Wedding food ideas can be such a fun process! How important is your dinner to you at your wedding? Are you planning to go all out with stations at the reception, doing a plated meal or buffet style? All of this comes into play when deciding on a snack before the big meal. Believe it or not, a lot of couples have a hard time deciding on what is best for giving their guests a little nipple before the main course in additional to the dinner itself. Are your guests light or heavy eaters?
Here are some questions, pointers and information to help guide you into the direction that will fit your needs.
Light or bashful eaters:
Passed Hors d'oeuvres: 2 will work perfect! Yours guests will be hungry by cocktail hour and looking for food but they will not want to make this dinner. They are simply looking for something to put on their stomachs while enjoying cocktails. This is perfect!
Stationary Hors d'oeuvres: A charcuterie board does it every time! It will allow guests to chose what they want to eat, while giving them a variety to choose from. Consider splitting the board into veggie and meat. this way, everyone at the party has something to chow down on. Also consider just adding a few stationary items outside of charcuterie.as well. Examples would be: pimento cheese bites, chicken salad tarts, etc. Check with your caterer to see what is offered.
Both: Are you two big foodies and want to your guests to really enjoy the food? Have them both. Pick out 1 passed hors d'oeuvres and some stationary to really wow your guests. If you keep the charcuterie boards smaller, then it should be just the right amount for your light eaters.
Heavy or food explorers:
Passed Hors d'oeuvres: A suggestion on this would be 3-4 during cocktail hour. Give them a few to choose from and remember to pick at least one vegetarian option.
Stationary Hors d'oeuvres: As for light eaters, the charcuterie board solves all the problems but it they are food connoisseurs thrill them with tings such as stationary mini sliders, deviled eggs, mini tacos and bruschetta!
Buffet Style: Budget budget budget. Stick to a budget and do what works for you. If you are looking for more of a casual affair buffets are your way to go! It will help in keeping you on your timeline so you have more time on the dance floor! The average amount of time to feed 100 guests through a buffet line is 30-45 minutes. With a buffet, guests can feel free to mingle or hit the bar, while waiting on their table to be called.
Plated: These dinners are great because it keeps your guests from food waste. Dinner is served to each individual guest, leaving them to feel truly special. Plated wedding catering assures that everyone can enjoy a meal at the same time. There is no need to wait in lines, or handle plates and drinks at the same time.
Stations: Various stations with various food choices likewise make for good arguments and will get your visitors mingling and connecting! You can have various subjects or foods at every one and tweak your choices. Make sure to organize the flow of your guests in order to stay on track with the timeline.
Food Trucks: We all love food trucks but you should consider a few things before making this your selection for dinner service.
What is your guest count and how long will it take to feed your guests?
Will it cut the rest of the things that mean more to you on your day? i.e. dancing?
Will the food be cooked to order or will the caterer prep so it moves the line along faster?
Are they able to be flexible should your timeline move up?
Will you need to hire separate staff? Food trucks will not do the normal things that other caterers do such as bussing tables.
How long are they contracted for? Can guests go back for seconds?
The average food truck will need 1 1/2 to 2 hours to feed a guest count of 150 people. The first half of your guests will become bored from waiting and the second half will become hangry from waiting. So if you are going to do a food truck, keep your guest count under 50 unless you plan to have two trucks.
Think about the options, chat it over and feel free to seek advice from your planner. It you did not hired a planner and only have a day of coordinator, ask them if they have a small fee for partial planning in which you can get advice on the catering portion. I can promise that the few hundred dollars is worth not having the stress of dinner flow.
We here at SJ Coordination & Events, LLC love to help out couples on their big day! If you are doing it yourself but need assistance on the day of, send us an email so we can help set make your day stress free! Email us at: info@sjcoordination.com
Wedding Coordination and Event Coordination in:
Cheyenne, WY, Casper, WY, Laramie, WY and Fort Collins, CO