Goodbye wedding breakfast, hello hog roast

Data revealed by Yorkshire based HRH Group has shown that couples are changing up the traditional wedding format to do away with formalities and spend more time celebrating with loved ones - potentially a hangover from COVID when so many weddings were cancelled and families and friends kept apart for so long. The group, which offers bespoke weddings from The Yorkshire Hotel in Harrogate, is noting an increased trend for customers shunning the formal sit down meal after their ceremony and diving in feet first to what used to be the ‘night do’, but is now very much the main event for many celebrations.

Interior dining room at wedding venue

The weddings team has seen a huge increase in bigger evening dos with food instead of a wedding breakfast. Couples that do still want a formal meal, are in the main choosing to have theirs on the night before the wedding with the immediate wedding party as their guests.

Then the big day itself is focussed on dancing, drinking and informal food choices. The hotel's big favourites for 2022 have been burgers with Chorizo jam, smoked Applewood and skinny fries, buttermilk chicken, beer battered haddock with minted peas, proper chips and homemade tartare and a hog roast! One thing that hasn't changed is dessert - the top selling wedding dessert at the hotel since it launched its new wedding venue remains Sticky Toffee Pudding!

Simon Cotton, Managing Director of HRH Group, said: "We have noticed a real shift so far in 2022. Our brides and grooms are wanting to enjoy their wedding days more and reduce the stress and formality. They are choosing a small dinner the night before, then a ceremony followed by a bigger party and skipping the wedding breakfast. Rather than a buffet for evening guests, they are going for informal dining options such as burgers or the hog roast. As many of 40% have done this so far this year.

"What these changes haven't meant is a reduction in budgets though. Brides certainly aren't choosing cheaper options and most are using this new format to invite 50 per cent more guests but they are spending more on making sure that their guests really enjoy themselves with more money often going behind the bar. We are tweaking our offering accordingly ensuring that the bespoke weddings we curate at The Yorkshire Hotel have as many options as possible to offer our couples a truly dream day."

In response to these trends HRH Group has made some changes to the sample menus it offers at The Yorkshire Hotel. The 81 room boutique hotel offers a 100 per cent bespoke service for all wedding meals but guests do often ask to see examples so the hotel now offers a range from five course fine dining to much less traditional 'fast food' options and buffets with a twist, alongside street food and the hog roast.

The four star hotel's brand-new wedding suite has been tastefully designed by leading interior design teams to create a stylish wedding venue, complementing the hotel's Victorian heritage whilst hosting everything the modern-day happy couple could dream of on their special day. Its range of packages are carefully crafted to combine delicious dining from the group's AA rosette head chef, Richard Ferebee, and drinks options blended by barman of the year, Dario Silveria.

With an elegant Victorian exterior, the Yorkshire Hotel was built-in 1818 with its incredible rooftop view of the town and 81 bedrooms.
It is the perfect choice for a short break, family holiday or business trip with world famous Bettys Tea Rooms and Harrogate International Centre on the doorstep, plus some of Yorkshire's best known attractions only a short stroll away, the town centre hotel offers a great stay in an ideal location.
Visit: https://www.the-yorkshire.co.uk/weddings/wedding-trends/

You may also be interested in

Keepsakes to Treasure with House of Janneke

Keepsakes to Treasure with House of Janneke

Lifestyle brand House of Janneke is expanding its collection of meaningful keepsakes with two new titles: The Book of Special Guests and The Book of Special Recipes, designed to preserve the people, stories and traditions that matter most. Following the success of The Book of Special Days, founder Janneke Simpson has created two beautifully presented books that encourage owners to capture memories by hand, creating personal mementoes to revisit and pass down through generations.

READ ARTICLE

The A/W 2026 wedding trends: softer tailoring, richer tones and seasonal florals

The A/W 2026 wedding trends: softer tailoring, richer tones and seasonal florals

From chocolate and camel tailoring to dahlias and trailing amaranthus, autumn/winter weddings are embracing richer colours and softer styling. As the autumn/winter wedding season gets underway, couples are moving away from rigid, perfectly matched styling in favour of looks that feel more relaxed, personal and connected to the season. Jess Levick, Assistant Buyer at Suit Direct, shares the key tailoring and styling trends shaping A/W 2026 occasionwear, alongside Lucy Hook, Floral Lead at Bloom & Wild, who reveals the flowers, colours and textures set to be popular for bouquets and displays this season.

READ ARTICLE

What to do now to get your finances ready for 2027 

What to do now to get your finances ready for 2027 

Aileen Robertson, Tesco Bank's Head of Savings, has shared ways soon-to-be-wedded couples and newlyweds can build healthy savings habits and step into 2027 feeling more confident about their shared futures! Aileen Robertson, Head of Savings at Tesco Bank, comments: "The start of a new year often feels like the perfect opportunity for a fresh start, with people embracing resolutions and looking to turn over a new leaf. But creating new habits can take time as people settle back into their routines, and sometimes those good intentions never quite get off the ground. "If you're trying to stay on top of your finances in 2027, taking small steps now can make that journey much easier. It's important to remember that it's never too late, or too early, to start working towards your goals. Setting them is the first step, whether they're big or small, so think about what you want your money to do for you. From here you can start to work towards your goals, building good savings habits along the way, and see your money grow over time."

READ ARTICLE

Yankee Candle® launches limited-edition The Traitors collection

Yankee Candle® launches limited-edition The Traitors collection

Fans of the BBC's hit reality show The Traitors can bring a little intrigue into their homes this autumn with a limited-edition candle collection from Yankee Candle. Inspired by the BAFTA-winning series, the new collection features two Signature Large Jar Candles: Faithful and Traitor. Each fragrance represents a different side of the game, inviting fans to choose their allegiance while settling in for the latest round of suspicion, secrets and unexpected reveals. Faithful is designed to evoke comfort and calm, blending cashmere vanilla and rose with a warm amber base. Its soft, powdery fragrance is ideal for cosy evenings spent analysing clues and debating who can be trusted.

READ ARTICLE

Follow Your Yorkshire Wedding Magazine on Facebook

VISIT SITE

Submit your wedding to be featured in Your Yorkshire Wedding Magazine

VISIT SITE

Subscribe to Your Yorkshire Wedding Magazine for free

VISIT SITE

Blackwell Grange Hotel

VISIT SITE