Food can be the most contentious aspect of a wedding, whether you are having your wedding reception at home, at a venue that provides the catering or at a venue where you have to arrange your own wedding catering services. There are so many things to consider when planning your wedding breakfast and these vary depending on the type of wedding reception you are having, so we have interviewed a professional wedding caterer in Kent to get the answers to few questions that should help you plan your wedding breakfast:
Should there be canapés after the ceremony?
This very much depends on the format and timings of your wedding. Canapés are a great snack to tide people over between their breakfast and the wedding breakfast, which may not be until 3 or 4 o’clock. They are also very easy to accommodate fussy eaters with. Depending on your guests’ tastes I would recommend 40% are vegetarian, 40% meat and 20% fish based, to keep everyone happy. Almost any food can be a canapé as well, so you can make them part of your theme and do mini pizzas or hotdogs for children.
Can you suggest some things to avoid in a starter?
You obviously want the starter to be something that everyone will enjoy, but finding a food that will suit every guest is nearly impossible! What you want to avoid are any strong flavours that people may not like and may stay on their palate for the main course, such as:
- Strong cheeses (e.g. broccoli and stilton soup)
- Smoked fish (e.g. smoked fish paté)
- Pickled food (e.g. beetroot salad)
- Nuts, because of allergies
- Meat, it is much easier if there is only one type of starter rather than a meat and vegetarian option
What are some good vegetarian alternatives for main courses?
Poor vegetarians tend to get the same old options at functions, but there are so many delicious meals you can make without meat or fish that would really delight your guests. It is good if you can give your vegetarian guests the same experience as the meat-eating guests, so if you are serving a main with silver service of vegetables then prepare a vegetarian main that also suits this, such as whole roasted aubergines with mozzarella and basil or roasted feta stuffed peppers.
If you only have one or two vegetarians to cater for then dishes that are easy to prepare and cook individually, such as vegetarian moussaka or leek and potato pot pies or vegetable and goats cheese tartlets are a good option. They can be prepared in advance and just need to go in the oven with the rest of the mains.
In the autumn/winter I would do a nice hearty dish like mixed vegetable casserole, served in large ramekins with roast or mashed potatoes. In the spring/summer I would do something lighter like stuffed roasted peppers or courgettes with a side salad and some steamed green beans.
How do you please everyone with puddings?
Puddings can be a difficult one, some people love fruity puddings whilst others hate them. Other people feel very strongly about chocolate puddings, one way or the other. A vanilla based pudding can usually be a safe bet, such as a vanilla cheesecake with a fruit coulis on the side, or a vanilla crème brûlée with a chocolate or ginger biscuit. If the groom prefers chocolate and the bride prefers fruit puddings then one of you does not have to go without, you can do a trio of mini puddings for everyone so every guest should enjoy at least one of them.
Alternatively you can do desert canapés in the bar area whilst the room gets changed around for the evening, with a selection of mini cakes, tarts, chocolates and meringues to please everyone.
Well, hopefully at least one of those questions has helped you out with the planning of your wedding breakfast. If you have any other questions that you would like answered please put them in the comments below and we will endeavour to get them answered for you.
