Example menu: 200 bacon-wrapped shrimp, 200 endive boats, 200 cheese and fig skewers, 200 mini chocolate tarts, crudités and fancy dip to fill in the corners Scenario: Second example — let’s say that you are serving cocktail hour bites to a crowd of 100 from 5pm to 6pm and then everyone is going to go off to dinner.
Full Answer
What is the best food to serve the day of wedding?
Great food options that can be frozen than reheated are mac and cheese, pasta sauces (cook pasta day of), lasagna (bake and serve day of), pulled pork, and veggies like carrots, corn and green beans. Also, grilling on large roasters the day of is a great laid back approach for or backyard or outdoor wedding.
How much food do I need for my wedding?
For a general guide on how much of each item your guests will eat, use our list below. Appetizers - 8 pieces of veggies with dip, 4 ounces of cheese, 1½ pounds of crackers per 20 guests, 1 pint of dip per 10 guests. Take into consideration how long guests will be waiting before dinner. Most guests will eat 6 to 8 appetizers per hour.
What are some low budget food ideas for affordable wedding catering?
8 Low-budget food ideas for affordable wedding catering. 1 Serve Appetizers: After the ceremony, guests are eager for cocktail hour to begin because drinks and appetizers are readily available. So, why not ... 2 Host a Brunch Wedding: 3 Order Takeout: 4 Skip Plated Meals: 5 Consider Family-Style Meals: More items
What do you need for a big event food list?
Dietary restrictions: You usually need a blend of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, and in this case I also needed a substantial amount of gluten-free and dairy-free options. Budget: Although food is not usually the most expensive part of a big event, certain types of food — especially alcohol, meat, and quality cheese — will quickly rack up.
How much is it to feed 200 people at a wedding?
Plated meals: This means that when guests sit down at their tables, wait staff brings them their meals in courses. Though the costs for this type of service can vary depending on the number of waiters you have and the kind of food you serve, the average cost for plated meal catering is about $100-$200 per person.
How many appetizers do I need for 200 guests?
Leslie Levin Nilsson, creative director of catering company Bartleby & Sage, says, "We suggest six passed hors d'oeuvres for a wedding of 50-100 guests, seven to eight passed hors d'oeuvres for a wedding of 100-150 guests, and up to ten for very large weddings."
How much food do you need per person at a wedding?
While a general rule of thumb is to allot one pound of food per guest, plus beverages and dessert, the following metric can help quantify courses according to party type and what food you plan to serve.
What is the most common food served at weddings?
Main courses:Pulled pork sandwiches.Grilled chicken with sweet summer vegetables.Brisket with mashed potatoes.Lobster mac and cheese.Shrimp and grits.
What is the cheapest food to cater?
The cheapest food to cater is any rice or noodle-based cultural cuisine. Mexican, Indian, and Thai dishes are delicious and affordable. Or, if you're hosting an event during the day, serve brunch and breakfast items.
How many hors d'oeuvres do you need for a wedding?
You'll want at least five different kinds of passed hors d'oeuvres, with two bites of each budgeted per guest. There will likely be extras—and that's okay.
How do you calculate food for a wedding?
To calculate how much money per person you have to spend, take your budget and divide that by your number of guests. For example, a couple feeding 125 guests on a $5,000.00 budget will have $40.00 per person to spend on the food, utensils, and equipment.
What foods are served at weddings?
Wedding Finger Food IdeasCaprese Cups. If you and your partner plan to feed your guests Italian cuisine, then these Caprese cups are the perfect savory appetizer for cocktail hour. ... Bruschetta. ... Sliders. ... Mini Tacos. ... Veggie Roll-ups. ... Meatballs. ... French Fries. ... Spring Rolls.More items...
How much food do I need for 150 guests?
If there's going to be a main meal served at an event and the event itself is going to be two hours long, then you multiply 150 by 6. This means you'd need to serve at least 900 appetisers in total. If an event lasts two hours but it doesn't involve guests being served a main meal, you multiply 150 by 12.
What should you not serve at a wedding?
8 Foods NOT to Serve at Your WeddingAll meat, all the time. If you're a meat lover, it might be tempting to serve nothing but meat at your reception. ... Food that requires a big to-do. ... Raw food. ... Mini versions of everything. ... An eight-course meal. ... Overly complex dishes. ... Only exotic eats. ... Typical wedding foods.
How do you make a wedding buffet elegant?
#1: Hire a Wedding Planner. ... #2: … Then Hire an Experienced Full-Service Caterer. ... #3: Make it a Sit Down Dinner. ... #4: Ask for Full-Service for the Head Table. ... #5: Make it Personal. ... #6: Don't Want Fingers in the Food? ... #7: Ditch the Double-Sided Buffets. ... #8: Design Your Table Settings As If It Were a Plated Dinner.More items...•
How many entrees should you have at a wedding?
“Typically, couples do a first course and entreé here,” says Parragué. “We like to do something a little different and have the couples select one first course and one entrée for all guests, plus there's always a silent vegan/vegetarian option. It's a nice guest experience.
How do you calculate the number of appetizers per person?
Caterer's Formula – A fairly standard formula is used among caterers to figure out how many appetizers are needed from each recipe. 12 pieces per person times the number of people divided by the number of different appetizers.
How many appetizers do I need for 150 people?
If an event lasts two hours but it doesn't involve guests being served a main meal, you multiply 150 by 12. This means you'd need to serve at least 1,800 appetisers in total. For an event goes on for even longer and lasts around four hours with a main meal being served, you multiply 150 by 10.
How many appetizers do I need for 100 guests?
Appetizers If you're offering catered appetizers, plan for about six portions per guest. For a party of 100 guests, this adds up to roughly 600 appetizer portions.
How many appetizers do you need per person?
A good rule of thumb for a dinner party, allow for 6 appetizers per person. For a cocktail party consider making 12 appetizers per person.
The Massive Logic Puzzle of Planning an Event Menu
When catering an event as an amateur, without access to walk-in refrigerators, food-service freezers, and piles of Cambro equipment, it takes some extra planning and puzzling to figure out what to serve. Here are the balancing points I mull over:
A Few Rules of Thumb
It’s hard to explain exactly how to break down all of these factors and puzzle them into a menu. It is so situation-dependent, but overall my rules are:
An Appetizer Reception Menu for 200
So, here’s the final menu! As I mentioned above, even though there was cake, we decided to also serve a couple of sweet bites. And note that this crowd included few, if any, vegetarians or vegans. The primary dietary needs were gluten-free and dairy-free. (Recipes linked where applicable.)
The Menu: Breaking It Down
This next section may be overkill for many of you, but I want to break down how this menu relates to the factors listed above. How did all of this work out?
3 More Tips for Dealing with a Big Menu
Like I said, this is a lot of detail, and there are of course a hundred tiny things not on here — like chopping herbs for garnish, juggling pans between fridge and freezer, and the little tasks that take an unexpected chunk of time like cutting bread for bruschetta.
What to serve at a wedding?
You could serve pancakes, a full fry-up, or a Continental breakfast with delicious pastries and fruit.
What is the best food for a wedding reception?
Donuts are a new popular wedding food. It’s easy to display these colorful treats by stacking them or even presenting them on a pegboard. With different colors and sprinkles, donuts are one of the best and most beautiful wedding reception foods on a budget.
What is the best finger food for a cocktail hour?
These reception dinner ideas are excellent finger food and perfect for cocktail hour. Sausage and apple are a delicious pair, combining salt and sweetness in harmony. Finish them off with a cocktail stick to match your theme.
What to do at a wedding reception?
Add a touch of magic to your big day with the delight of a sugary station. Indulge your sweet tooth with candy, cookies, and cakes. This easy reception food requires no preparation. Just lay it out and stack them candies high!
Can a wedding buffet cost a bomb?
Let’s face it. Weddings can cost a bomb. But our fantastic wedding buffet menu ideas on a budget will satisfy your guests’ stomachs as well as your wallet. Your family and friends won’t be thinking about the cost of these fabulous wedding reception dinners!
Is wedding food cheesy?
Wedding food doesn’t come much cheesier than this. These traditional snacks are the perfect symphony of the melty delicacy and toasted bread. Pick different kinds of fillings and have fun with unconventional combinations. It’s certainly a unique wedding food!
Can asparagus be used for weddings?
Asparagus might come off as quite the fancy wedding food, but it can be deceptive ly on the budget! Make colorful canapés, wrap it in ham, or simply fry with butter and lemon. These delicious shoots will leave everyone satisfied without breaking the bank.
What is bowl food?
Bowl food or walking buffets fill the gap between canapés and a full-on wedding feast. Usually served by waiters, it’s slightly more substantial than a mouthful but has the added bonus of giving your guests lots of choice.
Where is Dodmoor House?
Mark and Louise Bradley, owners of Dodmoor House near Weedon in Northamptonshire, host around 120 weddings a year and have seen the trends in catering evolve over the six years since its opening. “We often find that those couples who are stretching to afford the venue, need to make savings elsewhere,” says Mark.
Who is the director of Guides for Brides?
Director of Guides for Brides wedding directory, Alison Hargreaves, recognises that offering an array of ‘taster’ stations can prove to be an imaginative and artistic way to feed hungry mouths. It’s a clever way to incorporate different tastes, customs and cultures into your menu.
What is the difference between a birthday party and a wedding?
With that being said, the key difference between a birthday party, for example, and a wedding is guests may be less likely to chime in with that all-important question. So, make it known that you’re hosting a potluck wedding and would love everyone to contribute.
What to serve at a wedding brunch?
So, host a daytime wedding and serve a brunch menu! Quiche, French toast, pancakes, scrambled eggs, omelets, fruit, pastries, and salad can go a long way. Plus, it’s different, which will make your menu ...
What are the three things to keep in mind when planning a wedding?
If your goal is to host a low-budget wedding, three areas you will want to keep a close eye on while you plan are your guest list, your venue, and your food. The number of guests invited and ultimately attending your wedding will drive where you need to host your celebration and how much food you will need to serve.
Why is serving style the costliest?
This serving style is the costliest because of the number of staff members needed to make it happen. In the kitchen, help is needed to plate all of the meals before they are presented to guests. In the dining room, help is needed to serve plates to everyone. Later in the night, help is needed to clean all of the plates.
Can you use restaurant catering for weddings?
You’ll likely use them again at future get-togethers. Restaurant catering food delivery can be one of the most affordable wedding catering ideas– just keep in mind that you may need to assign some helpers to keep dishes stocked or cleared when they are emptied.
How many ounces of entrée per person?
While portion sizes can certainly vary depending on the dish, most experts agree that you'll want to plan on six to eight-ounce entrée per guest.
What to eat at a wedding late night?
Late-night snacks. If you and your guests plan on partying into the early hours, don't forget to include some post-dinner bites to feed a hungry crowd. "Lots of weddings that go to midnight are now offering a late-night snack, which ranges from a nice charcuterie board to chicken and waffles," Jeremy Michalski said.
Why is it important to have food at your wedding?
However, before customizing your dream meal, it's important to establish exactly how much food to serve at your wedding, in order to keep your guests full and happy ( not hangry ).
What is family style wedding?
A hybrid of plated and buffet-style service, family-style wedding meals are served on large platters and bowls which are passed around for seated guests to serve themselves. Again, you’ll want to keep all of the above in mind for food ounces, but remember to be mindful that your guests may be generous while dishing out their own meal. When it comes to family-style service and figuring out how much food to serve at your wedding, having some extras of everything on hand is always a good idea.
What to serve at cocktail hour?
During the cocktail hour, many couples choose to serve a variety of bites for guests to enjoy as a pre-dinner starter. Think mini-sized fan favorites like beef sliders, shrimp cocktail shooters, spring rolls, fruit skewers, and so much more.
How many ounces of appetizers per person?
Main entree (meats) - 6 to 8 ounces serving per person. If you are serving multiple main dishes, plan on 4 to 6 ounces per dish per person.
How to convert ounces to pounds?
To convert your ounces of food to pounds, multiply the number of ounces you need times your number of guests then divide by 16 for total pounds of food needed. For non-alcoholic beverages like iced tea and lemonade, plan on 16 ounces per person .
How many ounces of meat per person for 3 side dishes?
Remember to take your vegetarian and vegan guests into consideration. Decrease your meat count and increase your veggie count as needed. Side Dishes - 4 to 6 ounces per person for 3 side dishes. Potatoes - 1 per person with some overage. Adjust the quantities as needed for additional sides.
How many people will not attend a wedding reception?
You can assume that approximately 25-50 percent of people will not attend your reception. Once you have a rough estimate of the number of people who will be attending the reception, you can then determine if your food budget is going to accommodate your desired menu plans for that number of guests.
How to decide what to buy for a wedding?
Before you can determine how much food to buy for your wedding, you will first need to decide on your budget, menu, and guest list. To begin, calculate what amount of your budget will be used for the food. Once you know how much you will be spending on the food, you will then be able to plan an appropriate menu around that number.
Is self catering a good option for a wedding?
Self-catering is also popular for couples hosting a laid back wedding, for families who want to make their own family recipes, for smaller weddings served buffet style or family style, and when hiring a caterer simply is not an option.
Is it possible to self cater a wedding?
But don't be discouraged. Self-catering is not impossible. With hard work, preparation, the right equipment, and the right people, it is possible to pull off a fabulous self-catered wedding reception. The key to success is to plan ahead. First, it is best to decide right away which route is going to work best for you.
Plan ahead
One of the most important factors to planning a wedding is time management. Although planning preparations don’t need to begin right after your engagement, having at least one year to plan can save you a lot of money and stress.
Use your resources
When planning a wedding on a budget, it’s important to use up all your resources and materials on hand before going out and spending money. Your church might have a collection of tables and chairs they are willing to let you rent or borrow. Your grandma might be able to sew table runners.
Where to cut costs
Everyone dreams of having a gorgeous wedding to celebrate a lifelong union with their significant other. Thankfully, it does not need to cost an arm and a leg. The best way to combat high expenses is to know where to cut costs and where to splurge.
Where to splurge
Although there are plenty of ways to cut costs when it comes to planning a wedding on a budget, it’s just as important to know what areas you should splurge on.
