When most couples picture their wedding day, they imagine the beautiful ceremony, the speeches, the décor, the dress, and dancing the night away with their friends and family… oh, and the partner of course.
All of that is important, but people talk about those parts all the time. What is slightly different here at River Cottage is that behind the scenes, another big part of the day is the food. We work with a lot of what we call “foodie couples,” people who want their day to be phenomenal but the food to be even better.
The food journey for your wedding at River Cottage is a story of seasonal ingredients, precise timing, creativity and care. It all starts long before your wedding day!
The Menu Begins in the Garden
For a River Cottage chef, your wedding menu begins with the season you are getting married in. What is thriving in the garden shapes your dishes: vibrant leaves, herbs bursting with aroma, newly pulled roots and edible flowers. Your meal is not just served, it is grown, nurtured and chosen for that exact moment in time.
Crafting a Menu That Reflects You
Our chefs are not just cooking, they are interpreting your story. Your favourite flavours, shared travels, dietary needs and the atmosphere you want to create all feed into the menu.
A good wedding dish is not only delicious, it feels personal. You get to craft your wedding menu from scratch, making it the perfect reflection of you as a couple. Plus, you get to eat the food you actually love, and why shouldn’t you? It is your wedding day afterall!
One of our favourite parts of the process is the menu meeting, where we work with you to design your completely bespoke dishes.
Just one note: choose a season you genuinely love. We will not be making strawberry pavlova in winter….
The Quiet Magic Before the Ceremony
While you are getting ready, the kitchen comes alive. Stocks simmer, bread rises and vegetables are chopped with precision. The day before your wedding it is all systems go, calm, focused and purposeful. Our team works like a well-rehearsed orchestra.
Every plate and canapé is designed to feel generous, seasonal and full of heart.
Timing Is Everything
From the moment your ceremony begins, the chefs work to your rhythm. They watch the weather, the light, the pace of speeches and the flow of guests. They adjust and adapt so every course arrives perfectly timed. Great service is almost invisible and the experience is unforgettable.
Serving a Shared Experience
At River Cottage, dining is about much more than food on a plate. It is about shared platters, guests leaning in to pass dishes, conversations flowing and laughter around the table.
Our chefs also introduce each dish themselves, sharing what you are eating, where it came from and, if you like, the story behind it, especially if the couple has a personal connection to the ingredients and dishes chosen.
The Chef’s Favourite Moment
Ask any chef and they will tell you the same. The best part is seeing empty plates come back. Not because the food is gone, but because your guests truly enjoyed what was created and served as the perfect meal for our happy couple.
Are you a foodie couple who wants your wedding meal to be a true reflection of you both? We are now taking bookings for 2026 and 2027 and would love to chat about your day and whether a River Cottage wedding might be the perfect fit.
Photos by: Sam Gibson Photography, Helen Lisk Photography
