How to treat your guests to the best wedding breakfast
How to treat your guests to the best wedding breakfast. The wedding breakfast is your opportunity to kick back and relax with friends and family as a married couple. The ceremony is over, the nerves have gone, and you just want to feast in style with those you love most.
How your wedding breakfast might look is completely up to you, which is why I’ve compiled some considerations and questions that will help you visualise what you want for your guests.
What’s your budget?
It’s a question to consider with every aspect of your wedding and the breakfast is no exception. How much are you willing to spend on this meal? It might not be as simple as it first sounds when you bear in mind some other considerations:
- Are you having an evening reception with buffet too?
- Are all guests attending the wedding breakfast or a select few?
If everyone is attending then cost becomes more of an issue than just immediate family and friends, so do consider who you want at that meal when setting your budget for it.
Similarly, if you are having an evening buffet reception later on for friends and family who couldn’t attend the ceremony, do you want to spend more on food for everyone then and spend less on the wedding breakfast itself?
Formal or informal?
Moving on from the how much to spend, what it’ll look like might play a part with the budget too.
While it’s traditional to have a three-course meal, many married couples are choosing to be a little more unconventional here and opt for a fun and quirky informal dining experience instead.
A popular option is to have a “High tea” experience with china, teapots, sandwiches, cakes and lots of tea! It retains the traditional elements while having simpler food options and a lower price tag.
Other ideas are to have a hog roast or barbeque that can be kept running throughout the afternoon and in to the evening reception too; themed buffets such as Mediterranean or Asian dishes; and even go for an actual breakfast option with bacon butties or a Full English!
Be aware of special dietary requirements
Most caterers are great at being able to provide alternative options to dishes for gluten and dairy free folk, and other special dietary needs, but it is important that you are aware of your guests needs in advance so they can plan for them.
It’s also worth creating a children’s menu if you will have a lot of young guests with simpler dishes that they’re used to. Your caterer’s will often have some ideas around this already so do ask for their recommendations.
Taste the menu in advance
Whatever you decide to go with, make sure you have a taste testing session with the caterers.
Your idea of what a dish should look and taste like might be very different to their idea. Most caterers will be happy to arrange a tasting session where you can sample their different dishes and decide on the right menu for your wedding breakfast, so make sure you take up this opportunity rather than deciding through pictures and descriptions alone.
Plan your seating arrangements carefully
Yes, it’s important to seat people who actually like each other together but there’s another accommodation you need to make that’s often forgotten – accessibility.
Your older members of the wedding party, disabled, and chronically ill guests will need to be closer to doors, bathrooms, and actually be able to get to the table you want them to sit at easily.
If they’re using mobility aids putting them in the centre of the room surrounded by tables and other guests could be problematic. Similarly, any deaf/hard of hearing guests will need to be able to see the top table clearly and directly to lip read during the speeches.
When asking about special dietary requirements it’s also worth asking about accessibility arrangements that will help them enjoy your wedding breakfast more easily.
What’s happening with the bar?
This is likely going to vary according to your venue and is an important question to ask. How to treat your guests to the best wedding breakfast.
Some venues will insist on you using their caterer’s and bar for your wedding breakfast and reception, while some will permit outside caterer’s so long as you use their bar. If your venue is flexible, your caterer’s might insist on them providing you with your bar drinks as part of their contract.
Who’s going to be providing the drinks and, more importantly, who will be paying for them? Will you be putting some cash behind the bar for your guests or will they be paying for their own drinks during the breakfast and speeches?
Hopefully, this blog has given you some food for thought (sorry, couldn’t resist!) about your wedding breakfast and how to get your first meal as a married couple just right.
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