To go plates

mxlandry

How do you politely ask people not to pack "to go plates" at our reception???? We have a certain family group who does this at EVERY event they go to.  They cart out enough food to feed the entire family for at least 2 days!! We are paying a pretty price per head for this event and have planned for a certain number of guest. Is there a nice way to address this without hurting any feelings???

ootmother2

wow, the only person I can think of who would do that is my sister.

willywally5

I don't know what your venue does, but where my DD's reception is, they do not allow you to take home ANY FOOD except for leftover cake/cupcakes. At first I was like, WTH? But, it has to do with safe storage, reheating safely, etc, etc. It basically covers the venue's butt if someone gets sick from their leftovers. I found this to be a rather irritating rule BUT it could be a huge help to someone in your situation! 

I'd check with the venue, as I understand it is becoming more and more common for places to keep the leftovers. Then, the venue is the 'bad guy' and not you! And your rellies won't be able to cart home enough food for the next week's suppers! Win, win!

alphalyrae

Our venue stipulates in the contract that aside from cake/cupcakes/dessert brought in by the couple, food catered by their facility may not be packed up at the end of the night due to concerns about improper temporary storage, reheating, etc.

RebeccaB88

If your family is indeed so rude as to do this, then it should be up to the venue manager or coordinator to tell them they can't do it.  You'd need to give them a heads up ahead of time so they can be prepared.  And also tell your relatives that, if they try it, they will not be allowed to leave with the food.

ootmother2

well, my sister didn't really get a take out box at the wedding but

there were two last minute no shows and she ate one of their meals, my BIL the other.

ALL 5 courses!!

willywally5

OMG, OOT!!! Yegads. 

I mean, I'm a fan of 'waste not, want not,' but gheez.

DramaGeek

Make sure your coordinator or the supervisor at your venue is aware so they can watch for it.

ootmother2

after 10 different hot passed apps, a cheese & Fruit board, a crudite table and raw bar with clams & oysters for 90 min cocktail hour too!

Then clam chowder, green salad, filet mignon

shheeesh!  eat much?

Their reply was "It will only go to waste"

lauralaur

Like others, our venue stipulated that leftovers may not leave with the guests, for the reasons stated above. Would they go so far as to bring packaging with them? Because the catering staff likely will not pack it up for them. Give your event/catering manager a tip that there are people coming who may attempt this and they can keep an eye on them.

jemmini6

My 3 and a half year old nephew asked one of the wait staff to pack his lunch to go because "I'm not very hungry and I want to dance now". Lol. But yeah, just tell your venue to inform people as they get requests that they don't do togo boxes.

willywally5

Jemmini, that cracks me up that a three-year-old is savvy enough to ask for a to-go box! Cute!

Simply Fated

I'm confused by how your venue works in terms of making sure there is enough food for everyone. Will they charge you for the extra food these guests take home? Will the venue give these guests someone else's food to take home by accident, leaving other guests with no food? These seem to be things you're worried about, so I'm needing more info from you regarding how your venue handles leftovers.

mkrupar

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_to-go-plates?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:a9f5ee51-18a2-4ba9-a851-054fb5d0bbf5Post:3b2df53d-e96f-4479-a569-0c926a9aa57e">Re: To go plates</a>:
[QUOTE]I don't know what your venue does, but where my DD's reception is, they do not allow you to take home ANY FOOD except for leftover cake/cupcakes. At first I was like, WTH? But, it has to do with safe storage, reheating safely, etc, etc. It basically covers the venue's butt if someone gets sick from their leftovers. <strong>I found this to be a rather irritating</strong> rule BUT it could be a huge help to someone in your situation!  I'd check with the venue, as I understand it is becoming more and more common for places to keep the leftovers. <strong>Then, the venue is the 'bad guy'</strong> and not you! And your rellies won't be able to cart home enough food for the next week's suppers! Win, win!
Posted by willywally5[/QUOTE]<div>
</div><div>Much less irritating than food poisoning. </div><div>
</div><div>Yeah the bad guy that's concerned about food safety and your guests not getting sick off of improperly stored and reheated leftovers. Such a "bad guy". 

</div>

mkrupar

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_to-go-plates?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:a9f5ee51-18a2-4ba9-a851-054fb5d0bbf5Post:a6ce69b9-a30d-4e6e-9646-6714c9a322e0">Re:To go plates</a>:
[QUOTE]I'm confused by how your venue works in terms of making sure there is enough food for everyone. Will they charge you for the extra food these guests take home? Will the venue give these guests someone else's food to take home by accident, leaving other guests with no food? These seem to be things you're worried about, so I'm needing more info from you regarding how your venue handles leftovers.
Posted by Simply Fated[/QUOTE]<div>
</div><div>It sounds like OP is havng a buffet. Extra food is always more of a concern in this situation. I'm in the industry. Your food can sit in a hot box for up to an hour before it's put out. Buffets are usually limited to two hours of service. Prepared food has a shelf life of about 4 hours before it needs to be stored properly if it's going to be reheated. Aunt Edna's purse =/= proper storage. That is why they typically do not allow to-go containers. </div><div>
</div><div>When you pay for a buffet meal you're paying a certain amount of money, for a certain amount of people, to eat for a certain amount of time. Venues will always prepare extra because they can't predict what each group is going to consume on every buffet. So you're not really paying for the extra food. It's the venue's way of covering their asses in the event that a group is full of heavy eaters, or they end up scarfing the chicken over the beef. 

</div>

Mrs.B6302007

Your catering staff will clear off the table during the dancing and they won't provide to-go boxes to guests due to liability issues so if you're guests are bold enough to ask, I'm fairly certain they'll be told no.  When I catered, we took everything into the kitchen and then disposed of it and never packed to go boxes.

ETA: we didn't even bring to-go boxes with us to events

willywally5

MKrupar, I realize venues have such policies for a reason. It DOES irritate me that food goes to waste but totally understand why. I'm also not a fan of food poisoning, duh. 

I used the term 'bad guy' referring to how the tactless, food-grubbing guests would likely view anyone who told them not to do so.

Love your siggy, btw. 

Cortney1982

LOLZ, I am envisioning something like an episode of "The Nanny" where she is dropping food in her purse!

mkrupar

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_to-go-plates?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:a9f5ee51-18a2-4ba9-a851-054fb5d0bbf5Post:f0605d72-8c1a-46ca-8c82-337d8d94fbe5">Re: To go plates</a>:
[QUOTE]MK, what if her bold ass family brings their own Tupperware or something, and then empties their plates after a buffet trip into the container before heading back up for more?  If I were ghetto enough to treat a wedding like a shopping trip, that's what I would do.  Can the venue coordinator keep an eye on that and stop it?
Posted by EaglesBride2012[/QUOTE]<div>
</div><div>Yes. When I was a banquet server we had a monthly group that was like a dinner theater. The same people attended all the time. There was one woman that told her server, every time they went to clear her half eaten plate that she was taking the rest home to her dog. When told we didn't give-to go containers, she would reply, "That's alright, I bring my own." We still cleared her plate before she could save it. We just wouldn't allow it. It happened every month. She never learned, but she never took food home either.</div><div>
</div><div>We had another group that ordered food for a reception, but their group didn't eat all of the turkey breasts they had ordered for their carving stations. They wanted them saved and put back out with breakfast the next morning. Not even we, the company were allowed to do that because they had alread been out their alloted time frame. The client however, agreed to sign a waiver that they would be responsible if anyone became ill from the turkey the next morning. They weren't taking no. So we let them. No one got sick, but if they had, it would have been on them, not the company. No company is willing to take that risk. 

</div>

mkrupar

Thanks WW5.

I knew what you were saying it just sucks that people look at it as the venues being hard asses about it, when that's not the case. If a health inspector walked in on them dishing up improperly stored food it would be mega trouble for them. Or if someone got sick and reported it to the health inspector they could get fined if they were found in the wrong. 

DramaGeek

If you're worried about them packing up their own leftovers, I wouldn't worry about it.  The venue can take care of that and it's really not your problem.  If your concern is them packing to-go boxes from the buffet or other people's plates, then definitely let someone know who can keep an eye out for it.

willywally5

Totally imagining evil  'Table 7' plotting their covert mission to abscond with food: whipping out their Tupperware ... enter maitre de with obvious super powers ... cue 'Mission Impossible' music ... ; )

Most everyone has some crazy relatives in their lives; the good thing about having to put up with them is that they are indeed entertaining sometimes!

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_to-go-plates?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:a9f5ee51-18a2-4ba9-a851-054fb5d0bbf5Post:f0605d72-8c1a-46ca-8c82-337d8d94fbe5">Re: To go plates</a>:
[QUOTE]MK, what if her bold ass family brings their own Tupperware or something, and then empties their plates after a buffet trip into the container before heading back up for more?  If I were ghetto enough to treat a wedding like a shopping trip, that's what I would do.  Can the venue coordinator keep an eye on that and stop it?
Posted by EaglesBride2012[/QUOTE]

That's kind of the scenario I was thinking. College dining hall FTW!

OliveOilsMom

I have some family members that do the same.  They brought their own gallon size zip lock bags to a wedding and packed them full to take home.  The venue insisted they turn over the food.

Just alert your venue to the table this family will sit at, so they can stop them from taking home food.

Simply Fated

mk, I worked in the industry, too, and they allow food to be taken home. They even provide takeout containers. I've seen guests come with their own Tupperware. Not every place is the same, of course.

tiffanydibona

Our catereer will allow us, the couple, to take home the extra meals if we have no-shows. They figure that we already paid for it, why shouldn't we get what we paid for.  They only do it for plated events (never for buffet events) most likely because of food storage/ handeling during buffets.  The meals are boxed up and placed in the fridge for us to take home after the event.  Hopefully we won't have any no-shows though.