Wedding Reception Forum

Am I being too simple?

3 hors d'oeuvres,garden salad, lemon chicken breast, mashed potatoes, vegetables, some sort of tasty bread...tea, coffee, a signature alcoholic drink, wedding cake. Isn't that enough... I don't spend $70 on MYSELF when I got out to eat... how on earth can I sleep at night knowing I spent $70 times 200! Do I really have to have 6 hor d'oeuvres, 2 carving stations, a full bar and pastries plus wedding cake... they are gonna go home after this wedding and eat what's in their fridge. I just want them to be satisfied and fed... I am trying to cut that $70 in half. I will not be skimpy on the portions. I'm a being crazy? I am in no way cheap but I am trying to live after this wedding. Is my menu too simple...? Please give opinions. And PS-I am not hating on the brides who are going all out in the food area.

Re: Am I being too simple?

  • I think your menu is fine.  when I am planning an event, I always picture the plate in my mind with all the food on it - kind of gives me an idea if I forgot anything or have chosen something wierd. One tiny suggestion - can you do a different kind of potatoes?  Chicken breast is soft and so are the potatoes.  If you could choose something like roasted reds you would have more variety in your textures and another layer of flavor in the meal.
  • No at all we are doing heavy apps. Two turkeys two hams with rolls and lots of diffrenet pasta salads.
  • it sounds fine.  I would include a veggie option.






    What differentiates an average host and a great host is anticipating unexpressed needs and wants of their guests.  Just because the want/need is not expressed, doesn't mean it wouldn't be appreciated. 
  • As long as there will be a vegetarian option available (your caterer likely includes this for free), I think it's fine.
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  • There is nothing at all wrong with your menu. If you add too many options, then you end up wasting food, which is also wasted money. The wedding industry wants you to believe that you are a bad bride/hostess unless you go broke serving so much food that you have a crap-ton left over after your guests have already eaten their share. As long as you cover the basics of a main dish and 1-2 sides, the rest is totally optional. Really though, with 3 appetizers, you don't even need salad since that is considered a plated appetizer. Serve whatever you can afford and don't worry about what other people are doing or what the Wedding Industry's expectations are. What the majority of the Knot boards are doing is not what the rest of the country in general does. Based on what you listed that your menu includes, if someone goes home hungry or doesn't think you served enough food, then they have serious problems. Your menu doesn't sound cheap at all. Simple is not a bad thing either, despite what some people may tell you.
  • Ditto on the vegetarian option and also on getting a more "solid" potato. Actually, if you still want something LIKE mashed potatoes, I would see if you're caterer can do "baked mashed potatoes". Essentially, they're mashed on the inside and crispy on the outside, really delicious.Otherwise, you're fine. We're having I think 4 apps, the salad, 2 (3 if you count the veggie) entrees and the cake for the food (I'm not sure, there MIGHT be a fruit cup involved, but I really don't remember). We probably would have only have one entree with the veggie option if our venue offered a package like that (You can't get less than 2 with them).I think things like carving stations and pastries and things like that are NICE, but after everything else, they really just are add-ons, that nobody will miss.

    If you fire a WP member, you're against America.
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  • Also, chicken breast and mashed potatoes are frequently paired together and there is nothing at all wrong with that combo.
  • I'd also say get rid of the salad. There will be veggies with dinner, and people can save room for cake.
  • I would not get rid of the salad.  Most people like salad.  Beside very few people can not find room for cake. 






    What differentiates an average host and a great host is anticipating unexpressed needs and wants of their guests.  Just because the want/need is not expressed, doesn't mean it wouldn't be appreciated. 
  • Beside very few people can not find room for cake. GASP....you mean there are actually people who can't find room for cake?  That is beyond what I can fathom.  I will leave a filet or some other pricy meal on my plate to make sure I can have the cake.  Cake is my favorite food on the planet.
  • GASP....you mean there are actually people who can't find room for cake? apparently so if jenn.daniel is sugguesting getting rid of salad? Who knew?






    What differentiates an average host and a great host is anticipating unexpressed needs and wants of their guests.  Just because the want/need is not expressed, doesn't mean it wouldn't be appreciated. 
  • Your menu is fine... ours is quite similar in quantity/courses. FI was worried we didn't have enough food... personally whenever I go to a wedding I can never eat everything. I'm always thinking that there is way too much food. We are having beef (and a vegetarian option) and the FMIL insisted that we needed to give our guests the option of chicken too. But our caterer doesn't cook onsite, so the food is served family style on a tray and we can only choose one main. FMIL was trying to make us order extra chicken for 100 ppl.. so double the mains = pay double the price and waste half the food...lol we said no. I can't understand why people fuss so much over the menu.. I mean the point is to feed your guests a good meal so that they will feel full, not to make a big show out of how much money you can waste..lol 
  • If I were your guest I wouldn't complain at all.  I like the idea of keeping it simple.
  • UndecidedI know I'm late. lol but I just wanted to know if you were doing this buffet style.. or served style.  I want to keep my meal simple as well (one main meat). Not sure how it looks making people get up to the buffet line and realize there aren't any options..
  • I am strongly considering buffet style simply because the single meat I choose might be a carving station with a chef there to attend it. Sit-downs are so expensive, a lot of caterers are suggesting you have one server per 20 guests, which is 100 dollars per server and they tax that and add gratuity to it. I would love to have my guests sit down, however I have only been to ONE sit-down wedding in all my life and it was my sisters. My dad was the head chef at the hotel and we got a major discount otherwise I don't think that would've happened. A lot of the wedding mags are saying that buffets are fun and encourage mingling and conversation and if you have any pretties going on ppl can admire them so they aren't gone to waste.
  • I had no idea how to check replies on post I did and I am just now figuring it out and to my surpise ppl responded! Thanks for the advice and I feel so much better about my menu. I am reconsidering the chicken and MASHED potatoes thing since enough ppl said something about it, :-) I figured any normal person would be satisfied so now I have assurance. Thank you for the replies!!!!
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