What food do you serve at a summer wedding?

1. Keep it light

Heavy foods and full meals work well for the colder months, but in the summer, the tendency is for people to eat less. Buffet tables where people can graze during the day is ideal, but if this isn’t possible, then providing small tapas-style bowls with various light dishes for each person served to their seat is another alternative.

2. Summer savouries

Salads absolutely scream “summer time”, and they are light on the stomach. Salads needn’t be boring affairs, as there is a wide variety of recipes you could opt for, including savoury beet salad, chicken salad with dried cranberries and walnuts, or sweet potato and chicken salad. Nuts are a great addition to a salad (although do check if any of your guests have allergies), and you can include various optional dressings to add extra flavour.

Fish and seafood tend to make for a more summery dish than red meat. Poached salmon, crab cakes, or grilled scallops are excellent ideas for your summer menu. Serve them with seasonal vegetables such as asparagus, courgettes, and new potatoes for a delicious light main course.

The taste of grilled food brings to mind the aromatic flavour of garden barbecues and lazy hot summer afternoons. You could incorporate that outdoor flavour into your wedding menu with grilled vegetable kebabs.

3. Desserts

Think of summer and you think of strawberries. The quintessential British summertime goes hand in hand with these juicy red fruits, so serving them at a summer wedding is ideal. Fruits in general are very light, and taste sweet and refreshing in hot weather, so you may like to consider fruit baskets with a mélange of different fruits.

If you’re keeping it home grown, then a summer berry medley of blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and cherries would make a cheery addition to a strawberry fruit salad. Alternatively, if you fancy the addition of more tropical fruits, papaya, mango and pineapple make for a zesty combination.

Ice cream is an obvious choice for a summer wedding dessert. Mini ice cream cones keep this dessert small and eliminate the possibility of mess. Ensure any ice creams are served at the appropriate time to avoid melting if the weather is warm, and some wedding venues may have air conditioning, which will help.

Food coated in chocolate such as chocolate dipped strawberries are not the best idea for a summer wedding. They look beautiful, but this will not last very long, because as the temperature heats up, the chocolate will quickly pool into a sticky mess. A good alternative is a chocolate fountain or individual pots of pre-melted chocolate for dipping.

4. Drinks

Refreshing cool beverages with buckets of ice will cool down your guests at your summer wedding; the colder the better.

A good caterer will be able to advise you on their summer wedding specialities, so don’t be shy about discussing your ideas with them. We can offer you ideas here at Delamere Manor too.