sliders or crepes?

bkendall13

My fiance and I found this great caterer for our wedding but we are having an extremely difficult time deciding between savory crepes (choose meat, cheese, veggies, sauce and chef prepares) or mini sliders (several different toppings options and sweet potato/regular battered french fries prepared on site). We didn't want to go the super traditional route with chicken marsala and prime rib. It is a semi formal wedding and both options are delicious with very generous portions and they are about the same price. We're also going to have a lot of snacks available during the cocktail hour (spanikopita, cheese plate, pretzels, nuts, fruit etc.) and for the rest of the night. Suggestions?

Maggie0829

So the sliders and/or crepes are your main dish?  I think since your wedding is a bit more on the formal side I would do crepes.  They just seem fancier to me then sliders do.

bethgraczyk

Are the crepes "made to order"? If so, I would vote for the sliders. I am all about "instant gratification" and avoiding standing in line.

But honestly, crepes would be much fancier than digging into a burger (And I love burgers!) I thnk it really depends on what your and your Fi feel your overall "vision" is.

jessicabessica

I love crepes and would pick that.  Is this going to be your only option for dinner?  I don't think it's enough, and I would not want to have one station where you have to wait for your food (the crepes are made-to-order) that everyone will have to wait for.  Could you have both?  What time of day is your wedding?

bkendall13

The crepes are made to order but there are two chefs preparing them. We'll have about 130 people at the wedding. Do you think waiting in line will still be an issue if there are two chefs and the lines are staggered with 5 tables going at a time 10 minutes apart? I agree that the crepes are fancier and they give out vegetarian friends more variety to choose from than vegetarian burgers. Thanks bethgraczyk and Maggie0829. You've brought up some good points.

bkendall13

The crepes are 10" and each person would get 2-3. Doing both is definitely not in the budget but we are going to have a lot of appetizers and snacks before dinner. Also there will be 2 chefs preparing the crepes. Our wedding dinner will be at about 6 pm.

Maggie0829

So the only thing you are serving for dinner are crepes or sliders?  You aren't having any side dishes?  If not, I really think you need some other options.  Not necessarily main dish options but at least some side options, like a nice flavorful rice, pasta, veggies, potatos, etc.

bkendall13

O I forgot to include that the crepes would be served with a wild rice pilaf. The sliders would have sweet potato and regular fries.

Sue-n-Kevin

I've made crepes, and they take 2 minutes each at minimum. You are having 130 people, two chefs preparing them, so theoretically each chef is making 65 x 2 mins = 130 minutes/60 minutes = 2.2 hrs of just making 1 crepe per person. Unless all these crepes are made ahead of time, and the chefs are simply filling them with the fillings, this is going to be a very long drawn out process, especially if any of your guests want more than one. I know I'd want more than one. It doesn't matter how long you wait between tables. A buffet meal during dinner hour has all the food set up, and people go get theirs, and from start to finish it lasts maybe an hour.

If they can't make them ahead of time (which I'd understand because the edges get all hard, and they stick together unless you but something between them), pre-made sliders with multiple toppings would be a better choice simply due to time constraints.

Not trying to talk you into or out of either option, but crepe stations take a while, and one is usually not enough

While you say you can't afford both, maybe talk to the caterer. If you serve both, one would assume people would each less of each, maybe by one half.

leogirl13

Personally I'm not a fan of savory crepes so I would have to go with sliders. However it seems pretty odd to only have one option.

coopsbaby

I'm not a fan of savory crepes either, but the sliders don't seem nearly as formal. I'd still go with the sliders between those two choices though.

NOLAbridealmost

Having a crepe station ONLY works in a station style reception where there are oodles of stations and the stations are open from the moment guests arrive and for several continuous hours thereafter.   A custom crepe station at what is basically a buffet style reception with only the crepes as an option is a disaster waiting to happen.

I love crepes. I love the idea.  But you can't do it in the context you're suggesting without there being HUGE lines. 

My suggestion: if you don't want a traditional "chicken or fish" dinner, scrap the "cocktail hour" entirely and do a cocktail/station style reception.   Basically make the whole thing a cocktail hour on steroids and include your crepe station. 

Peavy

I was about to do the math on serving crepes, but sue-n-kevin did it first.  As I understand it, you have having a cocktail hour, then moving on to dinner which would be either sliders or crepes.  Honestly, I don't think that either of your options is suitable for an entree.  The crepes are impractical, and a slider -- or any hamburger, for that matter -- isn't a semi-formal entree.  At best, it's an hors d'ouerve.  There's a reason that chicken marsala and prime rib are traditional.  They are true entrees, and will please most people.  I would urge you to look into other entree options that will be easy to serve to everyone at the same time, and would fit with the semi-formal feel of your reception.

Jen4948

Well, if your options are crepes or sliders, I'd do the crepes, but I agree with NOLAbridealmost that this would not work with buffet-style service unless the crepes are already made and just need to be filled and topped with pre-made fillings and toppings.  I also agree with her idea of making the reception cocktail-style rather than buffet service.

MrsGandthebeag

I would chose the crepes.  Your venue should be able to make them all ahead of time.  I used to work in a very fancy restaurant and we made savory crepes with fresh herbs and a crab cake filling.  They were delish.  Anyway, we made all the crepes for brunch before hand and when we got an order we filled them up and stuck them back in the oven for a minute to warm up.  

bkendall13

Thanks for all the advice everyone! You have brought up some really good points that will make this decision easier. If we still can't come to an agreement then we're going to do a poll on our wedding website to see what people would prefer between the crepes, sliders, and a more traditional chicken marsala and prime rib.

PJSPJS

I'd prefer the sliders but, as many PPs have said, crepes are more elegant.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

I freaking love crepes. I love savory crepes. I'm a vegetarian, so I would prefer crepes.

BUT there is a great crepe place near me that gets packed on the weekends. It takes about 10 minutes to wait for your order (and this is a place where you order at the register and wait for your plate, then find a seat). Even with 2 chefs, I don't think this will be fast. If you had a crepe station as part of several stations, that would be awesome. But not for dinner for 130 people. It would also be good as a "main" course for brunch, but I like it less as a dinner idea. It's a little unusual for a formal, evening meal.