When we last checked in with Arabella Golby, her July 2026 wedding at Harlaxton Manor was very nearly assembled – three dresses, a string quartet and a magician included. This time, the focus is the food – on which Arabella has firm opinions and an unwavering commitment to cake. “Eating cake is a legitimately important task – at what other point in my life will I have a reason?” she says.
From truffle canapes to a late-night fish and chip buffet, read on for the second instalment of Arabella’s I Do Diaries.
At a Glance
Venue & caterer: Harlaxton Manor (in-house catering)
Wedding date: July 2026
Guest count: 120
Service style: Plated three-course wedding breakfast, evening buffet
The Menu
The day begins after the ceremony with champagne, Pimm’s, elderflower and canapés (I do not love scarce canapés):
- Goats’ cheese bonbon with smoked relish
- Braised ox cheek and truffle
- Pork meatball, feta herb crumb, tomato and chilli dressing
- Smoked salmon and cream cheese blinis with roe
- British crab, crème fraîche and lime blinis
I’m not wild about family-style sharing plates – there’s almost never enough food, and the savaged remains start looking unappealing very quickly – so we are doing a three-course wedding breakfast. For dietaries, we made sure each course has at least one vegetarian option that can be made vegan.
To start, Wye Valley asparagus with crispy hen’s egg, pickled shallot, herb emulsion, whipped feta and dukkah; or teriyaki salmon with black sesame, pink grapefruit, wasabi, crème fraîche, dashi and charred cucumber. The main course is Lincolnshire beef fillet with braised ox cheek croquette, fondant potato, maple butternut purée and crispy kale; or spiced baby aubergine with artichoke, chard, crispy chickpea and red pepper purée.
And to finish, an assiette of desserts:
- Strawberry and vanilla shortcake
- Dark chocolate mousse with black cherry
- Granny’s baked egg custard tart with pistachio and nutmeg granola
My late Granny absolutely loved an egg custard, so naming the tart for her was an intentional nod.
The Drinks
Champagne after the ceremony, then an open bar until midnight. Limoncello shots will be poured down willing throats at 10pm.
The Cake
The cake tasting was easily in my top three wedding planning experiences. Two freshly baked selection boxes arrived at our home, beautifully presented, and I spent an afternoon on the sofa overanalysing bites of 15 miniature cakes.
The cake is by Clare Ellen Bakes, and she is an absolute artist – her piping and sugar flowers are spectacular. I described my vision and she sent back three hand-sketched designs; it took me a month to choose because any one of them would have thrilled me beyond expectation.
The final cake is four tiers, with traditional vintage-style piping, sugar flowers and our monogram. The flavours:
- Vanilla bean, strawberry and rosewater
- Chocolate truffle with pistachio
- Banana, sea salt caramel and dark chocolate
- Vanilla latte
It will absolutely be photographed, but there is no scenario in which I’m not eating a large proportion of it. I always eat the cake at weddings – the moment it’s put out, I’m in there like a rat up a drainpipe. My fiancé could have taken or left the idea; for me it was a non-negotiable. Wasting cake is a tragedy.
I love the idea of freezing some for anniversaries, though our freezer is currently full of dog food, so I’ll have to have a word with our beagle, Billy, and see if we can reach some sort of compromise on freezer space.
Late-Night
Fish and chips is one of our favourite takeaway treats, so the evening buffet is fish and chip shop themed: crispy battered fish goujons, battered sausages, vegetarian sausages and triple-cooked chips, with traditional chip shop sides and sauces.
It may not be sophisticated – but several drinks deep, who is concerned? I just want a sausage. It’s dancing fuel.
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