Summer Weddings and Events: Great Food, Beautiful Venues & Making the Most of Your Day

Longer days, lighter evenings, gardens in bloom and, with a bit of luck, sunshine. It’s the perfect time of year to bring everyone together.

At Papadeli, we cater for weddings in all sorts of places — grand historic buildings in Bristol, beautiful country houses, rustic barns, marquees, gardens and even fields. And while every wedding is different, there are a few things we’ve learnt along the way about what makes a summer celebration really work.

For us, a great wedding starts with the food.

We’ve always believed that wedding food should be generous, relaxed and delicious. There’s something lovely about food arriving in the middle of the table on platters and boards, being passed around and shared between friends and family. It creates a much more relaxed atmosphere and gives everyone something to talk about. Rather than feeling overly formal, it allows everyone to settle in, enjoy the food and, most importantly, enjoy being together. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with a beautifully presented plated meal if that’s what you’ve always imagined for your wedding. But don’t feel that you have to follow a particular format simply because it’s a wedding.

We’re lucky to work in some fantastic wedding venues across Bristol and Somerset, and one of the things we love most is that they’re all completely different.

The food and the way it’s served can work with the character of the venue, rather than trying to make every wedding the same.

St George’s Bristol for weddings and events

St George’s Bristol has an incredible sense of history, while its gardens provide a lovely opportunity to get outside during the drinks reception. Being right in the city also gives it a very different feel from a countryside wedding. It’s a venue that can work beautifully for both larger celebrations and more intimate weddings, and we love the opportunity to bring Papadeli’s relaxed, generous style of food into such a characterful space. St George’s is a magical mix of historic building, where the tables are set up for guests, and contemporary spaces in the new extension, which is bright and modern and ideal for mingling and chatting.

Clifton Observatory

It’s difficult to imagine a more iconic Bristol backdrop. It has a wonderful inside space for seated dining and dancing and has a fabulous roof terrace. With its incredible views across the city and the Clifton Suspension Bridge, the Observatory is a pretty extraordinary place to celebrate. For a summer wedding, the setting lends itself perfectly to a relaxed drinks reception before moving through to dinner and an evening of celebrating and dancing.

Circomedia

If you’re looking for something a little different, Circomedia is a venue that makes an impression. Set in St Paul’s Church on Portland Square, right in the heart of Bristol, Circomedia combines the character of a historic Georgian church with something much more unexpected — it is, after all, home to one of Bristol’s most distinctive contemporary circus spaces. It lends itself perfectly to dramatic styling and the entertainment never fails to draw gasps and amazement with the trapeze artists swinging high above the guests. It’s a brilliant example of a venue where you can really embrace your personality. A summer wedding here could start with drinks and canapés before moving into dinner, followed by dancing —and of course, some circus entertainment. It’s certainly not your traditional wedding venue, and that’s exactly what makes it so much fun.

Winterbourne Medieval Barn

If history and character are more your thing, Winterbourne Medieval Barn is something rather special. Dating back to the 14th century, the Barn provides a wonderfully atmospheric setting just outside Bristol. It’s a venue that naturally lends itself to a more relaxed and rustic style of celebration. We love the idea of long tables, sharing food, drinks outside and guests settling in for an evening of eating, chatting and celebrating.

Ashton Court Mansion

As a Bristol event space, this is the new kid on the block. Despite being an iconic Bristol building with so much history, it has recently been tastefully renovated and is now open for events and weddings. With its historic mansion and acres of surrounding parkland, there are plenty of opportunities to make the most of being outside. Drinks in the grounds, photographs in the sunshine and then a feast with friends and family make for a pretty perfect summer combination. As one of the venue’s preferred caterers, we know the space and enjoy working with couples to create a menu and day that feels completely personal to them.

Barley Wood

Over in Somerset, Barley Wood has a very different feel again. The beautiful house, gardens and stunning surrounding countryside create the perfect setting for a wedding that feels like a real celebration with family and friends. We’ve catered for  weddings here where the food has been very much part of the experience — generous sharing dishes, relaxed service and plenty of time and space for guests to enjoy themselves.

And sometimes the venue is a field or a barn

Not every wedding takes place in a traditional wedding venue. We’ve also catered for large outdoor celebrations where the setting has been a field, with a marquee providing the space for everyone to eat, drink and celebrate. Sometimes the happy couple’s family have a lovely field or barn, so we bring everything to them!

These weddings can be some of the most memorable and of course personal — but they also require a little more planning behind the scenes.

Where does the catering team set up? Is there power? What happens if it rains? How far is the kitchen from the marquee? How will everything get in and out? These aren’t necessarily the things you want to spend your wedding day thinking about, which is why having an experienced events catering team involved early can make such a difference. We’re very used to working in spaces that weren’t necessarily designed as kitchens or restaurants. We can work with the venue, the planner and the couple to make sure all those practical details are taken care of.

Because when the big day arrives, you should be thinking about enjoying yourself and your guests doing so too — not where to plug in the fridge!

This is just a taster of some of the stunning event spaces there are in Bristol and surrounding areas – we haven’t mentioned Walton Castle (a Somerset tower), Bristol Old Vic Theatre (get married on a stage!) not to mention many church halls and parish halls. Oh and don’t forget, for a more intimate wedding or party, the Forge is a gorgeous venue in the centre of Bristol.

If you’re planning a wedding or large event in Bristol or surrounding areas (Somerset, Gloucestershire, South East Wales or parts of the Cotswolds – we’ll travel up to an hour away) reach out and we’ll help you make your ideas a reality!

Email Lou , our professional, super organised and lovely events planning manager.