Short, straight answers to the questions we're asked most about planning and catering an event, from hiring a wedding planner to halal and kosher menus.
For weddings and large events, get in touch three to six months ahead. Popular dates go first, so the sooner you enquire, the more choice you have over menus, tastings and team. If your date is closer than that, ask anyway: we have planned events at much shorter notice when the diary allows.
Wedding planning and catering →Corporate lunches, private dinners and parties can often be arranged at shorter notice than weddings. We have planned events in as little as two weeks. If you have a fixed date in mind, the earlier you enquire the better, because the diary fills up around busy seasons.
Corporate lunch catering →December fills up quickly, so book Christmas and festive catering at least six to eight weeks ahead. That applies to office parties, family Christmas dinners and New Year's Eve events alike. If your date is sooner, still ask: we'll tell you straight away whether we can take it on.
Christmas and festive catering →The essentials are your date, rough guest count, venue or postcode, the type of event and the style of food you have in mind. Dietary requirements and any budget range help too. With those, we can design a menu around your event and send a detailed quote with no hidden costs.
Send us your event details →No. We have catered intimate dinners for ten and celebrations for 400 or more, and every event gets the same attention. Smaller numbers often let our chefs be more creative, with tasting-menu courses and personal touches that are harder to do at scale.
Small and intimate wedding catering →Yes. Nelle plans and coordinates events from first concept to final clear-down: timelines, supplier liaison, venue logistics, staffing and day-of direction, alongside the menu. Because the planning and the kitchen are one team, there are no gaps between what's promised and what's served.
Event planning and coordination →Yes. Every catering booking includes planning and coordination from Sharonelle, our founder. She agrees timings with your venue and other suppliers, plans the service with you and oversees the catering on the day. If you'd like the whole event planned, full event planning is available as a separate service.
Meet Sharonelle →Every event is designed from scratch, so we don't publish fixed packages or prices. Your quote depends on guest numbers, menu, style of service, staffing and venue. Once we understand your event, we send a detailed, transparent quote with no hidden costs, and there's no obligation to book.
Ask for a quote →An event planner turns your ideas into a plan and then runs it. That covers finding the venue, booking and managing suppliers, setting the budget and timeline, shaping the look of the event and directing everything on the day. Our planning is led by Sharonelle, who has delivered over 110 events.
Event planning and coordination →A wedding planner works with you from the start, often from the venue search, and plans every detail. An on-the-day coordinator takes over plans you've already made, confirms suppliers in the lead-up and runs the day. Choose a planner if you want help with decisions, and a coordinator if you only need the day managed.
On-the-day wedding coordination →Ideally before you book the venue, so the venue, date and budget are chosen with the whole day in mind. If you've already booked some suppliers, partial planning or on-the-day coordination can start later. Popular dates book up for planners as well as venues, so it's worth asking early.
Wedding planning →Partial planning is for couples who've already booked some of the big pieces, such as the venue or photographer, and want a professional to organise the rest. The planner fills the gaps, manages every supplier, builds the timeline and runs the day, without redoing what you've already decided.
Full and partial wedding planning →Yes. A planner coordinates every supplier, including a venue's in-house caterer. Sharonelle plans events with any caterer, and House of Nelle's own catering is entirely optional, so you can book planning on its own and keep the caterer your venue requires.
Wedding planning →A corporate event manager turns your brief into an event that runs to time: venue sourcing, suppliers such as AV and production, the run of show, guest registration and seating, and managing everything on the day. We plan conferences, launches, client dinners, awards nights and Christmas parties, with complete discretion.
Corporate event management →Yes. Sharonelle plans milestone birthdays, anniversaries and family celebrations in private homes and gardens as well as at venues. She handles the layout, suppliers, styling and timings, and runs the party on the night, so you can enjoy it with your guests.
Private party planning →Event styling is the design of how your event looks: the colour palette, table styling, florals, lighting, signage and room layout. We create the concept, work with trusted florists and décor suppliers to deliver it, and oversee the setup on the day. Styling can be booked alone or with planning.
Event styling and décor →It can cover the whole day: morning refreshments, a canapé reception, the wedding breakfast, an evening buffet, a dessert table and wine service. We also plan timings, liaise with your venue and other suppliers, and run the event team on the day, so you can choose as much or as little as you need.
Wedding planning and catering →Usually, yes. If the celebration runs into the night, or extra guests arrive for the evening, people will be hungry again a few hours after the main meal. An evening buffet, food station or late-night snack keeps energy up. We'll suggest timings that fit your running order.
Wedding catering options →Yes. We cater weddings of ten to fifty guests at boutique venues and at home, with the same quality as our largest events. With fewer guests, we can offer tasting-menu courses, family-style sharing dishes and personal touches that suit an intimate celebration.
Small and intimate wedding catering →Yes. We cater marquee, tipi, garden and field weddings and bring the cooking equipment we need. The main requirements are access to power and water, which we confirm with you and the venue in advance, along with a plan for bad weather.
Outdoor and marquee wedding catering →Yes. For Indian, South Asian and other multi-day weddings we cater each event separately, such as the mehndi, sangeet, ceremony and reception, with its own menu and style of service. Working with one caterer across all the days keeps quality and coordination consistent.
Indian wedding catering →Yes. Desserts are created by our Head of Desserts, Ryan Pinheiro, a Bake Off: The Professionals finalist and former Head Pastry Chef at The Ivy. He designs bespoke cakes, dessert tables and plated desserts, including options that blend different cultural traditions.
Meet Ryan and the team →Many caterers supply only the food and staff, so check what's included before you compare quotes. Ours is a complete package: chefs, front-of-house and bar staff, plus crockery, glassware, linen and drinks. You won't need to arrange separate hire companies, and your quote lists everything that's covered.
Event planning and staffing →Yes. We bring the cooking equipment and serving ware we need, which is why we can cater homes, marquees and venues without a full kitchen. We just need access to power and water, and we agree the setup with you and the venue beforehand.
Outdoor and marquee catering →For weddings, parties and private dining, our chefs cook fresh on site rather than reheating trays prepared elsewhere. For office and corporate lunches, we can either deliver beautifully presented food or send chefs to prepare it on site, depending on what suits your space and schedule.
Corporate lunch catering →One coordinator runs the event from setup to clear-down and is your single point of contact. They brief the kitchen, front-of-house and other suppliers, keep the timeline on track and handle anything unexpected, so you and your guests can enjoy the day.
Event planning and coordination →Yes. Clearing down is part of the service. At private dinners at home, we leave your kitchen as we found it. At venues, we clear our kitchen and service areas and follow the venue's own rules for access times and rubbish removal.
Private chef hire →It depends on the venue. Some only allow their in-house caterer, some have an approved-supplier list, and others welcome any external caterer, sometimes for an extra fee. Check your venue contract before you book anyone. If you're unsure, send us the venue name and we'll help you find out.
Venues we have catered at →Requirements vary, but many venues ask external caterers for public liability insurance, food hygiene documents, a risk assessment, and agreed times for kitchen access, deliveries and clear-down. Some only allow caterers on their approved-supplier list. We hold public liability insurance and handle this paperwork with your venue's events team.
Venues we have catered at →Often, yes. We bring our own cooking equipment and set up a working kitchen in a marquee, barn or back room, as long as there is power, water and enough space. We'll check the venue's layout and rules with you before confirming the menu.
Outdoor and marquee catering →Yes. We have worked at hotels, country estates, stadiums and private homes across London and the Home Counties, so we can suggest spaces that suit your guest count, style and budget. Once you choose, we handle the venue liaison for catering and logistics.
Browse our venues →Yes. We cater dinner parties, birthdays and family celebrations at home, from canapés to sharing feasts to a private chef cooking a tasting menu in your kitchen. We bring what we need, work with the space you have and leave the kitchen clean.
Private chef hire →Halal-certified usually means a recognised certification body has checked the supplier or kitchen. Halal-friendly or halal-sourced means halal ingredients are used, but the kitchen itself isn't certified. When you ask us for halal, we plan a fully halal menu and source from certified halal suppliers. Ask any caterer exactly how they source and prepare food.
Halal wedding catering →We offer kosher-style menus and can work with kosher-certified suppliers. Kosher-style food follows kosher customs, such as not mixing meat and dairy, but isn't prepared under rabbinical supervision. If your event needs full certification, tell us early so we can discuss the options.
Jewish wedding catering →Yes. We regularly create fully vegetarian and vegan Indian menus, including Jain-friendly dishes without onion or garlic. Tell us which guests or events need them when you enquire, and we'll build those dishes into the menu from the start rather than as a last-minute swap.
Indian wedding catering →Yes. We cook Nigerian and West African dishes such as jollof rice, suya, egusi and small chops, fresh on site, and cater both the traditional ceremony and the white wedding. Many couples choose a different menu for each, and we can serve large guest numbers.
Nigerian and African wedding catering →Yes. Alongside Christmas and New Year, we cater Diwali, Eid and other festive celebrations. Each menu is designed around the festival's traditions and your guests' dietary needs, at home or at a venue, and with a Goan-born Head Chef, these menus are never an afterthought.
Festive celebration catering →Tell us about your event and we'll answer anything we haven't covered here, along with a no-obligation quote.
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