Reception idea - opinions needed

BlushingBrideNC

Hi ladies,

My reception will likely be  mid-afternoon with heavy h'orderves. My mom, my FI's mom, and a few friends of the family are excellent cooks & bakers and I would really like some of my and my FI's favorite recipes highlighted on our special day. My first thought is that it may be asking too much of our family & friends on an already busy day.  We will be having about 80 guests total. I just thought it would be a nice personal touch that we could share with our guests.  Any thoughts?

Thank you, and Congrats to each of you!

kellya01

Do you have someone who can reheat the items, so that they could be prepared a day or two in advance?  That would be my first choice to get the special recipes as part of your reception.  Also, who is doing your food?  Could you ask them to make a special recipe, and give them the recipe card so they can make it like you're used to?

If you are expecting those family/friends to also serve the hors d'oeuvres, I think you might be better off contracting (and paying) someone to serve the food, even if all they have to do is re-heat it and keep the food coming as it disappears from the trays.  With 80 guests, you can probably have one to two people serving all of the hors d'oeuvres if they're in a central location at the reception.  

Something you might consider is just mentioning "wouldn't it be nice to have such-and-such recipe at our reception?"  Maybe someone would volunteer to make it if they agree on how special that would be.  If they don't agree, I'd be careful about asking for too much from family and friends.  You don't want them to feel like you're asking them to "work" for your wedding, IMO. 

Astrid821

If they are up for the challenge, by all means, use their help. 

Although it may be a good idea to talk to a few caterers to see what they can offer you, you may find someone who is willing to make your dishes for a reasonable price.

If you're not looking for the whole catered wedding thing anyway, look into places that cater corporate functions and lunch type events. I've notices they charge a lot less than caterers that primarily do weddings. Also if you talk to a caterer and tell them your idea they may still find a way to help you that fits into your budget, and it never hurts to ask.