Lovely young couple Sarah and Tim held their big day at their local church – the very spacious and well-appointed Kings Church in Hastings.

al-fresco wedding

What a great venue this is, plenty of parking, a huge hall for the ceremony, a large dining area, and plenty of adjoining rooms not to mention a wonderful outside terrace and lawn area. You can see why members of this church would want to take full advantage of what’s on offer.

From the off, Sarah and Tim were adamant that they wanted the meal to be outside on picnic benches and homemade palette tables with blankets on the ground and picnic hampers set down on the grass. Well, as a caterer alarm bells were already ringing – we know only too well how unpredictable the British weather can be and this was going to be a huge gamble!

So a back up plan of eating indoors had to be in place – but thankfully, despite a bit of a wobble with the weather the day before – it wasn’t needed. In fact, the weather was perfect; dry, but not too hot, which was ideal as there were lots of little ones, and several elderly guests who may not have coped with some of the record-breaking high temperatures we’d had in the weeks leading up to Sarah and David’s big day.

With the older folk being placed on the large picnic tables on the terrace with proper chairs, the younger crowd (including the bride and groom) were enjoying the fun of being at the palette tables with blankets on the ground. And the tables looked great. Obviously we couldn’t set the tables until the day but when we arrived to do so, the tables were all in place, covered with simple cloths, and decorated with simple flowers in glass vases. It looked perfect.

al-fresco wedding

The hamper food was the perfect option for this wedding, added to the informal and sociable feel. The hampers were set down and everyone tucked in. Being outside the kids were free to run around and get up when they fancied without parents having the stress of rushing around after them while they are eating. The huge bouncy castle on the lawn was another huge attraction for the kids (and some adults as well who just couldn’t resist)!

Sarah and Tim chose picnic favourites such as quiche, sliced gammon, sausage rolls, tarts and homemade coronation chicken for their hamper menu. With salads and bread to accompany the meal it was clear to see why this food is so ideal for feeding all ages and appetites. Dessert was plated and put down alternately to guests which always adds a bit of fun. Desserts were our amazing brownies and another favourite – Sussex banoffee pie.

After a leisurely meal speeches were held outside with Prosecco brought round on trays.

While we were clearing away guests had the freedom to mill around inside or outside. Just before we left we set up a cheese board for a bit later on which was to be enjoyed along with the wedding cake. This is a great evening option as in some venues they are happy for us to set up and leave, which not only keeps staff costs down for the bride and groom, but means we get an early finish on a Saturday evening, so it’s win-win!

Our first al-fresco wedding was such a huge success and we are so thankful that the weather behaved itself so that Sarah and Tim and all of their guests could enjoy what was a perfect day all round.