Wedding Is this enough food?

[taovandel]

Having a late wedding (ceremony will take place around 8 p.m.) with about 100 guests.

The venue is an Aquarium--so we didn''t want our guests tied to their tables, we want them to walk around and explore.

After much debate and arguing we finally settled on a heavy hors d''ouerves menu for the above reasons.

So the potential food is as follows:

3 butler passed items

Shrimp Cocktail (100 pieces)
Beef Skewers (50 pieces)
Chicken Quesadillas (50 pieces)

3 Stationary Appetizers
Fruit Display (Enough for 50 ppl)
Cheese Display (enough for 50 ppl)
Bruschetta Bar--includes tenderloin, spinach and artichoke dip, tomatoes, etc for 50 people

Also a heavy food station--for 100 people
2 types of pasta with two sauces
vegetable
Assorted Bread

3 Hour Bar---Wine, Beer and Liquor

Comes to just under 5,000.

It seems like enough to me, but I''m worried about most items only being enough for 50 people when we are actually 100 people. But what are the chances that every single guest will eat at the same station, right?

We haven''t signed anything yet..so give me some advice!

 

[Stephanie]

How awesome to be at an aquarium?! That sounds wonderful.

As for the food, it''s so hard to judge. Some foods people grab more than one piece or for more than one person. I think that the fruit and the cheese will be these types of items. You might want to up those to 75 maybe.

 

[Deelight]

I could have a really skewed view here as growing up in a European household if you had to feed 10 people you would cook for 20, just in case of unexpected guests.

I could see people maxing out on certain items (i.e shrimp, beef, cheese) and others missing out but I guess it depends are your friends really big eaters? I would personally be inclined to go more but as I said my opinion is skewed.

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

I think the passed ones are fine. Any caterer will tell you people eat less of passed food, so those are fine.

For the set apatizers (sp), you may want more. In my wedding, the 50 fruit would be fine if not more than enough, but we would probably have closer to 150 on the cheeses just because we have a lot of people on both sides who LOVE good cheese.

Two questions about the stations, are the people serving themselves? If so, how big is a "serving" according to your venue? If people get to serve themsevles, they will take more food, its why sit down weddings are often cheaper. If the servings are a good size and the servers are picking the size, not the guests, you will have plenty.

 

[havernell]

Have you talked to your catering company about how much food you should provide? They would probably have the best idea since they are the professionals after all!

Here's my two cents on the matter. I actually respectfully disagree with some of the above posters regarding which type of appetizers people eat more of. Based on the weddings I've attended (and what I've read during my own reseearch into what to serve at our cocktail hour), people always eat the passed appetizers (because they are brought right to them), but cheese and fruit displays are always still half full by the end of cocktail hour. So, in light of that, I think that your fruit and cheese portions sounds good to me, and I'd leave them as is.

I would, however, strongly consider upping your passed hors d'oeuvres. What you have now only affords two pieces per person. That sounds a bit skimpy to me, especially because some people may take three or four pieces the first time the tray passes them (especially the shrimp), and then other people are left with nothing. I really think there should at least be enough of each piece for every guest to try one (if not two). I'd be kind of put off if half of my friends got to try the quesadillas but I didn't get any! Also, with such a late start to your reception, people may be really hungry at the cocktail hour. So, I'd give them more passed appetizers up front (especially since a full meal isn't following). I've read that caterers usually suggest 6-8 pieces per person of passed hors d'oeuvres. I'm not saying you have to provide quite that many per person, but two sounds like way too few. Perhaps 4 per person (for a total of 400 pieces) would be a good compromise?

ETA: When you say cheese "enough for 50 people" I assume you mean that it's more than 50 pieces of cheese. It will really be more like 4-5 pieces of cheese per person, right? That's been my understanding of "displays" from caterers I've talked to.

Good luck figuring it all out!

 

[Gypsy]

Okay honestly? Not enough, IMO. If you don't want to increase the number of selections of passed, I would increase the passed to at least 75 a person on the chicken and beef. Shrimp cocktail I would estimate at two a person-- every caterer I've talked to has told me to either not get shrimp cocktail or to get enough for two people a piece even if they are passed. They go quick. I just nixed them as I didn't want to pay for that many shrimp (2.25 EACH at my caterer!). I'd personally nix the shrimp... increase to 4 types of passed, and do everything at 75-100 a person.

And I would include a carving station with something substantial... like turkey, pork loin, roast beef... etc. If that's too pricey --do a meat in chafing dishes. Chicken marsala, or picata, or something right next to the pasta station.

I know it's a late night event, but people eat at weddings, and the last thing you want people to say is that there wasn't enough food.

The Aquarium sounds amazing.

 

[allycat0303]

I have to agree with Gypsy on this. It really doesn''t seem like enough to me. I think at a wedding, it is always good to have more. FSIL actually went to catered wedding where there wasn''t enough food for everyone, and she still talks about it 4 years later! I don''t think of myself as a gourmet girl, but typically at an event like this, I do take one of everything (and yes, it can happen that I take one bite and decide to throw it out) but I do take 1 of everything. And then I decide what I like and return to stock up. I sound like a pig, but there it is.

I would try or 100 of everything if the budget will allow it.

 

[taovandel]

Thank you all so much for your help...I''ll have to go back and see what I can do.

The original plan was a seated dinner but the total with bar came up to nearly 7000. The next plan was a buffet with two entree options and with three butler passed items and a bar that came up to 6500. My parents are paying, so I''m trying to have something nice but not expensive as anything over 10,000 my ff and I will have to pay.

My plan B menu idea was the buffet, but only having one entree option (A turkey Dish---we are both born in November and our birthday''s occasionally fall on thanksgiving), with three butler passed items and the bar.

I''m thinking more and more that it will be a much better plan to just go that way and they can just explore after they finish eating.

 

[Stephanie]

Date: 7/25/2008 5:18:10 PM
Author: taovandel
Thank you all so much for your help...I''ll have to go back and see what I can do.

The original plan was a seated dinner but the total with bar came up to nearly 7000. The next plan was a buffet with two entree options and with three butler passed items and a bar that came up to 6500. My parents are paying, so I''m trying to have something nice but not expensive as anything over 10,000 my ff and I will have to pay.

My plan B menu idea was the buffet, but only having one entree option (A turkey Dish---we are both born in November and our birthday''s occasionally fall on thanksgiving), with three butler passed items and the bar.

I''m thinking more and more that it will be a much better plan to just go that way and they can just explore after they finish eating.

You can always ask for a discount. You''d be surprised how far you can get just by asking.

I know that shrimp is usually expensive. Could you just take that off the butler passed items and up the number of the other two passed items? Also, do you want to keep the liquor? An open beer and wine bar are much less expensive than having all three options.

 

[taovandel]

I definitely want the liquor

The shrimp is actually not that expensive compared to the other items on the list of possible food.

I''m definitely asking for a discount---can''t hurt to ask. Plus the Fiance knows a few people that work at the place, so hopefully that will help us out a lot.

I have a meeting with the catering manager in early August---so I''ll be able to hash out some things with her then.

Thanks again everyone for the advice!

 

[D2B]

Yep, would agree that doesnt sound like enough food - that is one area where I am really consciouse off and would want to ensure guests are full, better to have left overs than not enough

d2b

 

[purrfectpear]

I hope I don''t sound greedy but it would never occur to me to take 1 shrimp? I''m sure if the shrimp came rolling by me I''d probably put at least 2, or 3 on my plate.

 

[iheartscience]

Date: 7/26/2008 3:25:13 PM
Author: purrfectpear
I hope I don''t sound greedy but it would never occur to me to take 1 shrimp? I''m sure if the shrimp came rolling by me I''d probably put at least 2, or 3 on my plate.

Hahaha-ditto! I agree with some of the others that it''s probably not enough food...but it sounds like you have some other good options to choose from! Good luck figuring it all out-so many decisions!

 

[Blackpaw]

Im afraid I have to agree that more food is necessary. Ive been to a couple of weddings that didnt provide enough food, and dont remember them fondly - though at one in particular everyone got so ridiculously drunk because of lack of food, and the MOB was seen spewing in a flower garden at 9pm

I enjoyed that ALOT!!!!!

Good luck with it, try to get some good deals out of the caterers, and if you end up with too much, well you can freeze it and avoid cooking for the first few weeks of married life!

 

[FrekeChild]

Ok, so I''m a total nutcase, but when I''m presented with Shrimp Cocktail, I can eat enough of it for about 20 people-and I probably wouldn''t eat much else. Heh. Seriously, I love Shrimp Cocktail.

Having said that, I agree with everyone else, you need to up the food. But it sounds like you''ve decided to do the buffet thing instead, so...yeah.

 

[purrfectpear]

Date: 7/27/2008 1:35:09 PM
Author: FrekeChild
Ok, so I''m a total nutcase, but when I''m presented with Shrimp Cocktail, I can eat enough of it for about 20 people-and I probably wouldn''t eat much else. Heh. Seriously, I love Shrimp Cocktail.

Having said that, I agree with everyone else, you need to up the food. But it sounds like you''ve decided to do the buffet thing instead, so...yeah.

Good think Freke and I aren''t on the invite list