Tentative Self-Catering Menu

lachattefatale

Appetizers: grapes, salmon dip with baguette slices. Maybe crudites with hummus.

Buffet: caesar salad, lasagna (beef and vegetarian), roasted vegetables

Dessert: wedding cake (from a bakery; I love cooking, but I want my cake done by a pro.)

I'm thinking we'll have the grapes and bread out on the tables a bit early and set dishes of the salmon dip out immediately after the ceremony. If we do crudites and hummus, they'll also be set on the tables right after the ceremony. I have a friend in charge of the kitchen day-of, and the reception is indoors. The bread might get a little stale, so I was considering toasting it first to help it hold up. Thoughts?

Is this enough variety of food? Do I need a second dressing option for the salad, or should it be pre-dressed to keep the buffet line moving? The vegetables I had in mind were asparagus, bell peppers, carrots, and sweet potato. Maybe beets. Does that leave the whole dinner too heavy? The wedding is next May, but it's in the evening on the Oregon coast; the weather is likely to be cool.

lembaslover

If you are doing caesar I would provide a second dressing option as casear dressings have anchovies so being a vegetarian as a general rule I avoid caesar dressing. I bring this up since you mention you are doing a vegetarian lasagna. I wouldn't put dressing on ahead of time as it can make the salad soggy and that's not really pleasant. You might want to include rolls or Italian bread with lasagna.

climbingsingle

How many people are you expecting? I think you need to add in another entree. I actually have a wheat allergy, so I wouldn't be able to eat the lasagna. What about some kind of chicken? 

Also, are you planning to make all of this yourself? Again I have to ask how many people you're expecting. This is quite a large undertaking. 

JennyColada

Yea, I think the amount of people, as @climbingwife pointed out, is one of the main factors involved in our input.

MesmrEwe

A group of 20 - this is workable, any more than that, unless you're a caterer/chef/Dougar as your career, then hire it the heck out!  Most Italian restaurants will do this and you don't have to lift a finger.  Tell yourself when you think self-catering even for a small group is a good idea "DUH! Big WHITE DRESS!"  It is your wedding, not a day to work or ask your guests to work.  Which guest doesn't get to enjoy the day and work it as a vendor instead - that is exactly what you're asking someone to do!  Next comes food safety.  As the PP mentioned, depending on the guest count this can be a very big issue, VERY quickly!  Not everyone can do the Caesar dressing (not just vegetarians - those with egg/dairy sensitivities as well), same goes for the lasagna! 

Really think twice about this because it won't cost you much if anything more to have a local restaurant cater and provide a staff person to do the behind the scenes work.  (plus the value of the ingredients is going to be higher than you think!!! plus the add-ons to keep the food safe and served at temperature)

TrixieJess

How are you keeping things hot? Are you making sure things are kept at proper temperatures throughout the reception? Do you have someone monitoring quantities? 

I work professionally in the food industry and would never dream in a hot minute of self catering on my wedding day. There are too many factors that can go wrong when cooking for large groups of people, even in a buffet setting. Please reconsider. 

I found caterers that will work with smaller budgets (we are only having 30-35 people) and are willing to work within Vegan/food allergies.

lachattefatale

lachattefatale said:

I have a friend in charge of the kitchen day-of, and the reception is indoors. 

Friend is a pro, and I have a small army of church-lady volunteers to back her up. Venue has a kitchen, and two family vacation homes within three blocks of the venue also have full kitchens. We'll rent chafing dishes to keep food hot in the actual buffet, but keeping things hot/cold in the kitchen shouldn't be a problem.

Good point on the wheat--we do have one GF guest that we'll need to accommodate and three vegetarians. I think we'll offer two dressings and swap the vegetarian lasagna to either zucchini-noodle lasagna or something else that's both vegetarian and GF.

We're expecting 60-70 people at this point. We may still decide to go with a caterer, but both my pro friend and the church ladies (and I) have experience with meals for 150-200. I appreciate your concern, but it's not necessary.

RezIpsa

I think this is doable because all of it can be done in advance and day of you just need salad dressed and tossed, crackers plated (easier than bread), and lasagna and veggies heated (the asparagus is probably not a good idea to do before). The church ladies can handle that.

Try and pick another entree that is vegan and GF. A lot of people have dairy issues. Use cashew cheese and zucchini and eggplant noodles if you want.

I used to be a chef, so this sounds easy but do remember that day of you really won't be available to do anything. You need a designated second in command and you guys need to plan every aspect like this is a military maneuver.

lachattefatale

RezIpsa said:

I think this is doable because all of it can be done in advance and day of you just need salad dressed and tossed, crackers plated (easier than bread), and lasagna and veggies heated (the asparagus is probably not a good idea to do before). The church ladies can handle that.

Try and pick another entree that is vegan and GF. A lot of people have dairy issues. Use cashew cheese and zucchini and eggplant noodles if you want.

I used to be a chef, so this sounds easy but do remember that day of you really won't be available to do anything. You need a designated second in command and you guys need to plan every aspect like this is a military maneuver.

Thanks for the input! None of our vegetarians are vegan, but dairy can be an issue for others, too. Crackers for the dip does sound a lot easier, and we could definitely find some GF crackers for the one table.

JennyColada

This really just sounds less like "self catering" and more just that you have a friend that you are hiring as a caterer.

lachattefatale

JennyColada said:

This really just sounds less like "self catering" and more just that you have a friend that you are hiring as a caterer.

Nope, just self-catering without overextending myself.

ElcaB

I would simplify a bit. 

Appetizers: grapes, salmon dip with baguette slices. Maybe crudites & pita chips with hummus,

Buffet: caesar garden salad with ranch or italian dressing, lasagna (beef and vegetarian), roasted vegetables dinner rolls

MesmrEwe

JennyColada said:

This really just sounds less like "self catering" and more just that you have a friend that you are hiring as a caterer.

This - you're hiring a friend and delegating it to the volunteer church ladies expecting them to do all the work for you out of the kindness of their little ole' hearts.  Hire the caterer and invite these people to the wedding to enjoy it as a guest and not work...  Your ingredient and rental costs are already higher than bringing someone in..

ohannabelle

JennyColada said:

This really just sounds less like "self catering" and more just that you have a friend that you are hiring as a caterer.

This - you're hiring a friend and delegating it to the volunteer church ladies expecting them to do all the work for you out of the kindness of their little ole' hearts.  Hire the caterer and invite these people to the wedding to enjoy it as a guest and not work...  Your ingredient and rental costs are already higher than bringing someone in..

Some of this is fair, some is not. 

Volunteer church ladies are a rare breed these days, and rapidly becoming extinct, but they exist, and they sign up for this sort of thing. I've had a few great aunts and a great grandma who did this regularly. And they're included in whatever's going on at the church. Part of the rental. That's part of what they volunteer for. To help out and tidy up and unlock closets and all around busy-ness. 

They enjoy it. They discuss everybody's weddings for days after, and share stories about how they saved the day with superior punch mixing skills, or whatever. They get all puffed up with self importance, and try to make all the other little old ladies at the bingo games jealous with how nice they made everything, and how helpful they were. (Funerals provide more solemn drama.)

This is their mission in life. To make things nice. Didn't the vestibule look nice? Keep the kitchen nice. Oh, put those Jordan almonds in a bowl, so they look nice. Somebody needs to straighten the chairs, that doesn't look nice. 

Wedding, funerals, Christmas concerts, whatever. They are down with it. They know how the coffee makers work, and where things are kept. They love carrying in trays, and showing delivery people where things go, and general key rattling and keeping an eye on things.

Send them a thank you note, and mention how nice everything looked, and they're absolutely pleased for days after. If they get a flower arrangement, they're insufferably pleased with themselves, and get extra bragging rights. 

I love volunteer church ladies. (Don't cross them. They know everybody in town, and they gossip.)

TrixieJess

ohannabelle said:

JennyColada said:

This really just sounds less like "self catering" and more just that you have a friend that you are hiring as a caterer.

This - you're hiring a friend and delegating it to the volunteer church ladies expecting them to do all the work for you out of the kindness of their little ole' hearts.  Hire the caterer and invite these people to the wedding to enjoy it as a guest and not work...  Your ingredient and rental costs are already higher than bringing someone in..

Some of this is fair, some is not. 

Volunteer church ladies are a rare breed these days, and rapidly becoming extinct, but they exist, and they sign up for this sort of thing. I've had a few great aunts and a great grandma who did this regularly. And they're included in whatever's going on at the church. Part of the rental. That's part of what they volunteer for. To help out and tidy up and unlock closets and all around busy-ness. 

They enjoy it. They discuss everybody's weddings for days after, and share stories about how they saved the day with superior punch mixing skills, or whatever. They get all puffed up with self importance, and try to make all the other little old ladies at the bingo games jealous with how nice they made everything, and how helpful they were. (Funerals provide more solemn drama.)

This is their mission in life. To make things nice. Didn't the vestibule look nice? Keep the kitchen nice. Oh, put those Jordan almonds in a bowl, so they look nice. Somebody needs to straighten the chairs, that doesn't look nice. 

Wedding, funerals, Christmas concerts, whatever. They are down with it. They know how the coffee makers work, and where things are kept. They love carrying in trays, and showing delivery people where things go, and general key rattling and keeping an eye on things.

Send them a thank you note, and mention how nice everything looked, and they're absolutely pleased for days after. If they get a flower arrangement, they're insufferably pleased with themselves, and get extra bragging rights. 

I love volunteer church ladies. (Don't cross them. They know everybody in town, and they gossip.)

This is true! I love church ladies, and I don't go to church. 

I'm as concerned as the above posters who are wondering about your friend who has offered their expertise. Will they do all the work beforehand then hand it over to the Church ladies and be able to enjoy the Wedding? That would be my only concern.

lovegood90

Are you paying these "volunteers"? Or are they just being used as free labor?

traditionallyuntraditional

Just a minor note I would ask your GF what their needs are. If they have celiac disease simply putting gf crackers/gf lasagna out will not work. I have celiac and my food cannot even TOUCH wheat barley or rye or a surface that had wheat barley or rye on it prior to my food. Its a horrific reaction so I don't even "risk it" and if your guest has celiac disease they won't even touch the gf buffet food and it will be a waste of your time/sanity to bother with putting it out. Same goes with food allergies peanut/seafood/soy/etc.

MesmrEwe

traditionallyuntraditional said:

Just a minor note I would ask your GF what their needs are. If they have celiac disease simply putting gf crackers/gf lasagna out will not work. I have celiac and my food cannot even TOUCH wheat barley or rye or a surface that had wheat barley or rye on it prior to my food. Its a horrific reaction so I don't even "risk it" and if your guest has celiac disease they won't even touch the gf buffet food and it will be a waste of your time/sanity to bother with putting it out. Same goes with food allergies peanut/seafood/soy/etc.

This is why I love locations where the GF options are completely sealed in "heat and serve" packaging - I wish this was the case for all allergen-free cooking because it takes the incidental contact out of the equation!!! 

lachattefatale

Our GF guest has RA that's aggravated by gluten, but she can and does eat wheat sometimes (in small amounts). Our handful of vegetarians are not vegan, and I think I'm the only food allergy. (Our guest list is pretty small and consists mostly of relatives whose favorite topic is their own health. I'll ask around, though.)

It sounds like this may all go out the window; I finally found a caterer in the area that runs less than $35/plate. They have GF and vegetarian menu options, so as long as they can accommodate my allergy, we should be okay.

MesmrEwe

lachattefatale said:

Our GF guest has RA that's aggravated by gluten, but she can and does eat wheat sometimes (in small amounts). Our handful of vegetarians are not vegan, and I think I'm the only food allergy. (Our guest list is pretty small and consists mostly of relatives whose favorite topic is their own health. I'll ask around, though.)

It sounds like this may all go out the window; I finally found a caterer in the area that runs less than $35/plate. They have GF and vegetarian menu options, so as long as they can accommodate my allergy, we should be okay.

HOLY buckets where do you live for pricing to be that high? (didn't mention that part earlier as part of the reasoning)..   A lot of the places that advertise are incredibly high on their pricing, so I'd do some more checking with lesser known caterers or even some of your local chain restaurants may be another option.  (Heck, I'd consider self-catering too if caterers were that much around here - and I'm in a major metro area!)  Posting this to your local boards (remember to include specific area, number of guests, type of food) will get you some recommendations - though be patient because often times the local boards can be slower to get replies...  Wish you'd have mentioned this part first!!!

lachattefatale

I live in western Oregon, but in the more populated valley about an hour inland. Caterers near me start from about $10/plate for dinner. The wedding is on the coast, though; the year-round population is pretty small, so everything is geared toward tourism. Most of the catering is done by large resorts that start around $35 plus exorbitant room fees.

The only caterer I've found so far that I can afford is Hawaiian food. I'm not sure how I feel about that since it's kind of out of left field. On the other hand, I could eat all the shoyu chicken, kthanx. As far as other caterers go, I've found a lot of no-longer-in-business and one "Where did you see our ad? We're in Idaho."

JennyColada

At $35pp why not just go to a restaurant? You can save on linens, servingwear, labor, and even decorations.

lachattefatale

JennyColada said:

At $35pp why not just go to a restaurant? You can save on linens, servingwear, labor, and even decorations.

The only restaurants in the area with room for 70 are the same big resorts that will cater for $35/plate. I've contacted some of my local-to-me caterers, though, to see if the distance fees would still come out less than the local-to-the-wedding caterers. We're also going over to meet our officiant in person this weekend, and we'll try to scout for non-advertising caterers while we're there.