Wedding Cakes & Food Forum — The Knot Community

Menu Nightmare!

knottie61dbe814fcd43aa2 — Sat, 09 Sep 2023 14:45:48 +0000

Trying to figure out our wedding food has been a nightmare! My partner & I are planning a medieval gothic wedding in early November. We originally wanted a Halloween wedding, but I guess over the years October has become a very popular wedding month so we moved the date and did a slight shift in "theme". We're doing a family-style dinner, and everywhere we have looked give us no results unless it's going to cost up $100+ per person just for dinner. So I've been scouting out grocery stores and such that sell large party platters, and are planning on hiring our venue's servers to re-plate & serve to the tables. But this has even become a challenge because they mostly just sell sandwiches, cheese, sliced meat, fruit & veggies unless it's large saucey dishes that will require chafing dishes to keep hot. Since it's in the fall we were leaning towards more of a viking type of vibe, but we're not really following any particular area or time period, more like a fantasy type of theme. So far I've got this:

Dinner:

Assorted Lebanese Hand Pies

Halved Hard Boiled Eggs

Cheese Curds

Potato Harrah

Curtido

Dessert:

Assorted Glazed Donuts (tiered "cake")

Ricotta Stuffed Dates

Green & Purple Grapes

Chocolate & Yogurt Covered Pretzels

Drinks:

Warm Mulled Wine

Pumpkin Cider Mocktail

Cranberry Arnold Palmer Mocktail

Tea & Coffee

How to accommodate one vegan guest

knottie0054b1781a5a8105 — Tue, 21 Feb 2023 20:10:09 +0000

We're going to have a taco cart at our wedding, and we're offering a vegetarian option for a handful of guests who follow that diet, but we have a single guest who is a strict vegan - like their food can't come into contact with non-vegan foods or they'll probably get sick. What do you think is the simplest way to accommodate them?

Thinking about skimping on the cake.

knottie189b30ffcacef51f — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 16:55:56 +0000

My family is full of foodies and I'm hesitant to go cheap on the cake because of this. On the other hand, will anyone really notice? It's not like I remember the last wedding where the cake was phenomenal. Thoughts?

Too much food? Food During "cocktail" hour? HELP

Knottie1453133943 — Wed, 15 Feb 2017 19:39:22 +0000

My wedding isn't until next year, but I am trying to think ahead due to communicating with my fiance back and forth being kind of restricted/tricky- he's active military and stationed in TX, so I'm thankful we have the extra time to relay messages and options, and just figure out what we want in general while he is far away. We are having a vintage, rustic fall wedding (October) at a beautiful barn here in AL; the ceremony will be held outside and the reception will take place inside of the barn. One of my top 5 priorities is the food. We are planning for a late afternoon ceremony and a buffet style dinner in the evening. Like most, we are on a budget and like to save as much and DIY (without overdoing) as much as we can. We have family that have already offered to help in many areas, including food (I have a cousin that has has a huge smoker and has catered for many big family gatherings and larger events that has offered to do the meat.) So far, here is the menu I have in my head:

Choice of smoked chicken or ham (maybe bake the ham?)
Autumn salad with spinach, apple, walnuts, and white cheddar in a vinagrette (I know in the fall many replace salads with soup, but the weather here is definitely not.. soup appropriate if that makes sense? haha in MY opinion. Plus, I'm just more of a green-loving gal.)
Baked mac and cheese (Bride's favorite)
Green bean casserole (Groom's favorite)
Roasted Autumn veggie blend of squash, broccoli, cauliflower, and sweet potato
Sweet rolls

Is this too much food for around 100 guests? And do they go together, is there too much green, etc? We're planning on doing a lot of this ourselves ahead of time, and I wanted homey foods that also fit our seasonal vibe. Will these make ahead and/or freeze easy? Salad, bread, and meat no issue... just the sides. I thought it'd be neat to incorporate both our favorite sides that our moms make, plus it'd include them. Also, during the "cocktail hour" ( we aren't having alcohol at our wedding, just teas, water, and maybe some sort of punch) should we have light snacks/food? We're going to be taking pictures during this time of course (as the sun sets) and I don't want guests to be bored. I was thinking just cheeses and crackers and fruit to munch on before the filling stuff is out and we make our entrance.

My mom keeps nagging for me to have an early ceremony and just serve nuts, mints, and finger foods like her and my dad did *eye roll* but I've always wanted to take pictures at sunset and never wanted to get married early in the day, and the dinner is a big thing for me. HELP ME OUT LADIES! xo

Alcohol at Wedding

knottie09457e5772314d70 — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 16:14:48 +0000

Is it considered rude to have a winery/brewery come to the wedding and just sell their things? We are both in college and not wanting to spend an arm and a leg to have alcohol, and with the closest hotels being 30 minutes from the reception venue I don't want to risk drunk driving so I thought having people pay for their drinks would sort of self govern them. Thoughts?

Cake for just us?

knottie08972f9872455131 — Wed, 07 Jul 2021 20:44:35 +0000

With the prices of cakes and cupcakes....we were thinking about just having a cake for ourselves......
We will have cheesecake and brownies also being served at the wedding and potentially some other dessert options as well.
Is this okay? Or is this a no no?

Adding Food Options

rleibowitz90 — Sun, 23 Jan 2022 00:28:57 +0000

They do not make it easy but I found where to add the food options!

Attached on a word doc are instructions

Picking Wedding Food - NEED ADVICE

Nej9 — Mon, 30 Jan 2017 19:57:35 +0000

My fiancé and I are having a tiff over food options. We are allowed 3 choices, one is a mandatory vegetarian dish. We're getting married in Plymouth, MA, it's a coastal town right outside of Cape Cod. I keep saying we need to have a fish option on the menu, it's a given for a Cape Codish wedding, he feels we should have red meat and a chicken dish along with the vegetarian. Keep in mind this is an August wedding as well. Please let me know if I'm crazy for thinking fish belongs on the list for entrée options?

Costco catering

knottie5deddf4e90a4b8e8 — Sat, 13 Jan 2024 00:32:17 +0000

This may feel tacky to some but please save judgement. I think Costco is a great option for those with a very limited budget but a lot of people to feed. Their party platters like the sandwiches, shrimp cocktail, and meat and cheese are affordable. They feed up to 24 people per tray and cost around $40 each. They also have sheet cake thats $25 for 48 servings.

costcomenu.com/costco-party-platters-menu/
costcomenu.com/costco-wedding-cake/

Critique Our Wedding Menu!

knottiea6202435b4f7d666 — Tue, 30 May 2023 17:22:42 +0000

Hello! We’re getting married in about 7 months and are ironing out the final details with our caterer. We have about 125 guests and will be a black tie wedding at The Pierre in NYC. Any and all feedback is welcome!

BBQ for meal at Reception

alexisrenick — Sun, 20 Nov 2022 04:19:04 +0000

My fiancé and I are having a rustic wedding next September. The ceremony is outside and the reception is going to be in a barn. We are wanting to do BBQ for the meal and are thinking pulled pork and BBQ chicken for the meats. I told my family recently what we are thinking of having and my dad, sister, and brother in law think its super weird and too much BBQ. They think we should consider changing the chicken to some kind of herb chicken instead for those that don't like BBQ and want another option... I'm torn because this isn't what I was envisioning or wanted. Thoughts?

Bride with food allergies

Knottie1439483908 — Thu, 07 Sep 2017 12:37:14 +0000

Hey guys, I'm in the very early stages of planning and I've been looking at food and wedding reception venues. The biggest issue I'm having is that I have a severe soy allergy and my maid of honor has a very severe peanut allergy (we both carry epi-pens). I really want to have a buffet style meal, and me able to eat all (or at least most) of the food at my own dang wedding that I am paying for. I've never been able to freely eat at a buffet, and this is the one thing that is really important to me. However, all the venues I have talked to so far say they can't get peanuts completely out of the kitchen (definite dealbreaker) and that I should go with a catering company. But the catering companies only say they can make me and my maid of honor separate plates, which I want to avoid. Any suggestions?

Entree Selection via RSVPs

knottie89d43877bfc58aa5 — Mon, 30 May 2022 19:54:36 +0000

If there are two people in the household on the RSVP is there a way they can each select their entree? Right now if I add the question twice in the RSVPs the guests who are only one per household get the question twice. Also if I add the question twice I still don't know who is selecting what in the household.

Question about how caterer makes money

knottie4a473c8e1c15731c — Fri, 06 May 2022 14:37:53 +0000

Hello! So we booked our caterer this past January, and at that point we just had an invite list of 30 people. Now that our wedding is getting close (end of May), it turns out the number of people who RSVP'd yes is a total of 8 (so 10 with me and groom). I followed up with the caterer yesterday and while she was nice--she made a comment how this gig is costing her money out of pocket now that it's only 10. She also mentioned how "...if she had known."

It seemed like we were both on the same page in the beginning that 30 was the invite list and would likely change. At one point between then and now, she even asked if the headcount changed but by that point, it was changing because we had just sent out invites and the rsvp by date hadn't come yet.

Anyway, she seemed to cheer up and continue being nice and professional overall. But I feel bad. I also feel confused because I guess I don't understand the business. Anyone able to explain how this would now be costing her money out of pocket? I kept asking her how things would be easier for her because I am not a picky bride. As long as my groom shows up, I'm happy. But she just kept leaving choices up to me. So I did change original plated dish options to a pasta bar and two appetizers. Perhaps this will help her profit line?

I don't want to be the reason a small business loses money. Anyone have insight or advice?

Need some advice about Cocktail hour!

knottie1ea2b589ba8191ed — Sun, 30 Jan 2022 23:28:50 +0000

Hi everyone. I am getting married in September and I am completely new to event planning. My budget is only $5000 so I’m doing a lot of diy. We are planning to do a taco bar reception, but I’m still trying to decide how we are going to do cocktail hour. Ok to give ya’ll an idea, we are doing our ceremony outside and then the reception indoors…so I’m thinking it’d be best to do our cocktail hour outside. Since we are doing tacos I like the idea of doing chips and maybe have a salsa bar and also offer queso and guacamole, but I need advice on how to set it up. My venue only offers reception tables and chairs which will be inside where the reception is going to be held but I want to offer some seating during my cocktail hour that’ll be outside. Is it a good idea to move some reception tables outside? I was considering renting some pub style tables but I’m expecting 80 or so people which means I’d need a lot of tables which adds up quick. My idea is to serve the tortilla chips in individual baskets and to have all the salsas/dips out on a table with plastic dip bowls that guests can fill themselves. If anyone has done a similar setup I would really appreciate any advice! Also, I was thinking about doing a margarita bar and maybe I can have my bartender already have glasses ready so when my guests transition from the ceremony to cocktail hour they won’t have to wait in line to get their first margarita.

How many servings does a 10" bundt cake have??

knottief5bd7d83adeff44b — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 06:05:17 +0000

For my wedding, we are planning on getting a fake cake and then a bunch of bundt cakes on the side for serving. I was wondering how many servings do you guys think each cake will give? On the nothing bundt cake website, it says 18, but I wanted to see if I could stretch that more? We're expecting 180-200 guests.

How should I serve water?

knottie52c28c7a88c19aae — Fri, 16 Jul 2021 20:52:35 +0000

I’m having a buffet style dinner at my wedding reception and I have no clue how I should serve water since I won’t have waiters. My bar services vendor will have water available behind the bar of course but I’m not sure what is the most convenient and cost efficient way to do this. Our caterer offers a coffee serving station which we are doing, should I just try to do a water serving station as well? Water bottles? Help please!!

Is a potluck tacky?

knottieac39211cfcb1c6d1 — Tue, 17 Aug 2021 14:46:38 +0000

Okay, hear me out. Our ceremony is going to be combined with Christmas dinner. There will only be immediate family members present. Instead of a reception we are just doing our normal family Christmas, opening presents and watching Christmas movies and playing board games (family tradition). We are renting the venue and obviously providing dessert. So is it tacky to ask that it be potluck? Or maybe if we also provide the main dishes?

Gold flower decorations for my cake

knottiebbd3cf35cbc6f0f9 — Fri, 26 Mar 2021 02:08:06 +0000

I painted these sugar flowers gold to decorate my cake, and I'm so thrilled with how they turned out that I wanted to share!

A Little Wedding Cake Legal Advice?

knottie040b1c4312ad2d13 — Mon, 07 Jun 2021 22:44:40 +0000

Hello, I was wondering if anyone had some legal knowledge who could give me some wedding advice.
When I booked our wedding cake (pre-pandemic) the bakery (WI) said they cant pipe on gold decorations because they cant make gold buttercream frosting but they could pipe on the decorations & hand paint the details gold. They sketched out a rough draft & we agreed and put a down payment on the cake. Pandemic came and we rescheduled & they put us down for the new date (back in may 2020). A few weeks ago I emailed the bakery asking for a few extra details (it would be an added fee but I understand that) & during that conversation they said the decorations on my cake wouldn't be gold they would be "gold toned" & would have no metallic sheen (aka a brownish yellow cream piped on). I called them because I was confused what they meant "gold toned" when we agreed to gold details & he said the gold they have for buttercream is a powder and would take "hours of work to hand paint on" (I do believe he referenced a long period of time like all day or over 5 hours but I cant remember exactly) and explained what they will do is use a "gold toned" frosting instead. I told him I didnt want yellow/brown frosting & reminded him that out contract was for gold details to be hand paint on (its in the notes on the description) & that I paid extra for the hand painting (it was a small additional fee for the hand painting though) & he said he would uphold what we had in our original contract. About 2 days later I receive an email from them stating that they have updated their system & I need to sign a new contract. The new contract has a specific clause that says that they will try but do not have to reproduce a cake exactly as described, that there is "artistic interpretation" and they do not guarantee a cake looks like it was described. They have asked me to sign this updated contract just 3 weeks before my wedding! Do I have to sign this new contract to get my cake? I am afraid it is their way of getting out of painting on the gold details and just using their yellow frosting. Am I over reacting & will they likely paint the gold details on & should just sign it?

Thanks

Putting on our own ice cream sundae bar... ideas?

knottief9fc142244bee326 — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 13:19:45 +0000

My fiance and I are hoping to have an ice cream sundae for dessert instead of cake for our May 2022 wedding!
Has anyone put on an ice cream sundae bar on their own and how did you do it?

Is it okay if I don't have chicken as a main entre option?

knottiebcabc6b9d0f30e49 — Mon, 04 Jan 2021 19:19:55 +0000

I am getting married in June. It's an outdoor wedding. The menu I'm planning is:

Appetizers: mini chicken and waffles, bruschetta, and a fruit and veggie tray
Entre: Smoked pulled pork shoulder and/or smoked salmon
Sides: Kaiser rolls, Green Beans, Mac n Cheese, Sweet Potato Fries and Salad

My mom thinks the menu sounds different and thinks I should have chicken as a main coarse option as well. I think adding chicken as a main option would be too much and I really like smoked salmon and don't want to take it off the menu. Should I offer chicken? Does my menu sound weird?

Vegan bridesmaid

theresaanddale — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 15:53:25 +0000

I'm having a fairly low key wedding with catering from a local German place. Being German, there's a lot of sausage/meat and a couple of sides. One of my bridesmaids and her husband is vegan, so I want to make sure they have something to eat. Would it be weird to get them separate meals from a different restaurant? I'll ask the caterer if they do vegan but I have a feeling their options will be limited or nonexistant. I dont think any of the guests are vegetarian/vegan but I'll of course ask and make similar arrangements for them.

Brides Need your help please..

knottiedb6441ae9c36a605 — Sat, 26 Dec 2020 08:10:10 +0000

Hello Would Be brides, Brides,

Need you help. With over information online, I am getting confused how to select my wedding baker and things to take care with baker.

It shall be great, if you can take out your time and fill in this form which would help me to determine cake for my wedding. You need not share any personal details.

Your valuable advice shall help me plan my wedding better.

**Removed for ToS violation**

Thanks,

Swati

Guidance from start to decide my cake for wedding

knottiedb6441ae9c36a605 — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 15:40:23 +0000

Hello my wedding is on 1st Jul 2021 and the location would be Florida. I am excited about my wedding cake. Right now I don't have any clue about the same. Also can someone help me with steps I shall take to decide my cake. Beside date finalization, I have not done anything yet

Menu??

knottieb8487bd763954d54 — Thu, 03 Dec 2020 20:50:57 +0000

Hi, I'm brand new to all of this and still trying to figure it out. I definitely didn't expect wedding planning to be as complex as it is, and I don't know what the hell I'm doing with any of it. But, I've managed to pick a venue, date, and colors, so I guess that's something. Now, my fiance and I are trying to think of food, and I'm even more lost than with the venue.

It's going to be a very small wedding (I'm estranged from most of my family, and neither of us have a ton of friends to invite), probably between 25-30 people, if that. It's in a barn (we live in East TN, and it's a pretty rustic wedding), and there's not many options near the venue, cause it's in the middle of nowhere. So, we're thinking about doing our own food (or having his dad do it, he's a chef), but I don't know what to think about making. We thought about different kinds of sliders (like a build your own station), but everything that I've seen says that sliders are an appetizer, not a meal. We were going to have mac and cheese and a couple of other sides too, and then dessert (including a s'mores bar), but now I don't know if it would be enough.

It's a very causal wedding, and most of the guests are going to be his family, and a few friends that we've known for years. The most "formal" guests are going to be a few people that he works with, but they're very laid-back. We don't want a formal meal, just something that matches the vibe.

And, we're not serving alcohol. He's not going to be 21 (the wedding is a few months before his birthday), a few of the guests can't/don't drink, the place is pretty remote and I don't want anyone drinking and driving, and since there would only be a small number of guests drinking, we figured that it would be best to save that money. We are gonna have a good amount of sweet tea and lemonade though

I don't know what to do, do you think that the menu is okay, or that I should change it?

Help! Wedding menu?

catewitt — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 03:53:04 +0000

hello ladies, I'm seeking sage advice on wedding food. I'm having approx. 125, venue is my city's opera house. Dinner will be served family style. Here is where I am stuck: I have a high number of vegetarians, and many hardcore foodies who will eat anything that moves. I am considering a family style dinner with a braised beef, pumpkin ravioli, cheese polenta, caprese salad, lemon seared asparagus and grilled kale. Dinner will finish with a cheese course before dessert. Is it acceptable to not have a fish option? The beef is the only protein. And is the menu too heavy? What do you think? Swap out the pasta for fish? Thank you so much in advance!

Food stations?

apltalia — Mon, 06 Jan 2020 15:41:20 +0000

So, my fiance and I definitely like the idea of food stations! Especially a taco bar! I was wondering if anyone here had done stations? How bad were the costs? Any tips? I figure we can't just have tacos because not everyone will eat them, what are some other ideas? Thanks!

Food Gratuity

knottie9be6768dfb0b4a32 — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 08:26:22 +0000

i am going through an approved caterer for my venue. They charge 28% service charge/tax (20%/8%) not including gratuity. It’s buffet style. If I provide a 20% that is 48%!! I’ve looked online and they make $16 bucks an hour not including gratuity. What does everyone recommend for tip?

NWR - Horrible retro recipes

OurWildKingdom — Mon, 10 Jun 2019 22:10:43 +0000

Proceed with caution.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/ariannarebolini/truly-upsetting-vintage-recipes

https://m.ranker.com/list/disgusting-food-from-vintage-cookbooks/kellen-perry