Wedding Pack Lunch

I can imagine some people wouldn't like this but I love the idea. If you are having a rustic picnic theme you can get little jute bags and fill them with nice bread and cheese...ooh yummy. Are you doing the food yourselves? The Hairy Bikers Mums Know Best show last week was all picnic food, they made some yummy stuff! I say go for it!

Yes we will be doing the food ourselves.
Thanks Tinkerbelly, I was worried people wouldnt like the idea. I love picnic food - its going to be yummy! Thank you for the idea of the bags
xxx

That's a brilliant idea!!!! So much fun

As long as people all have seats, it should be ok. Went to cocktail party recently & not enough seats. Blisters and sore feet in heels isnt good.

Will you provide throw away plates for people too or having something that doesnt need a plate? Its a good idea for picnic theme but what about just passing platters of sandwiches, nibbles, snacks around? Thats way people have more choice, rather than having to find someone to swap their goody bag with.

I think in the right venue and theme, it would be a brilliant idea! ?

I really like the idea, Here is some inspiration:

Or even something totally personalied like this:

Thank you everyone.

Yes there will be enough seats - I dont like it when there arent enough chairs.

I can see what you mean about swapping food, but if I was having a set 3 course meal and people didnt like it then they wont be getting anything else.

I will provide a lot of food for everyone (my family are known for catering way too much lol). But I just cant have all this food on the tables as their isnt room, so I thought this was a good idea and goes with our theme.
B x

One of my brides, a while back, had a Vintage/English Country theme with a picnic style reception. Each family or couple were given a labelled traditional wicker picnic hamper of goodies to share between them. It had been planned to be a relaxed luncheon on the lawns but unfortunately it rained so everyone ate inside but she still said it went down well with her guests.

Never heard of this before. My gut reaction was "gosh no!!!" but when you put it into context of a rustic picnic theme I think it sounds lovely! Go for it I say. Weddings would start to get very boring if they all fitted in with a specific 'formula'.

X

Um, where will you store the food bags between chiller and collection by guests? If that's on a table, couldn't the food be laid out buffet style on that?

Sorry, Im not a fan of the idea.

Would you have room for some cheap waiters (e.g. neighbours teenagers) to walk between tables carrying big platters of food, then people could take what they want, but you're still not using up space.

Or perhaps hire some of those afternoon tea style trays where plates are on top of each other, that could also save you some space.

My problem with this is that I know I'd still be hungry afterwards - same issue with a buffet.

I'm always fuller after a buffet than I am after a prescribed meal - I like to eat and am not ashamed to re-visit a buffet until I've had enough ?

I find that any second helpings from a buffet tend to be dry.

I think it depends what you put in them - if I opened it up to find half a sandwich and packet of crisps i'd be starving!!

If I found a nice thick roll on freshly baked nutty bread with a nice filling, a side salad, some handmade crisps, a Cheese selection etc then I'd be quite happy. I assume that because the issue is space, not cost that they would contain nice quality food.

Another alternative might be to hire a mini-marque / large gazebo for outside to have the buffet. Or if your a summer wedding, risk the weather being nice.

I think that depends on whether all the food is served at once or whether is it served progressionally.

I really like the basket idea!

I think the picnic hamper is a good one and it sounds like it fits in with your theme. It is quite different- I haven't heard of anything like it before- but an informal and fun way to do a wedding reception meal.

Thumbs up from me x

? I love this idea! I wish it would suit my venue. I am sure it will be a very fun and unique day!!

Thumbs up for me too! although i think it would be very time consuming to make lots of little bags, could you make bigger baskets for between 6 or 8 to share that way people are mor likely to get the bits they want, and you could put things in like whole pies or quiches... just a thought

Thanks everyone. Love the idea about the baskets - had thought about that as well, just again not sure on space on tables.

I was thinking about putting their bags at their place (as in on the table between their cutlery)

Kayl - Yes I want good quality food rather than just a sarnie and bag of crisps!!! Yes its the space issue rather than the cost.

Bx

I was thinking something like :

1 mushroom tartlet

1 spinach and ricotta tartlet

2 brie with cranberry parcels

Lettuce salad

Crisps

What do you think?

Bx

Basically a buffet in a bag? I don't get how you don't have space when they'll be sat at tables anyway - Why not put platters in the middle of the table so people can just help themselves or am I missing something?

Because of lack of space, we are having to have long thin tables. So there wont be room for platters in the middle.

We are going to have baskets in everyones place - as in between the cutlery.

Bx

I was awake for hours this morning having over indulged last night but I spent part of the time thinking about this. (must get out more).

My concerns were:

1 - if you make up sarnies the night before and refrigerate them, they're never as nice as freshly made ones.

2 - if you want some sort of artisan bread, again, you are better off buying it fresh in the morning. Can you get a bakery to ensure you numbers of a certain type of bread?

3 - if you're going to offer bread with cheeses, say, how are people going to be able to cut/spread slices? Is there enough elbow room?

4 - How will you present the food? If in a bag, how will you wrap the items so they don't seep through/go dry/melt into other items? If wrapped individually, where's all the rubbish going to go?

5 - What are you going to offer in terms of cutlery? If normal cutlery, how will you ensure it doesn't get thrown away with the rubbish?

6 - How will you differentiate this meal as something special rather than a kid's school trip?

7 - How will the food be stored/given out/collected up?

Sorry to sound so negative but they would be things I'd never to feel I could address before having a packed lunch en masse.

If the baskets are in between the cutlery, where will they eat?! You need a flat surface, particularly if any of it needs cutlery to be eaten.

The baskets are more for presentation rather than to eat out of. The food will be placed in those plastic bags and then tied with ribbon (the ones truffles/chocolates etc are put in).

Tbh cutlery wont be needed, well a knife will be to spread butter in their roll and to cut cheese. But other than that the cutlery will be used to eat the cakes for puds.

We are thinking about getting the sarnies made from a local sandwich company - so they will be fresh.

Bx

Okay, I'm not sure why my post came out so tiny... this is what I said:

If space is the issue, it sounds to me like it would be a WHOLE lot easier to just have a sit-down meal served. Then there's no need for any boxes, bags or anything... just plates and cutlery. There are plenty of caterers who will cook "off-site" and then bring the food, and they can even provide serving staff.

Alternatively, if you are able to do away with the tables entirely, the "picnic basket between 4" (or 6, or whatever) could work, with people sitting on rugs on the floor.

I don't mean to sound horrible, but why did you choose such a tiny reception venue if you knew how many people you were going to invite? And conversely, if you weren't sure of the guest list, why did you book a place without knowing how many people you would need to have there?

I think it is a lovely idea, and I agree with what Future Mrs J and lovelygirl are saying about doing a picnic basket between several people so everyone get bits they like and can swop around, I think the idea of rugs is cae too but you may need to have some tables for any oldies who might find sitting on floow difficult. It sounds like you are putting some fab stuff in them not school trip packed lunches. But if like me (and Im not a fussy eater at all) but someone doesnt like mushrooms and goats cheese their a bit limited to what they will be eating, whereas if you have a big basket you could have a selection of flavours or sarnies, tarts etc

Rugs on the floor is fine - if you've got a soft floor! My bum and joints wouldn't thank you if I had to sit on a blanket covered concrete floor for a couple of hours!

I didnt book anywhere, its my familys home. It has large rooms (Its a big house) however not big enough to seat 80 people. So we will be using two rooms next to each other.

We cannot afford a sit down meal, so the picnic/village theme is good for us, and it suits us. Plus a sit down meal is not what we want at our wedding. We are not having a typical wedding. I will be wearing a red 50s style dress, will be holding a bouquet of lollipops and having an humanist ceremony in the garden!

I would rather have a really good quality picnic style lunch rather than a cheap 3 course meal (because thats all we could afford, plus I wouldnt spend more on it as its only one day! I would rather save the money for Our life together)

We are both 'quirky' so dont want the normal thing.

Bx