Ladies...HELP!!!

Aleighy617

So we are down to brass tacks now, a little over 5 months and I have NO IDEA what to feed my guests.  We are planning on approximately 200 guests and only have about $1000 budget for food.  I don't want to have to do it all myself, but if that's my only option, then I guess that's what I'm left with.  Please help.  I need the most frugal of you out there.  I would really love to have it catered, but I can't find ANYTHING for under about $8 a head.  Please, if you have ANY ideas, throw them at me.  I am open to any and all ideas.  The ceremony is at 5, reception to begin at 6.  We have a full kitchen at our diposal.  But I don't want to put my family out by asking them to do this all for me. 

Ok...GO!

Archel

  ....pizza...?

kducharme

have you looked into doing appetizers as apposed to full dinner options?  those are sometimes cheaper...good luck!

kinmir30

What if you just did a heavy snack bar/appetizers? That could take off some of the pressure for cooking. Do a fruit platter, veggie platter, cheese and meat platter, do some bread and dips or chips and dips, and maybe a few hot appetizers??

emilyasiegel

Appetizers from Renton Technical?

http://www.rtc.edu/catering/menus3.htm

Merryfj

Longhorn BBQ has reasonable prices ranging from 8.95-15 depending on how many options you want. You could supplement with trays from Costco as well. Good Luck!

Archel

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_washington-seattle_ladieshelp?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:104Discussion:5416f24d-995a-43a9-bf82-bdf55b720119Post:67213863-4a31-4228-aefd-3026c802ebf9">Re: Ladies...HELP!!!</a>:
[QUOTE]What if you just did a heavy snack bar/appetizers? That could take off some of the pressure for cooking. Do a fruit platter, veggie platter, cheese and meat platter, do some bread and dips or chips and dips, and maybe a few hot appetizers??
Posted by kinmir30[/QUOTE]

Aw, yes, of course! Costco!

karebear219

Costco, but also look into doing just appetisers or just dessert.

kinmir30

The pizza idea is great. You could also do like subway party platters. And I know costco has a lot of stuff too. I bet normal grocery stores could do party platters for you too. I have never looked into it, but I bet they do. I know safeway does floral and wedding cakes, so they prob could do some platters for you. You could make it like a bbq. Do potato salad, pasta salad, etc.

jennuinne

Yeah, apps, party platters, pizza, Qdoba does taco party stuff to do.  If you are going to DIY, do large things of pasta, salad and breadsticks.  You might even be able to find a resaurant that could do that affordably. 

sarack

I agree with Jennuinne- You could prepare  lasagnas the day before, have people put them in just to warm and melt the cheese the day of your wedding. You could have salad and bread. I've been to a wedding where this has been done and the food was delicious. Or just have a HUGE vat of spaghetti. I think that the pasta thing is totally doable. Everyone loves spaghetti. You could even just prepare a bunch of penne and have a couple kinds of sauces available for your guests to choose from

Or you could do the platters route. But at 6pm, I think your guests would want something more substantial.

Alo822

Not to sound like a Costco ad or anything... but they have amazing (huge) lasagnas. Mmmm.  

I love sarack's suggestion about the pasta. You could do a pasta bar, with a couple different sauces. Add salad and bread, and I think it just might work! 

About the heavy app idea-- I think that at 6 pm, guests will be expecting dinner. Also, apps can be just as expensive (or even more) than a meal, since they can be more labor-intensive to prepare. 

MrsH8172010

I have no idea what the price of this is but I know that it was supposed to be an cheaper option for catering.

I got a flyer from them at the tacoma wedding expo last year.

extrahandscatering.com

I don't know how much it is but you provide the food, and they provide the service. Not sure what all they do but it might be worth checking it out...

HTH!

KST_

We Do Weddings, although I just went to grab their website for you and it's apparently being revamped so their catering page isn't done yet. They're who I'm using for my rentals. http://www.wedoweddingsseattle1.com/Services.html  Pasta is a good way to go, though. You could get huge Costco bags of pre-washed salad mix and set some dressings and toppings near by. Then do lasagna and a pasta bowl with sauces. Add garlic bread (costco!) and you can get by with that.

Tygirljojo

Ditto KST, I was going to suggest We Do as well.

crakd

is your ceremony time set in stone already?   if you can push the ceremony to 7pm, you could just do a cake/champagne reception.  or even mid-afternoon.

Tygirljojo

Crakd made an excellent suggestion, if you can change the time - move it to earlier like 2pm or later like 7pm and have a cake and champagne reception.

KayleeC123

We have our ceremony set at 3pm and reception is at the same place. In leiu of saving money we've hired a few 'friends' to BBQ for us and we're doing a BBQ "pot luck" type dinner. We aren't actually having a pot luck......my aunts have offered to cook so we'll haave normal BBQ stuff and salad, pasta salad, homemade Mac n' Cheese, etc. We'll be shopping at Costco so it shouldn't cost too much! HTH

hayleymajayley

Branks BBQ in Sumner has an option that's around 8.25 I think