You want your wedding menu to be delicious, beautifully presented, and memorable for all the right reasons. After all, your wedding meal isn’t just about feeding your guests; the ‘wedding feast’ is symbolic joining of love, families and celebration. It goes back millennia and is key part of the overall experience. From sit-down dinners to buffets, catering a wedding requires careful thought and planning. You need to balance taste, dietary needs, and efficient service—all while ensuring no guest goes hungry. And, of course, you want to enjoy your big day without stressing over every little detail. To help you navigate this, we’ve put together some of the most common wedding catering pitfalls and, most importantly, how to avoid them.
1. Too Much Drink, Not Enough Food
Your wedding day will be a long one, and there’s often a significant gap between the ceremony and the main meal. While you and your new spouse are having your photographs taken, your guests will likely be enjoying a drink or two—but alcohol on an empty stomach can quickly get out of hand.
To keep the energy up (and the tipsiness down), consider serving appetisers during your drinks reception. This will ensure that guests enjoy a balanced experience before indulging in Champagne and cocktails.
2. Over-Complicated Menu
It’s natural to want every guest to enjoy their meal, but trying to cater to too many tastes can make your menu overcomplicated and stressful to execute. Instead of offering a broad and complex selection, focus on dishes that you and your partner love. After all, this is your day!
Ask guests for dietary requirements in advance and make slight menu adjustments where needed. This ensures you cater for everyone without compromising on the quality and simplicity of your menu.
3. Guests Forgetting Their Meal Choices
If you’ve allowed guests to pre-select their meals, don’t just record the number of each dish ordered—keep track of who ordered what! There will likely be months between RSVPs and your wedding day, and many guests will forget their choices.
To keep things running smoothly, create a table-by-table meal list for your catering team to work from. This will prevent confusion and ensure dietary needs are met.
4. Venues Unable to Accommodate Caterer’s Needs
Before finalising your menu, check that your venue has the facilities to accommodate your caterer’s needs. For example, if you’ve chosen ice cream for dessert, does the venue have adequate freezer space? Will the kitchen be able to accommodate a large-scale meal service?
Having a clear discussion with both your venue and caterer in advance will help avoid any last-minute disasters.
5. The Food Doesn’t Taste Right
You wouldn’t buy your wedding outfit without trying it on—so don’t commit to your wedding menu without a tasting! Scheduling a tasting session allows you to ensure the dishes meet your expectations and gives you the chance to make any necessary adjustments.
Being honest with your caterer about your likes and dislikes will help ensure your menu is perfect for you and your guests.
6. Food and Service Don’t Match the Size of Your Wedding
Your food quantity and service style should reflect the size of your wedding. Serving too much food means waste and unnecessary expense, while serving too little can leave guests hungry. Similarly, too few servers can slow things down, while too many can make service feel overwhelming.
Work closely with your caterer to determine the right amount of food and staff based on your guest count. Be sure to confirm final numbers ahead of time to keep everything running smoothly.
Why Choose a Chef-Led, Multi-Award-Winning Wedding Caterer?
While it’s possible to cut corners when planning your wedding, your food should never be one of them. Choosing a highly experienced, professional wedding caterer ensures your guests enjoy a flawless dining experience. Funnells Kitchen is not just another wedding caterer—it’s an award-winning, chef-led team recognised for excellence in the industry as voted by couples at the National Wedding Industry Awards. Nick, Donna, Alice and Chefs have built a reputation for delivering imaginative, delicious food with an emphasis on local ingredients, sustainable sourcing, and impeccable service
