, for the bride, groom and guests this is precious time taken to socialise, take photographs and take in the surroundings. If you’re a nervous speaker, having your speeches at the evening meal later on in the day could feel a whole lot better with a cheeky drink under your belt.

Fine dining tasting Menu

This summer, brides and their guests can enjoy Dewsall Court’s latest wedding food trend: delicious soup sips. In true Dewsall style, the Grade II listed country house will be serving soup sips to wedding guests in vintage china cups, highlighting the estate’s eclectic mix of old and new. Made using the best local, seasonal ingredients, examples include: Wild Nettle and Wild Garlic Soup with Chive Cream; Rich Lobster Bisque with Lobster and Sea Salt Croutons; and Cucumber Soup with Prawns and Dill Cream.

Sweet Table Vs Wedding Cake

Are you the conventional couple? The traditional cookie cutter wedding cake marks the first task that the bride and groom perform together as newly weds, lead by the bride and prompted by the groom. But more and more couples are opting to change the form in which their ‘cake’ takes. If the thought of deciding on a single cake flavour fills you with dread, lift expectation and create your own themed designated cake table. Whether made to order or homemade by the bakers in the family, this will ensure you have the choice and gluttony you deserve on your special day! Plus it will look utterly gorgeous in your wedding photos…