Here are their Top Wedding Must-Haves and No-No’s when it comes to planning your wedding catering:
Top 5 Wedding Catering Must Haves:
1) Food – Lots of it
2) Cocktails – Get the party started
3) Short canape reception
4) Set a clear budget for food
5) Something naughty at midnight
Top 5 Wedding Catering No No’s:
1) Coffee at the table
2) Cheap linen
3) Messy food
4) Long speeches
5) Late finishes
Must Haves and No-No’s When Planning Your Wedding Catering
1) Always start with a clear budget
Sit down with a blank page of paper and set out what you need to spend. Decide what is most important to you; the dress? The wedding flowers? The band? At Caper & Berry, we definitely attract foodies and our client’s passion for food is clear from the moment we answer the phone at the initial contact. If you can let your caterer know what wedding catering budget you’re looking to spend, they’ll help suggest menus and drinks packages to fit with this.
2) Food
From a caterer’s point of view, I would always say, my ultimate must-have is food. And lots of it! I’m sure everyone will agree, the worst thing at a wedding is rumbling tummies and guests wondering when or what the next bit of food will be. From the moment guests arrive back from the ceremony, to the sparkler decent at the end of the evening, make sure your guests are well-fed.
For the main wedding breakfast, decide on the style of catering you would like to move towards. Whether it be a formal three course sit down or a BBQ sharing platter at the centre of the tables. It’s important everyone has a great hearty meal and the ingredients should be seasonal to get the most flavour and colour from the dishes.
3) Short and Sweet – Canape & Drinks Reception
Imagine that your guests are milling in the gardens with a nice cold glass of something sparkly, canapes are flowing and the wedding party is having a few family photos with the photographer. No matter the time of day, the drinks reception is the first chance your guests will get to eat and drink after the ceremony.
Canapes are little bits of deliciousness and the time spent having a few sips of champagne is a great introduction to the style and level of food you’re going to experience throughout the rest of the day. Don’t go on too long though, a short and sweet drinks reception is a must if you want to keep the day flowing at a good pace without anyone getting bored!
4) Cocktails – The Evening Bar
Caper & Berry love a cocktail! They are such a fun idea for your evening bar and definitely set the tone for an evening full of partying. Having a ‘His & Hers’ is a great way to limit the bar offering, whilst also allowing you to put in an extra personal touch. A C&B must have!
5) Something Naughty at Midnight
There’s nothing better than a cheeky treat at midnight (or around about then!). Go with something to soak up a little bit of the booze. Simple and stodgy – you can’t go wrong. We find cheese and bacon toasties to be extremely popular and oh so simple!
Our Pizza Defender has also been a huge hit this year. The smell of melted cheese, fresh basil oil and the fire wood burning is totally irresistible. We slice the pizza up and serve it to your guests on metre long wooden boards whilst its piping hot.
And onto the ‘No No’s’ for Wedding Catering
1) Serving coffee at the table
Serving coffee at the table can seem like a lovely idea, but when you’re pushed for time, a coffee station in a separate area or room is a fabulous idea! It gets people up out of their seats, so the room can either be transformed or cleared away from all of the unnecessary glassware on the tables. It also gives your guests a chance to mingle after being seated for a long while. The bride and groom have the opportunity to get a few extra shots at the venue and freshen up before the evening guests arrive. Most importantly, offering coffee to the table only prolongs the time that could be spent on the dancefloor!
2) Cheap Linen
A table cloth is the canvas for your table decorations and if you start with a beautiful texture and colour, your stunning centerpieces will look even better. Whilst a white cloth can be a great base, a softer and muted tone will keep it from looking too bright. We recommend Just4Linen, Urbane Chalk or White Indian Cotton. Hessian cloths are great if you’re going for a rustic and bohemian feel, sometimes a runner is just enough to change a clinical looking tablecloth into a relaxed dining table.
If you’re opting for neutral flowers, why not bring in some colour with your napkins too? So long as the quality is high, the table cloth is round and touches the floor (not two squares crossing), your wedding will scream luxury before you have even chosen your flowers!
3) Messy Food
Ladies in beautiful dresses + messy food = C&B #3 No No!
Keep your canapes small and easy to eat. Avoid anything with a spoon or skewer, there’s nowhere to put them once you’ve eaten. Definitely mix up the textures, but avoid canapes with liquid centres, or loose dipping sauces. The last thing the bride wants is to get some unwanted food on her beautiful gown! The same rule applies for the wedding breakfast so we would give a big no no to soup!
4) Long Speeches
When it comes to the duration of a successful wedding speech, moderation is the key – too short and it looks like you didn’t put enough effort and too long almost always means too boring. Ideally, you should not go over the 10 minute mark. Speeches should be happy, well paced and never too long, an absolute no no!
5) Late Finishes
A wedding is a really, really long day, so make sure you set a time for carriages and the bride and grooms departure. Let your guests leave on a high and wanting more, they will remember what a fantastic party it was, rather than remembering the horrific hangover the next day!
