How many options for sides? Need opinions and advice!

hollynicole320

I am getting married on October 13th and I have a very super low budget for my wedding. I am expecting about 120 guests, including +1s. The theme is country/rustic. For the menu, I will be serving hamburgers and hot dogs, as well as, some sides. I looked into portions and I suppose they are supposed to be 16 oz./person; 4 oz. meat, 4 oz. side, 4 oz. veggie and 4 oz. dessert. I am going to be serving corn and green beans for the veggies, I was also thinking succotash (lima beans/corn mixture) but lima beans are so expensive that I am possibly foregoing the succotash. Anyway, I want to make sure that I am offering choices for my guests.

Here's my question, if I am serving 2 different types of veggies should I be getting enough of each to feed 120 guests or should I be doing like enough corn for 80 guests, and enough green beans for 40 guests? I just want to make sure I have enough without spending a bunch of extra money and extra hassle.

Thank you so very much for your time and advice.

itzMS

hollynicole320 said:

I am getting married on October 13th and I have a very super low budget for my wedding. I am expecting about 120 guests, including +1s. The theme is country/rustic. For the menu, I will be serving hamburgers and hot dogs, as well as, some sides. I looked into portions and I suppose they are supposed to be 16 oz./person; 4 oz. meat, 4 oz. side, 4 oz. veggie and 4 oz. dessert. I am going to be serving corn and green beans for the veggies, I was also thinking succotash (lima beans/corn mixture) but lima beans are so expensive that I am possibly foregoing the succotash. Anyway, I want to make sure that I am offering choices for my guests.

Here's my question, if I am serving 2 different types of veggies should I be getting enough of each to feed 120 guests or should I be doing like enough corn for 80 guests, and enough green beans for 40 guests? I just want to make sure I have enough without spending a bunch of extra money and extra hassle.

Thank you so very much for your time and advice.

You need enough corn and green beans for everyone. People will take more than the allotted amount.

You also need some sort of potato product and a tossed green salad. Adding in a pasta salad (the kind with a vinagrette dressing...not creamy) would be ideal.

How are you keeping the food warm? Have you hired a caterer?

Abbyjensen

I would plan for enough green beans for everyone and enough corn for everyone... with extra corn, because it probably will be more popular.

ElcaB

Plan to have enough of each for everyone. Also, I'd consider adding some sort of pasta or potato salad to the mix. It's super cheap, but it will be appreciated. 

allispain

I agree with PPs - enough of each type of veggie so that everyone can have some. Plus, you should really have some kind of starch - the pasta salad or potato salad that others have suggested would be great.

Also, IMO, if you're serving corn, succotash isn't necessary - that's just double the corn offerings :-)

hollynicole320

I have not hired a caterer, like I said extremely low budget lol. As in, the less the better. As for food, I am looking at $300 so far to feed 120 people. So thats not too bad.

I have a family member who is going to cook the burgers and dogs at the venue, and the rest will be brought to the venue in single crockpots, etc. I am trying to figure out what starch to go with still.

I will be using chafing dishes with the little sterno fuels to keep the burgers and dogs warm. 

Oh, and the ceremony is at 4:30pm and the reception will start at 5:00pm. I will be serving chips and dips, salsa, etc. and drinks for the guests to eat and mingle while we are doing pictures.

itzMS

hollynicole320 said:

I have not hired a caterer, like I said extremely low budget lol. As in, the less the better. As for food, I am looking at $300 so far to feed 120 people. So thats not too bad.

I have a family member who is going to cook the burgers and dogs at the venue, and the rest will be brought to the venue in single crockpots, etc. I am trying to figure out what starch to go with still.

I will be using chafing dishes with the little sterno fuels to keep the burgers and dogs warm. 

Oh, and the ceremony is at 4:30pm and the reception will start at 5:00pm. I will be serving chips and dips, salsa, etc. and drinks for the guests to eat and mingle while we are doing pictures.

Low budget isn't an excuse for slacking on food safety. Feeding 100+ people is a huge responsiblity and food poisoning is no joke. I'm really not kidding. Can you see if there are volunteers from your church or a local service group (you could make a donation to the church or organization) who would be able to help maintain food temperatures and serve food to your guests?

Are you paying the family member who is working your reception cooking the food?

hollynicole320

Well, we are cooking the burgers and dogs on a huge grill and they will be grilling them during the ceremony for the guests to eat right away and the chafing dishes will pretty much just be to hold the burgers and dogs for a very short term. We wont be needing any one to serve our guests as it is buffet style. Basically just a large cookout. Our family member is not being paid simply because he volunteered and loves to grill. Just imagine a big redneck wedding if that is easier, lol.

We are not doing anything fancy and the goal is simple..I do understand your worry as far as food safety goes.

I am going for a short ceremony (20 minutes or so). Ceremony 4:30-4:50ish (this is when they will start grilling probably around 4:40), pictures from 5-5:30 and eating, etc. from 5:30 on. The burgers shouldnt be ready till around 5:30 and thats when everyone will start eating. They might sit in the chafing dish for 10 minutes, if that.

mzbda

I rarely comment, but I don't see this going well at all. I would not want to eat a burger sitting in a chaffing dish for ten minutes. Burgers and dogs are meant to be served hot off the grill.

Will your family member be missing the wedding to grill the food? That's not cool. Can't you hire a college student or someone to grill the food and make sure everything stays the correct temperature? 

It's fine to want to save money but it's not fine to potentially give someone food poisoning. 

itzMS

hollynicole320 said:

Well, we are cooking the burgers and dogs on a huge grill and they will be grilling them during the ceremony for the guests to eat right away and the chafing dishes will pretty much just be to hold the burgers and dogs for a very short term. We wont be needing any one to serve our guests as it is buffet style. Basically just a large cookout. Our family member is not being paid simply because he volunteered and loves to grill. Just imagine a big redneck wedding if that is easier, lol.

We are not doing anything fancy and the goal is simple..I do understand your worry as far as food safety goes.

I am going for a short ceremony (20 minutes or so). Ceremony 4:30-4:50ish (this is when they will start grilling probably around 4:40), pictures from 5-5:30 and eating, etc. from 5:30 on. The burgers shouldnt be ready till around 5:30 and thats when everyone will start eating. They might sit in the chafing dish for 10 minutes, if that.

So you are having ONE person grill no less than 150 burgers and 75 hot dogs? Holy crap. My FIL tries to grill for 15 of us sometimes, and it's a huge challenge even then to keep everything cooking properly and warm after cooking.

Before you say "But we only have 100 people!!" My DH would definitely eat two burgers, so would most of the guys I know, since you're not having anyone serve portions. Heck, I'd probably even eat two burgers since I don't care to eat the side options you're serving.

Unless you're buying gourmet hot dogs, I wouldn't expect many adults to eat them either.

hollynicole320

This post got completely out of hand I asked a simple question that I was looking for a simple answer to which it seems the two of you are incapable of. The family member said hes fine not seeing the ceremony his words were "once youve seen one I do, you have seen them all" HENCE OFFERED. but thank you for prying into every other detail of my wedding. My family just must be more down to earth than any one you know. We are not high maintenance like you seem to be. This is what we want this is what makes us happy and our friends and family are more than happy to support us in our decisions and that is what matters to us.

I appreciate the fact that you are trying to help but rude comments and everything else you have thrown in my face in unappreciated and unnecessary. Thanks.

Viczaesar

You're pissy about people being concerned about your guests getting food poisoning?  Really?  Have you ever served 100 people dinner before?  Have you ever taken a safe food handling course?  Have you ever had food poisoning?

Look up the definition of rude, because this thread doesn't qualify.

JoanE2012

OP - People are giving you honest advice.  They have no vested interest in your wedding.  This is the best way to get unbiased feedback.  You may not want to hear certain things, but hopefully you'll mull them over and not immediately discount them.

That said, I agree with PPs......food safety is of utmost importance.  You don't want to be remembered as the wedding where people got sick.  I would seriously reconsider your plans.

mzbda

Wait, I'm high maintenance because I worry about food safety?? That's a new one.