If you’ve taken it upon yourself to have a gorgeous outdoor wedding, then one of the things you are undoubtedly most concerned about is the wedding catering. Tackling this aspect of the planning can already be a lot of work if you’re going with an indoor venue, but add on the contingencies you need to plan for with an outside ceremony, and you may start to feel overwhelmed.
We’ve had quite a few years in the business, and for us, a nature-themed ceremony is a walk in the park (so to speak). So, for the brides and grooms out there who are starting to look a little bit wild behind the eyes, here are our industry-proven tips and tricks to make sure that your wedding goes off without a hitch.
Plan for Any Weather
If you have already chosen your date, and your heart is set on an outdoor affair, then you have likely already considered the weather quite thoroughly. This especially applies if you are catering in Wellington, where the wind or the rain could take the ceremony off of its feet if you don’t plan ahead appropriately.
Communication is absolutely key (which is also our take on marriage itself). Talk to your caterers about flexibility around the menu and serving options. For example, are you setting up a barbecue or a food truck reception? If you are, make sure to have a back-up plan in place that the servers can smoothly implement if the weather turns nasty. Or, if your company is cooking off-site and delivering to a tented venue (they should have experience running these), ensure that you talk to them about how they will adapt to serve your guests indoors rather than out!
Schedule a Site Visit
Prior to the big day, make sure that both you and your caterer take a tour around the chosen venue. This will ensure that they are familiar with the environment and can run the event smoothly when the time comes. This will also help if things go slightly awry, and they have to adapt on the fly.
Additionally, if your caterer is preparing the food in an on-site kitchen, then seeing it beforehand will help to negate that “strange environment” feeling while they’re cooking. Producing food for a wedding reception is no small task, and an unfamiliar kitchen can throw a wrench into the works, so take some time during the site visit to allow your caterer to become familiar with the kitchen.
Embrace the Outdoors
Taking your ceremony outside doesn’t just have to mean moving a traditional wedding out of the cathedral – use the setting to inspire you with the menu you choose! The food you present to your guests is as important to the success of your big day as the design scheme, so bring it to life in the natural surroundings!
If you’re taking a rustic turn with your theme and decorations, consider some heartier, rougher food options that will leave your guests feeling satisfied – a carving table with a good roast goes a very long way. Alternatively, if your wedding is more of a whimsical affair, embrace that theme with candied aperitifs and colourful arrays of desserts.
Make your wedding entirely your own, and you’ll love every single second of it for all of your years together!
Ensure that your wedding goes off without a hitch
Baxter’s Catering has years of experience in party catering for various kinds of events, so you can be sure that we’ll work smoothly behind the scenes to deliver the perfect catering experience. Contact us today to start on the way to your happily ever after.