Читать книгу The High-Street Bride’s Guide: How to Plan Your Perfect Wedding On A Budget - Samantha Birch - Страница 14

The three-course, sit-down meal is the most expensive way to feed your five thousand, hands down. Yes, it suits a formal gathering, and silver service always feels special, but weigh up how much you need it when it can be two or three times more than some other options.

If you have to have it, though, be clever: ask if you can serve your canapés as starters with the pre-reception drinks, or, if you really want to stay on your venue’s good side, they tend to prefer it if you opt for the wedding cake instead of dessert.

One option that’s similarly genteel, super-popular and certainly worth asking your venue about is the classic afternoon tea. Bottles of pop and pots of chai are immediately cheaper than wine, wine, wine – but a Prohibition-era theme could see to that if you still want to serve some bubbly. Then there are the snacks themselves – a few finger sandwiches, satisfyingly stodgy scones with clotted cream and pretty cakes won’t set you back nearly as much as tomato soup followed by the customary dried chicken and chocolate mousse that everyone pushes around to save room for cake.

In summer, a barbecue is a fun option, and only requires minimal staffing on the venue’s part. The winter equivalent is the hog roast – not so easy on the eyes maybe, but there’ll be no complaints from your guests’ satisfied stomachs. And before you ask, yes, you can get vegetarian options – just ask your venue what they can do.

Buffets are the usual antidote to all the pomp and circumstance of the post-speech feed-with-servants, and just like the BBQ and hog roast, having people queue for their food doesn’t mean you can’t have all the fun of a seating plan – if anything, it gives those single ushers and maids something to chat about before they find their tables.

Not all buffets were made equal, though – there are a few different ways that you can do this. First up: a very British classic. This is your traditional buffet – all triangle sarnies, cocktail sausages and little pieces of cheese and pineapple on sticks. Beef it up with the likes of pizza slices and Indian or Chinese snack selections – and add some jelly and ice-cream if it’s not too hot for a touch of retro fun.

Second, if your venue is the kind where you supply your own caterers, talk to them about something a bit different, or pull it together yourself. Sweetie tables have been big for a while now and aren’t showing any signs of going anywhere. They’re literally pretty tables spread with Cath Kidston-esque linen, glass jars filled with sweets and maybe a few cakes – we used our wedding cake as the centrepiece. Seriously, think how easy it would be to nab some containers (save, hire or buy from your local ASDA or Wilkinson), then raid your local pick ‘n’ mix (we miss you, Woolworths!) or snap up grab-bags of your fave sweets and go fill ’em up.

On a similar theme – but requiring more input from your caterers, who will love your ingenuity – ‘build-your-own’ bars are popping up all over the place. Featuring everything from top-your-own jacket potatoes or ice creams to fill-your-own fajitas, brainstorm fave foods with your groom and go from there. Anyone for stack-your-own sandwich with baguettes, cobs and rolls, or build-a-burger with different meats, veggie bean patties, relish and sauces?

Finally, if you’ve got chefs among your rellies who are vying for a part in proceedings, make the most of their talents instead of padding out your ceremony with a million readings. You can specify your favourite eats or just allocate some cooks sweets and some savouries, then have each one bring a labelled dish – preferably one that can be served cold unless your venue doesn’t mind you using their ovens – along with serving utensils so everyone can dig in on the day. Now that’s what I call a family feast.