62 For the traditionalists DID YOU KNOW? The term wedding breakfast is thought to have originated in the preReformation period when the wedding ceremony was usually part of a Eucharistic mass. Therefore, the newlyweds would have been fasting in preparation for receiving Holy Communion. When the “I dos” were complete, the couple were able to break their fast and enjoy their first meal of the day together, hence “breakfast.” A LA CARTE If you dream of a traditional, formal sit-down three-course meal, enlisting the help of a professional caterer is a must. There are generally two ways to do this depending on the style of venue you have chosen. Typically, but not necessarily always, more rustic, blank canvas venues will permit you to bring in your own caterers, which means much more flexibility in terms of building the menu of your dreams. They’ll work with you to find out about your ideas, loves and personalities to create something bespoke. On the other hand, many venues already work with an in-house caterer, which means using their services is non-negotiable and will likely already be included in your package cost. But, that’s not to say there won’t be plenty of choice available to you depending on the style you prefer. Many will offer a range of menu choices from the three-course to the more relaxed barbecue – more on that later! This is the ideal choice if you prefer the full-service option with everything taken care of, leaving you stress-free and ready to party. If you have a clear idea in mind of how you want your dining to go, do check which route your prospective venues take when you’re viewing them before you book. ALL ABOUT YOU We’re total foodies here at Your Sussex Wedding, so the idea of working with a wedding caterer to build a dream menu fills us with joy. You can tailor your food to reflect your loves, story and personalities just as you can any other part of your day. Remember: if you don’t ask, you don’t get! So see what your caterer can do for you. We love the idea of serving dishes to reflect your heritages, or perhaps you shared a first date at an Italian restaurant and want to treat your guests to some flavours of the Med? Maybe, you just adore crème brulee. If you’re a foodie, consider a five-course tasting menu. No one has to endure bland chicken and veg dishes these days, so get creative and make it all about you! KEEP IT LOCAL Not only from a sustainability angle, but also in terms of supporting your community, it’s a great idea to keep as local as you can with produce used to create your wedding breakfast. Many modern caterers make this their mission when sourcing ingredients, so it’s something to look out for. You’ll find the quality from local, artisan producers is impeccable and with so few miles to cover it’s sustainable too. Check out www.earthcatering.co.uk WINE AND DINE English sparkling wine is currently experiencing its well-deserved day in the sun, and Sussex is one of the winery hotspots. Local vineyards are producing some incredible wines, so much so that local lovely Nyetimber recently pipped their counterparts in Champagne to the post for the industry’s most sought-after award. So go on, spoil yourself, and your loved ones! Check out... • https://bolneywineestate.com • www.everflyht.com • www.housecoren.co.uk • https://nyetimber.com • www.tinwoodestate.com DIETARY REQUIREMENTS The key to catering for loved ones with special dietary requirements is communication, communication and more communication. This starts when you send out your invitations, where it’s a good idea to ask about guests’ dietaries, allowing you to feed this information back to your caterer as soon as the RSVPs start flooding in. The sooner they know, the sooner they can start creating the perfect, mouthwatering menu for all. As long as they’re forewarned, these talented folk can do anything, but leaving it until the last minute or springing it on them on the day, will be quite the disaster as they’ll only have with them the exact ingredients they need to cook what you’ve agreed upon. SWEET TREATS Alice Marples from Marples Cakery (www.marplescakery.co.uk) says, “For a traditional three-course wedding breakfast, we’d normally recommend something classic, such as a three-tier wedding cake with macarons to accompany the meal in colours that complement your palette. As favours, often personalised, luxury shortbread are extremely popular, with fondant embossed toppers bearing your guests’ names and your wedding date. For an extra flourish we can also add accents of edible 24 carat gold leaf.” Image courtesy of Marples Cakery
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