Imagine the elegance of your special day, the enchanting ceremony, and an exquisite three-course meal… And as twilight sets in, ties loosen, shirts become untucked, high heels are swapped for flip flops, and alcohol flows freely—this is when the party takes off… There’s something about street food that perfectly complements this lively atmosphere.
When it comes to wedding food, there are endless possibilities. But if you’re looking to add a little something extra to your evening menu, why not consider embracing street food?
Street food is a growing trend in the wedding industry, and for good reason. It’s a great way to add variety to your menu and keep guests entertained throughout the night. As the party gets started, in comes your street food truck serving your favourite takeaway food, think noodle pots, pizza, or even some French Crepes… the world is your oyster…
We all enjoy a variety of different plates served from food trucks and stalls when visiting festivals, food markets, and other types of events, so why not at your wedding.
While you don’t categorically need to offer evening food if you are not inviting additional evening guests, it is something we would recommend, particularly if you are having a ceremony earlier than 3pm. The Wedding breakfast may well be your guests first meal of the day and therefore they are likely to be hungry again by the time 8pm rolls around. It doesn’t need to be a full meal, just something to satisfy any peckish guests and soak up a bit of alcohol.
Popular Types of Street Food to Serve at Weddings
The options for evening food are fairly limitless especially in the age & popularity of street food trucks/pop ups and vans. Whilst we offer a range of evening food we also like to recommend friends of TTK to offer a different vibe to your evening, During peak season, we cannot guarantee an evening food offering as we tend to be working back to back Wednesday to Saturdays in these months and like to focus our attention on the wedding breakfast and ensure the teams hours are managed. We have a number of street food trucks that we would happily recommend. These include:
When it comes to hiring a street food truck for your wedding, the sky’s the limit, and it will give you the opportunity to add variety to your menu. Use the food trucks to make sure you have all your favourite food in one day. If you are a different nationality or your partner is, you could choose a food truck that specialises in food from your motherland… Paella, Souvlaki, Pasta, Curry… the choice and variety available is amazing, all you need to do is choose!
Tips for Choosing a Street Food Truck
Here are some tips to help you choose the right street food truck for your big day:
Consider the logistics of serving street food at your wedding. If you’re planning on having food trucks at your wedding, make sure you have a plan for how they will get in, set up and out again.
Browse the menus of various trucks. Once you’ve decided on the type of cuisine, take a look at the menus of different food trucks in your area to see what they offer. Some trucks specialise in certain dishes, so it’s important to find one that has the specific items you’re looking for.
Consider your budget. Street food trucks are typically very affordable, but there can be some variation in price depending on the truck and the menu items being offered. It’s important to consider your budget when choosing a truck so that you don’t end up spending more than you wanted to.
Read reviews from past customers. When you’re narrowing down your list of potential street food trucks, be sure to read reviews from past customers. This can give you a good idea of what you can expect.
Most importantly, have fun with it! Embracing street food for your evening wedding menu is all about adding a touch of fun and personality to your big day. So go ahead and get creative!
TOP TIP
6. Try before you buy. Many of the food trucks will have regular days when they sell food to the general public, ask where and when you might be able to find them and give the food a try! No better excuse for having a takeaway than “menu tasting!”
At TTK we love not only the variety food trucks bring to the evening of a wedding, but also the vibe that goes with them. Another opportunity for you to inject more of your personality into the day and also a signal to the guests, they can let their hair down and get partying!
Your wedding day is one of the most exciting days of your life, so much goes into the preparation and planning, and it really is all about you and your partner. The memories will last forever, and the food you eat will be among one of those lasting memories. The Wedding Breakfast will be your first meal as newlyweds. Therefore, you need to give this momentous occasion the time and effort it deserves and make sure it is the perfect choice of flavours for you and your newly betrothed to enjoy together.
Most wedding caterers will offer you a tasting appointment where you can taste and choose the all-important menu together.
Firstly, sit down with your partner and discuss the type of day you both want. Is it a laid back affair with your guests laughing and chatting over delicious bistro boards (we love slow cooked lamb shank in red wine, fresh mint and rosemary served with oven baked ratatouille and a basil mash potato, or would you prefer a more formal traditional affair and give the sense of occasion a wedding deserves with a 3 course sit down menu. You can see some of our menu options here. The type of day you are planning will affect the type of menu you would like to serve.
As part of the food planning, you will be offered the opportunity to try a range of dishes, and this will be across all of the courses. Take your time to savour the flavours and really enjoy the tasting process. Whilst naturally a consideration our main our tip would be – Don’t worry too much about your guests and what they like or don’t like, choose the food and flavours that you both enjoy, after all, it’s your day.
Here are some of our tips for getting the most out of your tasting and making sure you get it right on the day.
Timing
While it might not seem important as to when you come for a food tasting, we suggest that you book your tasting 9-12 months prior to your wedding so that you will be tasting your food in a similar season. If you come in the winter but have booked a summer wedding, you’ll be craving hearty heavy meals that might not be so appropriate for a summer wedding.
Getting to know you
The tasting is a great opportunity to get to know your caterer. And likewise, it is our opportunity to get to know you and your partner. What do you like or don’t like and how do you envisage your day.
We take time during the tasting to understand in more detail how your day will run, the look and feel you are going for and to make sure we are giving our best possible advice on all aspects of the day.
At most weddings, in the absence of a wedding planner or event manager, the caterer becomes the linchpin of the whole event and ensures the smooth running of the day.
Come to the tasting armed with all your questions and any information we need to know to make your day a success. Keep a notebook and write down any questions as they arise over the planning process that way you won’t walk away wishing you’d asked X or Y or needing to find out more information.
Seasonality
The season you choose to get married in will play a role in your menu choices. Typically, over the summer, you will want something lighter or more balanced, whereas in the winter you can go for more hearty dishes. If you did want to go for a heavier main course in the summer, it isn’t off-limits, but you should consider balancing it with a lighter starter and dessert.
Canapés
During your tasting, you will eat around two to three times the amount of canapés you will on your wedding day!
When choosing your canapés, it is important to have a mix of different types on the day. We are unable to predict the weather so we recommend having a 50/50 mix of hot and cold canapés.
You are most likely (although we encourage a glass or 2) choosing the menus sober, remember on the day it will be hot, all weddings are of course ?! Guests will have skipped or had an early breakfast, and being 2 or 3 if not more glasses deep with bubbles people will be hungry. Canapé choice is key here. Mix up the menu with some heartier options as well as a few of the lighter prettier morsels.
We will also serve a separate chef’s choice vegetarian/vegan platter to go alongside your own choices. We do ask however for a canapé choice of more than 5 we ask at least 2 are vegetarian and for a 7 plus-bite menu at least 3 are included for all your guests.
The main event
This might seem like an easy choice, as this month you are loving fish as the sun is starting to shine, or you have just been to your favourite restaurant and their pork belly is second to none. Don’t just go on what you have had recently take your time to consider past and present favourites and to look at the catering company’s socials and website. Don’t be afraid to question what dishes are or if there are any photos you could see.
Remind yourself that this is YOUR day, so pick the food that you would like to enjoy. Move away from the preconceptions of older generations or what you have been told – must serve chicken, no one will eat pork. Be brave, be bold and remember at the end of the day, your guests have been invited to share your day – so make it yours!!
Before you come to the tasting read through our menu packs. They offer numerous tips and guidance on what is included and also guidance to the menu itself.
Talk to your caterer and use their experience and expertise to choose three courses that work well together and will suit your style and venue too. Think of the wedding meal as the anchor point of your wedding, celebrating the most important part – the ceremony – bridging the gap before it’s time to party, so getting the chance to see and taste the food you’re going to eat on the day is a key part of understanding exactly how your day will work.
Dessert
While chocolate is a definite go-to after date night on a Friday, in the comfort of your own home that’s great, but on your wedding day you want to go on to dance the night away, so plan the menu wisely, think about the different courses – if you start with a fish course followed by chicken (or the other way around) there is likely to be room for a chocolatey dessert, however, if you head straight for ham hock terrine and a hearty beef dish, you may want to consider a lighter dessert.
Dietary Requirements
It is important for us to know any dietary requirements among your guests. We can provide a variation of your chosen menu that is gluten or nut free as required.
When it comes to vegetarian and vegan options, we have a fabulous vegan menu and would ask that you if you have vegan guests attending that you choose one vegan option to cater for vegetarian and vegan guests.
While it is possible to have a vegetarian and a different vegan option this will affect your package price. Wedding catering is naturally different from restaurant catering, with all the course dishes being served at the same time to large numbers, to maintain the quality from the first to the last plate. This becomes challenging when trying to balance up to 5 different menu options during the service, especially in some venues where kitchen facilities and space are minimal! Keeping it simple will ensure a smooth-running, slick catering service from start to finish.
Once you have chosen your menu, make sure you review your choice in the lead up to the big day, so you remember what you chose and why. Then on the day, sit back, relax and enjoy your meal with your friends and family, we‘ll look after everything else!
Picture this: a beautifully set table, adorned with elegant dinnerware and sparkling crystal glasses. The aroma of a sumptuous three-course meal lingers in the air as guests gather around, eagerly awaiting the culinary delights about to be served. But amidst the clinking of silverware and clatter of conversation, there is an art to wedding dining that goes beyond just savouring the food.
Join us on a tantalising journey as we unveil the secret world of proper dining at weddings – where good manners become an essential ingredient for creating unforgettable moments and timeless memories. So raise your glass, take your seat, and let us guide you through this enchanting realm of exquisite etiquette.
What is Etiquette?
So many people hear the word “etiquette” and associate it with being stuffy, snobby or elitist. However, etiquette is all about understanding, kindness, respect and consideration for others. It is basically a set of rules that regulate social behaviour. The things you are taught growing up such as “don’t speak with your mouth full”, “say please and thank you” “let older or pregnant people sit down on public transport” the list goes on…
When it comes to wedding dining etiquette, there are a few things you should keep in mind. First and foremost, always be respectful of the bride and groom’s plans and wishes. They are the ones that have spent months organising and have carefully curated the day, if they have specific requests or dining etiquette, be sure to follow them especially when it comes to wedding breakfast.
The table plan can be one of the most stressful parts of planning a wedding, trying to make sure that people are seated with people they like whilst also mixing the families and friends. Appreciate the time and thought that has gone into creating the table plan by sticking to what it says rather than swapping names around, this not only affects the couple but the catering plan.
You see it everywhere, people out dining together sat staring at their phones. Probably checking their socials, not very social! Weddings are the same, everyone loves to have their phone to hand to capture the moment, however make sure that is all it is being used for. Is now really the time to check your socials?
At weddings, the alcohol tends to flow freely, take care not to overindulge or impose on the day; you don’t want to end up embarrassingly intoxicated and being the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons.
Finally, a big one we are seeing more and more is the get up and go once a meal has been eaten. The happy couple have allocated time for the meal intentionally. They would like you to enjoy their chosen food and chat and be merry with your table of guests. It is therefore only right to wait until you have been excused or invited to leave the table, which the speeches tend to dictate. Getting up and wandering around before this moment may be seen as rude and will make it harder for the wedding party to continue with the speeches.
Appreciate and Respect the Tradition
When it comes to wedding etiquette, one of the most important things to keep in mind is to appreciate and respect the tradition. Whether you are the host or the guest, it is important to be mindful of the fact that a wedding is a sacred event. For many couples, their wedding day is one of the most important days of their lives. As such, it is important to treat the occasion with the utmost respect.
There has been a set formula for weddings for many years. Ceremony, drinks reception, wedding breakfast, speeches, cake (although see our post on moving the cake cutting to earlier in the day), first dance, party! When planning your wedding, you want to get the most out of your day . No doubt you have attended a few weddings and borrowed some ideas from the bits you have liked. However, try not to cram in a full-blown 5-hour agenda for your guests, try and work with the tried and tested formula with a few ideas added in. There is a reason weddings have run in a set order with certain items on the schedule for so many years – because it works and guests have come to expect a particular format to the day (and know what they are doing – too many curved balls and the guests will be all over the place!). That’s not to say you can’t add your own mark to your day, or add in some of your own creativity, just think about how it will work with your number of guests and take advice from your wedding suppliers who are experienced in planning and running weddings.
Think carefully about the timings of your day and work with your suppliers to put the schedule together. Usually, the photographer will want some time with you alone to get those all-important couple shots. This works best either during the drinks reception or after the speeches (depending on the timing of your day). You will not want it to disrupt your day (ie not when food is about to be served or everyone is waiting for the speeches to start), while also allowing you plenty of time to mingle with your guests. We think it is important to take time with your new husband or wife to see the beautiful day you have pulled together, see everyone enjoying themselves and have some time to reflect on the vows you have promised to each other. The day passes so quickly, so make sure you take this time. Perhaps it could be part of your time with the photographer, or perhaps it will be a quiet drink after the first dance…
The Wedding Breakfast
When it comes to the meal, you have invested a lot of time and money in creating your menu, tasting, and deliberating the best options and style of meal to serve, so make sure you allow adequate time for everyone to enjoy your choices. After all, what are the main things people talk about after the wedding? What they ate, what the bride wore and how good the party was!
Taking time to enjoy a meal, chatting with those closest to you and your newly betrothed will be a fond memory to look back on. They do say “those who eat together, stay together…” So don’t shoehorn the meal into a day of full-blown activity and entertainment, give it the time it deserves, allocate time to savour the flavours…
We recommend that the full meal is served before moving on to the speeches, this ensures your caterers have a fixed idea of timings. Once everyone is sat down, they know how to run the courses and ensure the timings run smoothly. Also, everyone is nicely full and content once the speeches start and they can relax and let their food settle before the dancing starts!
Know your guests. If your guests aren’t the type to sit down for more than five minutes, perhaps a traditional 3 course sit-down menu isn’t for you. If you want a more relaxed menu option, perhaps our bistro boards or BBQ boards would be a good option, please take into consideration that they don’t suit every venue. For example, a grand manor house or castle which is a much more traditional wedding setting would not be fitting for a BBQ board-style menu and therefore we would suggest a more classic two or three course dining experience would work better for your guests. A marquee wedding or festival style wedding would definitely suit a more relaxed dining experience, but it is flexible so you could create a two or three course sit down experience if you prefer.
However you want your day to run, and the menu you would like to serve, ensure you take on the experience and expertise at hand from your suppliers. They will work together to pull your special day together and create a running order (we know timings can slip a little), sticking to this plan (loosely) will ensure your day is purely magical, and you can sit back, relax and enjoy the meal!
Your wedding day is not just about saying “I do”, it’s also about celebrating your love with family and friends. And what better way to celebrate than with unforgettable food? Gone are the days of stuffy, boring wedding menus! It’s time to think outside the box and serve up some truly creative eats at your reception. From quirky food trucks to interactive dining, we’ve got you covered with our list of inspiring dining ideas that will leave your guests raving for years to come.
Through years of experience, we create and develop menus each year that we know will work well when catering for a larger number of people (at the same time and sometimes with smaller kitchens than your local restaurant). There is a big difference between serving people dining in a restaurant in groups of 2 to 10 over the course of an afternoon or evening to serving a whole marquee or wedding venue within minutes of each other. We really pride ourselves on our ability to deliver creative dining experiences seamlessly on this scale. Of course, we want your wedding dining to be a reflection of you as a couple and are more than happy to work with your ideas and desires to create your perfect menu, however we want your day to me memorable for all the right reasons, so use our knowledge and expertise to guide your dining creativity.
We are almost ready to launch our 2024 menu collection and with this in mind, we want to share the current trends we are seeing in wedding catering:
Sustainable Weddings
More couples than ever are considering the impact of their wedding on the environment. Opting for charitable donations or eco offerings as favours instead of the standard heart chocolates or sugared almonds that often get left and go to waste. Think plantable paper heart seeds, so your guests can remember your wedding for years to come, and if any get left behind, you can create an area of your garden with all the leftover seeds and watch them grow, remembering your special day.
For us, acting responsibly and supporting our local community is really important. We like to use local suppliers as much as possible, employ local professionals and build brilliant partnerships in the wonderful Sussex we see around us.
We operate using the Red Tractor and MSC guidelines for all our meat and vegetables. And we source independent local suppliers based on their quality, proximity and price rather than relying on nationwide chain suppliers.
We think a lot about our menus and reduce wastage as much as possible. That’s why some of our menu items are designed in a particular way. For example, when portioning desserts these will be as a bar/log rather than rounds to ensure as little wastage as possible.
Furthermore, we incentivise our staff to car share to and from venues.
2. The Vegan Wedding
Hand in hand with sustainability is the rise in the number of couples who want to reduce meat consumption across the whole wedding, and we are more than happy to work with couples to provide an entirely vegan menu. Think Middle Eastern stuffed roasted aubergine followed by cauliflower steak with a curried cauliflower puree, tempura cauliflower florets, sautéed spinach, coriander cress & cauliflower cous cous all rounded off with a gooey brownie chilled almond rice pudding, berry compote and topped with a sugared almond tuile. Yum!
If you’re not ready to go full-on vegan you could perhaps consider a vegetarian starter for all your guests rather than the more traditional choice of meat or fish.
3. The rise of the “Station” Wedding
No don’t worry, we’re not all off to King’s Cross… It doesn’t sound very romantic, but it will be dreamy… Picture the scene… a beautiful wall of flowers as the backdrop and in front a feast of delectable desserts. Think mini banoffee pies, Eton mess shots and a classic gooey chocolate brownie in a fabulous display to wow your guests. Why have one dessert when you could have a choice of three?! Sure to be a hit with your guests and the photographer!
4. Street Food
Gone are the days of evening food being an after-thought or a quick bacon butty. More couples are bringing a sense of party and relaxed dining by hiring a street food truck in the evening to soak up alcohol and provide energy to continue on the dance floor. It really enhances the evening party vibe while also offering the opportunity to have a more unique bite to eat. We work with some great local suppliers and would be happy to share a recommendation.
5. Signature Cocktails
A great way to personalise your reception is to create your own signature cocktail. Something special for your guests to sip through the night. Think about your favourite cocktail and put your own special twist on it. Think Porn Star Martini renamed the Mr and Mrs Martini and made more fruity… add pineapple juice, fresh strawberries and a hint of lemon juice to the classic and serve with a shot of rose prosecco for extra love.
Whatever it is you are looking for when it comes to wedding catering, we are here to help guide you through. We love hearing couples’ ideas of how they envision their wedding and working with them to find a creative menu that works for their guests and budget to bring you a day that is truly unforgettable with all the wow factor.
Your wedding day is one of the most important events in your life, and it’s only fitting that you make it truly memorable. From finding the perfect dress to selecting a beautiful venue, everything needs to be nothing short of perfect. But have you ever considered how choosing a marquee or creating an outdoor wedding can transform not only the atmosphere but also the menu selections for your big day? Choosing a marquee can make all the difference when it comes to creating an unforgettable day for you and your guests. It is your blank canvas to create the vibe you want. Choose the menu that reflects you as a couple, the theme and decor to match – everything is more flexible all you need is your vision…
Picture the scene… a glorious summer’s day, chilled champagne in coupe glasses, delightful canapes being circulated by smartly dressed waiters. Garden games on the lawn, jazz band playing, roaming photographer with dreamy floral backdrops. And there you are, stunning, in your wedding attire with your newly betrothed stood by your side laughing and joking with friends and family. The marquee in the background decorated exactly as you wanted, to match your theme and reflect you as a couple. All the little details you had carefully thought about and hand-picked being enjoyed by your closest friends and family… Welcome to your Alfresco Wedding.
The options are limitless when it comes to marquee weddings, and it really is your own blank canvas to style and create your dream day. But where do you start?
Firstly, think about the style of marquee that you want for your day… it’s more than just your average white tent style marquee with poles that you typically find at a Garden Fete. There is so much to choose from – stretch marquees, tipis, traditional marquees, sailcloth tents… We tend to work with three amazing marquee suppliers :
These marquee companies offer a range of styles for different budgets, so do get in touch if you’d like some help selecting the perfect marquee partner.
What we love (obviously) about marquee weddings is the freedom and flexibility you have for the catering. You could go for a traditional sit-down fine dining wedding breakfast, or you could go for something more relaxed such as BBQ boards – delicious BBQ food served to the table. If you have been lucky enough to fit the marquee in your garden or saved a penny or two on the venue location, you could splash out and upgrade your dining experience or add an additional canape or two?
If you have a love of seafood, you could add a Champagne and Oyster bar. For the meat lovers think Aperol and Charcuterie, balanced out with a selection of Vegan treats (we’re thinking mini Moroccan rolls, mini tacos packed with falafel, hummus, tzatziki and mini spiced potato cakes) for those who often get overlooked. The world really is your oyster when it comes to a marquee wedding and we are here to help create your vision. – creating bespoke menus, providing advice on the practical side in terms of what you need to consider when it comes to planning an outdoor wedding.
Generally, with a marquee wedding the caterer takes on more of a venue manager role ensuring your day runs how you had envisioned and we are happy to share our knowledge, experience and expertise.
Not sure what to do about the drinks? You can provide all the drinks yourself or ask your caterer (like us) to provide a bar service. Evening food you could choose your favourite street food van to provide the soak-up food – there is so much choice available you can go as quirky or as traditional as you like.
If you don’t want the celebrations to end, the joy of a marquee wedding is that you can easily extend it to a two-day celebration. How about an informal lunch the next day to reminisce abut the night before and catch up on any bits you missed!
No matter what style of marquee wedding you are planning, there is sure to be a catering option that will wow your guests. Here are some of our faves:
Seaside Platters with refreshing cocktails – binging the beach to your wedding day!
Bistro boards – hearty modern British classics served informally for guests to help themselves
Traditional Fine Dining – A three course sit down meal with all the opulence and elegance your wedding day deserves
BBQ Boards – perfect for summer weddings – cooked on the BBQ and served to the table – bringing a sense of occasion to the much-loved British BBQ!
If you’re looking for ways to take your wedding day up a notch, choosing a marquee could easily be one of them – it’s sure to transform not only your venue but also what’s being served on your big day!
Romance is in the air, and being in the “love” industry, you can’t get any better than Valentine’s Day. If you are one of the lucky couples to get engaged over this special day, firstly CONGRATULATIONS! Becoming a Fiancé is one of those magical moments in life, and we hope you are enjoying every minute.
Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate love and affection. It has been celebrated since the early days of Christianity, but the exact origins of the holiday are shrouded in mystery. One popular theory is that it was created to Christianise the pagan festival of Lupercalia, which was held on February 15th. Another theory is that it was created to honour Saint Valentine, a Roman priest who was martyred for secretly marrying couples against the orders of Emperor Claudius II.
Whatever its origins, Valentine’s Day has become a cherished tradition for couples around the world. On this special day, lovers exchange gifts, flowers, and cards to express their love for one another. It is also a popular day for proposals… well of course, what better way to show your love than to tell your partner that you’d like to spend the rest of your life with them?
So now you’re engaged…
You’re excited, butterflies in your tummy when you think forward and start imagining your special day. Something you may have been dreaming of for some years. It goes without saying that family and friends also get over excited “let’s see the ring” “have you set a date?” “Where will you get married?” But don’t feel too pressured at this point, while it is important to set a date and book your suppliers in, the most important thing is to enjoy your engagement and the whole build up to getting married.
On average we see couples spending 18 months engaged before tying the knot (some sooner, some spend longer engaged), this is a lovely amount of time to spend planning your big day and thinking about all the little details you want to make your day all about you.
Set the Date
The first thing to think about is when you’d like to get married. Some couples have a favourite season, a significant date or perhaps are led by budget. For us, Summer is most definitely the most popular time to hold a wedding, and we would say wedding season runs April to September, when we are generally hosting 3-4 weddings per week. Barn weddings are great for the summer, with beautiful countryside surroundings and so many stunning photo opportunities.
But don’t rule out winter, this can be a magical time for a wedding, think open fires, fairy lights – your own winter wonderland. There are some beautiful wedding venues that can really help create the perfect wintery romantic setting. One of our favourites has to be Balcombe Place in Sussex – a grand setting with open fires and candles on every surface. Romance and drama in one beautiful venue.
Sit with your other half and discuss dates, do you have a favourite season or is there a significant date, perhaps the date you first met? Once you’ve set the date, the big three to get booked in are: Caterer, Venue and Photographer, so use your first few months researching these and get them confirmed for your date.
You don’t need to think about menus, décor, or any of the details just yet, those you can take your time over and really make those details reflect you and your partner as a couple. Make it a day to remember. Use the next few months to think about the personal touches that will make your day more memorable for you and your guests.
We are here to help you bring your day together, follow us on social media and we will guide you through wedding planning, making sure it’s an enjoyable experience and your day is all about you and your partner.
