(Uncrafty) Bride on a Budget and Food: Canapes and Wedding Breakfast / Buffet for a DIY Wedding
I have to begin with the canapes. Such things of rainbow beauty.
L-R: Apple Alices, Rainbow Swirl Biscuits, Rainbow Bakewell Slices
As we arrived at our reception venue around 3pm – tea time – it seemed very fitting to have baked canapes. My dear friend and bridesmaid, Helen, made a selection of baked goods as a gift to us (we paid for ingredients but the time, energy and love she put in were frankly invaluable). As well as perfectly jammy and almondy bakewells, delicate biscuits, fresh, moist apple slices and perfect lemon drizzle cupcakes, Helen made pesto and cheese swirls as a savoury alternative.
Two of my young nephews helped Helen to plate up on pink heart doilies (thanks, Aunt Julie) the morning of the wedding. Then, while we were off getting married at the lovely Tenterden Town Hall with our loved ones witnessing, Kench Hill staff put out the canapes on this colourful length of IKEA fabric (it’s machine washable, so is now our reusable tablecloth for kids’ parties and other celebrations) and were ready to serve with non-alcoholic fizz and prosecco when we pulled up in the sunshine outside this gorgeous, Georgian house.
Wedding Breakfast / Buffet
We chose a hot and cold buffet as our main meal, as it fitted with the Garden Party vibe of the afternoon reception. We all ate at a mixture of picnic and round tables, in the beautiful grounds, between two ponds, with the buffet laid out in a gazebo. When we first visited, Sandi, who runs Kench Hill, suggested that the best way to plan feeding all our guests would be to name a budget, and then figure out what they could do within that that met everyone’s dreams and needs. This made so much more sense than trying to adapt our budget around the set price list most venues present, and ending up with a meal that didn’t quite satisfy. I’ll be honest – it was mildly terrifying not knowing what the food was going to taste like on the day. However, I needn’t have worried. It was utterly delicious, with plenty to go round for children and adults, vegetarian and non-vegetarian alike. It was an added bonus knowing that it was, on the whole, locally or sustainably produced, with the vegetables fresh from the kitchen garden.
We wrote up a table order that prioritised tables by number of children and number of vegetarians, to make sure that those with dietary requirements we knew of weren’t left with no choices.
Some of the locally, sustainably-produced foods in the hot and cold buffet
Evening Rolls
During the evening music, poetry and dancing, we were laid out a smorgasbord of locally-baked rolls and fillings for us to self-serve. The rolls were so good, you could eat one with nothing on.
Bar Snacks and Biscuits
As well as having the baked canapes, buffet and evening rolls, we had boxes of crisps and other typical bar snacks on the bar, and biscuits and cakes in the kitchen.
Alternatives: DIY BBQs and Pot Luck Buffets
During the planning process – before we found Kench Hill – we thought about having a pot luck buffet at a London venue. The plan for this would have been for us to supply some staple foods, like a huge stew or curry and some cooked salmon, then to ask guests to bring a dish to share. Personally, I think this idea only works if the majority of guests live locally, so they don’t have to travel with food, and if there are delis and shops nearby for out-of-town guests to pick up things like bread or dips to contribute.
A popular DIY wedding breakfast is the BBQ. We had a barbeque for guests staying the night before the wedding – about forty people. I would recommend overcatering for the wedding itself, imagining that each adult will have two plates of BBQ food, and bulking up on salads, deli foods and breads. We were lucky to have close relatives and friends to help out with the Friday BBQ, making utterly amazing salads and diversifying the vegetarian options.
Breakfast / Brunch Buffet
My lovely sister and stepmum provided a breakfast / brunch buffet, with a range of food to keep everyone going as we prepared the venue and ourselves for the wedding.
The Wedding Cake
Helen convinced us that it was a good idea to have a centrepiece cake to cut, and she was so right. She made the most delicious, double-height chocolate cake, iced with a rainbow. We included the cake cutting as part of our more personal rituals at the reception, and have very affectionate memories of it.
Cut the cake, and eat!
Photo by Tracy Morter
