You wouldn’t believe how quickly time disappears on your wedding day. One minute you’re sat in hair and makeup, the next it’s pitch black outside and guests are either drifting off to their rooms or hailing taxis home. The problem with this is that it means couples end up stretched thin – circling the room, grabbing a bite when they can, stopping for photos and still trying to actually enjoy themselves. Plenty discover too late that it’s impossible to squeeze everything in and still manage to spend quality time with their favourite people before the day is over.
Thankfully, there’s a simple fix, and it’s one that’s been growing in popularity lately: the welcome dinner. Though they’re not a new concept, welcome dinners or rehearsal dinners as they’re sometimes called, are quickly becoming a staple at most weddings as they give couples an extra day to celebrate.
Here’s how it works. On the eve of the wedding, you gather your most important guests for a relaxed evening where you can chat, catch up and tuck into something delicious without one eye on the itinerary. It’s a lovely way to let your hair down before the big day and a handy way to introduce friends and family who haven’t met yet, too.
For our latest client, a welcome dinner was exactly what they’d been looking for, so they got in touch with Hog Roast Minehead and asked for one of our most laid-back menus: the Southern Slow Roast.
Packed with soulful Deep Southern flavour, this rustic, seriously hearty spread was the ideal way to get 50 guests in a celebratory mood
without anything feeling stiff or formal. And with plenty of variety on offer – BBQ pork butt, Texan beef brisket, Cajun-spiced chicken, grilled vegetable kebabs and BBQ pulled jackfruit – everyone had something to get excited about. Hog Roast Minehead also added a trio of sauces
to the mix, plus Greek salad, gourmet coleslaw, potato salad and a combination of sweet potato and classic fries with plenty of sauces on the side for dunking and dipping. And for
the four children in attendance, our mac and cheese proved an excellent extra.
Guests couldn’t get enough and the happy couple were delighted they’d gone ahead with a welcome dinner, since it gave them more time with their loved ones. More than that though, they were thrilled they’d handed the catering over to Hog Roast Minehead and couldn’t thank our team enough for the delicious spread we prepared.