Seated or Standing? The Traditional Wedding Breakfast Gets a Makeover!

Traditionally the meal at a wedding is referred to as a Wedding Breakfast (regardless of the time of day) as it is the first meal that a newlywed couple will share together and what better to start married life than with your favourite food! 

Over the last few years there has been a surge in couples choosing menus or dishes that really resonate with them and tie in with their particular wedding theme and one of the things that is so exciting about wedding planning are the changes in trends and personal tastes and the growing popularity of a standing reception over a seated dinner is something that really excites me. 

I recently had the pleasure of working with a couple who came back from NYC to London for their wedding and chose the gorgeous Ace Hotel, Shoreditch as their venue. There were two things that my clients were adamant about...

1) There was to be no sit down dinner 

2) They wanted a really fun party and to be able to continuously mingle with their guests

Originally the idea was to offer a rolling food service as well as two or three food stations that represented places the couple had travelled together. As always with wedding planning, initial ideas are moulded and adapted to suit budget, service and schedule requirements and in the end my clients chose a menu that required a standing food service only with no food stations but gave us the opportunity to provide a range of seating options for guests and to provide a faster food service without interrupting the flow of conversation. 

Not only does a bowl food menu allow for guests to really interact with each other but it also made for a lot of talking points throughout and the overall feeling during the day was one of high energy! 

For those couples looking to really utilise one space throughout they wedding this style of service made it so easy to turn a room for the next stage of the day - especially great for couples on a tighter budget that want to continually wow their guests! 

If you are considering a standing event then see if any the points below help to sway you... 

- No seating Plan

Ah the dreaded table plan is null and void with a standing menu! 

- Keep it Civilised

Couples with divorced / remarried parents may find it easier to offer a menu like this instead of having to decide if there should be a top table, who should sit on it or how to keep divorced parents apart. 

- Menu Variation

With a bowl food/ food station menu there is no need to stick to just one meat and vegetarian dish but you can offer guests a range of amazing food and it can be easier to cater for dietary requirements. 

- Instagram Worthy 

With smaller dishes and food stations couples have the ability to get super creative with the way the food is plated and displayed i.e. different styles of dishes, incorporating edible garnishes, different utensils etc. 

- Mingle, mingle, mingle  

Now more than ever guests come from all over to celebrate loved ones weddings and couples always feel that they haven't had enough time with everyone and this style of service definitely helps with ensuring you have as much time as possible to spend time with all your nearest and dearest. 

Happy planning! 

Sarah 

Emerald & Mae