Hi Chaps,

We’re planning our wedding, which is in a secluded castle in Scotland. This does pose a few difficulties, which means that the cost is quite high for catering regardless of what kind of option we go for.

Those who are experienced wedding goers, what would be your preferred meal option?

A Sit down waited service, with canopes, and a three course meal. Or a Gormet BBQ, with a choice of steaks, burgers, sausages, etc… with salads.

The venue is a stunning castle, with lawns and a long barn.

We were thinking that a BBQ was more fitting for the venue, but it would mean people going to get their food, rather than being waited on…

Any thoughts chaps?

Cheers

Ricks

It’s about you not the guests, any that are offended by your choice you shouldn’t have invited 😉

BBQ sounds good more chance for beer and talking to people

BBQ. There’s far too much sitting around at weddings as it is. Ups the mingle factor, too.

Bar b but done nicely which it sounds like it will be. Still perhaps need a little formality at some point to get the speeches done?

As Mike said, it’s your day.

Keep costs down by doing a diy BBQ – simply hand your guests raw meat and point them in the direction of the hot coals.

I find the meal really interferes with the drinking. A bbq sounds the least intrusive option.

We really wanted pig-on-stick and standing around eating it in nice freshly-baked bread baps. However, we were over-ruled by parents, who said they’d pay for a posher version of the same but sit-down, citing crumblies probably not dealing too well with being stood up eating.

Can’t say it made much difference to the actual day, but if the fogies hadn’t been there we’d all have happily enjoyed a less formal dinner. That said, by deliberately not having a seating plan, plenty people got forced to sit with others they didn’t know and mingled much more as a result. Lots of our friends who didn’t know each other before the wedding seem to meet up of their own volition now we’ve buggered off to the land down under.

What a fantastic idea.

It is totally different from what you normally get, so I suspect most people will love it and probably remember it for some time. I.E. Do you remember the BBQ we had at Rickon’s wedding? If professionals are cooking, at least you know you won’t end up with the UK standard of burnt burgers/mobile burger vans etc. Just remember the veggie options.

Remember its YOUR wedding, so do what YOU want!

Edited bit: There is nothing to stop you having the BBQ and sit down formalities. Collect your food and back to the table you go.

We found the opposite really. We nearly went for a BBQ at our wedding last year, but recently went to close friends who had a BBQ. It felt pretty disjointed people getting up/down to fetch their food which meant it didn’t feel as social. I’d say it’s pretty important how it’s executed and how organised they are. People got up table by table, so it should have been efficient, but people were chatting with friends from over tables/wandering around etc. It was like herding wet cats!!

I agree it’s your day and do what you like though!!! That’s crucial. We messed around with tradition with our wedding a fair bit, but some things are traditional for a reason – they work!

Did you say Scotland ?? It will piss with rain all day, so your BBQ will be an indoor grill affair anyway, with waiters having to bring the food in anyway.

We had a gourmet BBQ and supplied all the booze in a lovely orangery in the middle of Bristol. It was ace.

We didn’t have tables with a seating plan though, it was just lots of directors chairs dotted around the gardens.

BBQ or pig on a stick. DO the speeches before food while you have everyone’s attention. Was at a wedding recently where it was all home done, they’d spent the previous year collection tea cups and saucers for the cream tea then speeches then onto roast pig. Was a great event, even had lawn games for the (bigger drunk) kids.

Factor in potential midge attack in your plans.

We did a BBQ in the in-laws garden (all done by caterers) it was fanbloodytastic.

Pig Roast was our option for our wedding last year, Was supposed to be an outdoor roast, but due to last years weather and some doddery olds we decided on a sit down effort, but had the pig roast cooked and brought in, to be served at a specified time…

The guy was 2 hours late due to a broken cam-belt on his van, nearly a total disaster, but actually was the oppostie as everyone was very understandable and hit the bar early on empty stomachs!

Got a 50% re-imbursement form the guy immeadiately and he later turned up with a whole pig for our freezer as a goodwill gesture..

The meat was a little tough, but we were to drunk to care by then!

We had a posh pig roast, it went down a treat, much better than a stuffy sit down meal imo.

If iwent to a wedding and the main meal was a good quality bbq, id be well happy.

Good luck and enjoy the day.

Mrs notlocal and I were at a wedding last weekend, and enjoyed a hog roast and locally shot venison. The groom had shot the deer himself several weeks earlier to allow for hanging properly.mmmmmmmm 😀

Had a hog roast at mine, was a brilliant.

We got caterers to sort salads etc, Us (being farmers) provided pig. Fed all the guests (140)for the main meal and plenty for the night do also. All as a get it yourself buffet. Then we got an ice cream truck to turn up for desserts.

Our whole wedding was laid back though so fitted in. I can’t stand all the waiting and sitting around.

Just in the interest of balance, we got married in march this year, totally relaxed day and had a proper sit down meal. It’s your wedding day, and we wanted something special, not something informal you can knock together on a sunny afternoon with your mates. The place we had our reception for was double starred and we had about 80 for the day, so the food was excellent, but even if it wasn’t starred, we would still have opted for the sit down meal.

There’s plenty of time to mingle with your guests during the day, it’s nice to sit down with your new mrs and family and enjoy nice food after the wedding.

Any veggies going?

They will most likely expect a separate are for their food to be cooked.
Whether you want to cater for them is your business

Is the weather not more of a risk factor as well – I assume it is hard to do well in the rain

‘Both’

Get it bbq’ed, but then loaded onto big centre plates for each table, so you don’t have people getting up and down to get food and you can still run the formalities as the oldies want.

Means the girlies can pick at a sausage and the blokes can tuck in too, with having to do that ‘ooh, there’s too much for me, will you have some of my meat’ shenanigans.

It’s your day, it’s really important that it’s what you and your new mrs want! Something you will remember and be happy about.

Our wedding we had a sit down thai banquet because it’s food we love and the crumblies were told which were the less spicy dishes. Have been to weddings where it’s been a bbq or hog roast and they have been loads of fun. Also went to one where it was a large joint of pork delivered to each sit down table with apron, chef’s hat and carving tools and one person on each table had the honour, after the meal those who carved had to go join the bridge and groom for some fun photos outside with chefs hats and apron’s on.

There isn’t a right and wrong, how it works will depend on the numbers of people, and how much the venue can/will help with practicalities.

Have a great wedding!

I’ve been to one wedding with BBQ food, the food itself was great but having to get up and queue to be served really takes away from the wedding day ambience. The first to be served had finished eating before some people even got food.

Had a hog roast at mine, was a brilliant.
We got caterers to sort salads etc, Us (being farmers) provided pig. Fed all the guests (140)for the main meal and plenty for the night do also. All as a get it yourself buffet. Then we got an ice cream truck to turn up for desserts.
Our whole wedding was laid back though so fitted in. I can’t stand all the waiting and sitting around.

We had a buffet too – people went up table by table, didn’t take long. Had a couple of big salmon and roast beef my mum did, some lovely salads and things we ordered in from my mate who runs a deli, and some whole local cheeses, bread from a decent bakery, and some stuff made by mates like a great terrine. Then scones with jam and cream for pudding.

For the evening we had a stall outside from a local place that does delicious burritos and nachos. All the food in total came to around £15 a head and it was great.