Coctail hour and dinner reception food

Re: Coctail hour and dinner reception food

• nitaashanti78

  

  March 2012

  Hey keysmit my wedding is the same month and year as yours, what day is yours on? 
  
  FI and I decided to pay a little more and go with a plated dinner instead of a buffet style.  We didn't want to risk the first couple of folks loading their plates up and then the last group of people with nothing.  FI doesn't eat pork, so we chose a beef and chicken for our entree choices.  They'll also get a veggie, bread and a dessert along with the wedding cake. 
  
  For our cocktail hour I think we are going with some "rabbit food" and sparkling wine but now that I've mentioned it I have to go back and check, lol.  You still have some time to change your mind, but for us we had to go ahead and pick something so we knew our amount (we're paying for everything in cash).

  

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• MrsJenrette

  

  March 2012

  In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_african-american-weddings_coctail-hour-and-dinner-reception-food?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural Wedding BoardsForum:400Discussion:558c9146-6674-4277-b5a2-a63ec5f34171Post:70a3f63e-db56-429a-92d1-e7bb4de8f3e9">Coctail hour and dinner reception food</a>:
  [QUOTE]Hi All, Happy Monday... Hope everyone had a great weekend. This is my first post. LOL... I have a while before my wedding it's not until 6/2013. We have booked our reception venue, our cater and working on a church.. I had 4 meeting set up with different caters, we went to our first cater which is my bff dad and my FI loved the food so much that he booked him on site. Anyways there are a few issues, the reception site  does not have a kitchen, I know that sounds crazy... See pic. it's at the courthouse.. I love it... Its so different and unique.. Now the thing is I hate buffet lines.. Absolutely hate them.. but i guess that's the easiest route since there isn't a kitchen. He said he can make it the nicest buffet ever.. and our families and bridal party will be served. <strong>What style are you all going with?</strong> Next is food options, I don't eat beef or pork so he made us a dish of stuffed chicken breast with spinach and artichoke and 2 types of salmon (breaded, and grilled)...He also made asparagus and potatoes.. Everything was great.. I like the meat choices but i want some different sides beside the traditional wedding sides of green beans and potatoe. Looking for unique dinner options.. <strong>Should i incorporate a beef or pork?  And coctail hour, Not sure what i want.. Any ideas? I was thinking a fruit display, cheese and crackers, cater suggested a chicken salad, and meatballs. not sure how i feel about that selection. LOl..</strong> We have a few months before we decide on the food. Just looking for ideas...
  Posted by keysmit[/QUOTE]
  
  We are going with buffet style as well... We love the fact that people are able to choose what they want, that way, if they feel like all three or two or 1 of the options they can have that. I've seen a buffet set up at my venue and absolutely love it... it looks gorgeous and we can still have the head table be served.
  
  I know you may not eat beef of pork, but if it is able to come with the package (at no extra cost), then I think you should add it.. in the event that people are allergic to what's stuffed in the chicken, or seafood. I am going with a very simple cocktail hour.. with just Fruit and Cheese stations.. mostly because of the fact that we are having the buffet, but it's really up to what you want, and what your overall budget allows.

  

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• keysmit

  

  March 2012

  Hi nitaashanti,
  
  Our wedding date is 6/15/2013. What is yours?
  
  Thanks for the post.. Yea we don't mind paying a little more, since the venue do not have a kitchen it's a little hard to execute plated seating. I even thought about family style but the cater brought up a good point, what about the food that people don't touch, that will be discarded..Salads will be brought to everyone prior to them being seated, along with bread and butter, and then they go to the stations for their main meal...  Everyone will be served at the stations, I guess it's simpler and easier to keep the food warm. You are right I have some time.. I just want a  unique side...
  
  What are your sides?
  
  We are planning to have a wedding cake along with a candy bar.. I love junk food. LOL. So that wasn't negotiable... LOL..
  
  
  Here is our venue.. The courthouse.. The upstatirs will be used for our coctail hour with high top tables, a bar will be upstairs and down.. I love this place... FI picked it..
  
  

  

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• keysmit

  

  March 2012

  Hi Mrs. Jenrette,
  
  Thanks for the post.. I totally feel what you are saying. And i didn't think about it.. I will def reconsider adding an additional option like a beef brisket or something along those lines.. . It only makes sense,, What sides are you serving with your entree?
  
  I've seen nice buffet lines.. I will weigh it out. Since the venue doesn't have a kitchen it just makes it a little harder to keep the food warm.. Not to mention we are having over 300 guest. Yikes.. LOL..So the cater said he will set up a few different stations that way it won't take forever for people to get a plate. and as you said, they will have an option..

  

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• MrsBoss2012

  

  March 2012

  Hi and welcome! I'm doing buffet and we are having chicken, beef, and fish. I am a picky eater and I only eat certain things but I don't want my guests to be limited to only what I eat. (In no way am I calling you picky I'm just using myself as an example). So I would say if you are able to have more than 1 meat within your budget that may be a good idea. I'm probably no help with sides. I like the green beans and potatoes!
  
  We are also doing fruit and cheese for cocktail hour. I would love if meatballs were available but it wasn't printed on the venues menu. We haven't met yet for our tasting though so I'm going to be brining that up!

  

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• FutureMzHayden

  

  March 2012

  Plated dinner with steak and chicken...  Buffet style sometimes leaves a lot of leftover plates that just go to waste.  I'm not even sure what our sides are other than stratch and veggie.... I might need to look into that!!
  
  Cocktail Hour... I wanted to do like a display of "rabbit food" but the cost is toooo high at our venue.  So I'm having a Goodie table with candy and stuff like but I'm sure by the time dinner starts people are gonna be STARVING!!

  
  My Planning Bio - Update 6/8/2012

  110 Ready to have a Good Time Final Head Count

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• McFaro0130 member

  

  March 2012 edited March 2012

  We are having our reception at an historic hotel. We actually customized our menu (my fiance is a picky eater and didn't care for the options). We lucked up and had an amazing chef at the resaturant who is making us a southern inspired menu. For starters, we'll have crab balls, cajun shrimp, and a fruit and cheese display. Dinner is fried chicken, mahi with a cajun crawfish sauce, potatoes, mac and cheese (my grandmother's suggestion so kids can enjoy), and string beans. We'll also have salad and corn bread.
  
  I did actually change the menu as recently as Saturday. So as your plans start to gel, I've found people work with you and want to help you make your day exactly what you want it to be as long as you don't drop any major changes on them last minute.
  
  I think a buffet can be done tastefully. As far as people gobbling up all the food before everyone gets some, would it be possible to have staff serve the food as people come through the line or are you thinking it's a self serve option?
  

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• keysmit

  

  March 2012 edited March 2012

  Hey Mrs. Boss,
  
  Thanks for the post.. I totally agree with what you are saying. I am a picky eater as well. So the suggestions are greatly appreciated.. So when we did our tasting he made chicken and 2 types of salmon. So maybe I'll do chicken, salmon and a beef.. That way there is more of an option. And as someone else suggested what if someone doesn't like the stuffed chicken and allergic to seafood, then they do not have anything to eat.. So the beef would work out great, and maybe i will have him do an eggplant just incase for vegetarian options. I love baked sweet potato or reg sweet potato.. But i'm not sure how that will match with the rest of the meal..  LOL..
  
  I'm still up in the air with everything. The cater is my bff dad and he was trying to impress my FI so that's why he went a head and made our first discussion and tasting in one. I'm sure we will have more.. As far as cocktail hour, i'm pretty flexible , I just know my FI hate bacon wrapped in waterchestnuts. LOL he bit in to one at a past reception and was pissed. LOL..
  
  Well hopefully when you meet with your cater and discuss the menu and cocktail hour it's negotiable... When is the big day? I'm so excited.. LOL.

  

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• keysmit

  

  March 2012

  Hey Mz Hayden,
  
  Thanks for your post..  Yep i know what you mean about buffet being wasteful,  The good thing is, whatever we have left, i'm sure it won't be much,  but whatever is left, we can have people over our home the next day for lunch or dinner, that way we can continue to entertain our out of town guest.. . A friend just got married in Novemeber and that's what she did and no food was wasted.. So hopefully it works out that way.
  
  I was trying to think of other types of sides, I always watch TLC four weddings, etc, and i just try to find a different type of sides with out over doing it.. I like sweet potatoes, and often eat that with salmon, but i went to this one reception and they had a really good pasta, Hmmm..
  
  For your Candy bar, are you having a bag with your initials or what type of containers are they putting their candy in? I too am having a candy bar/ display.. I love love love candy. LOL.. I was thinking of doing the bags with the initials, or using the small  Chinese togo containers with our initials or date on there.. I've seen it done before, worked out pretty good.. You know people like to overload and that way their bag won't break. LOL.. I like this idea too, that way i don't have to over think for party favors..

  

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• nitaashanti78

  

  March 2012

  @keysmit my wedding is 6/29/13.
  I'm going to have to go back and look at our menu, don't get me to lying, lol.  But it's not anything real fancy.  These people are eating twice-once on Saturday and again on Sunday, when we host another party at FMIL's home with Jamaican food (they are already asking where the goat is, lol). 
  

  

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• keysmit

  

  March 2012

  @nitaashanti.. Ya'll fancy.. LOL...
  
  So how many people will be at the second gathering? same amount at the first?

  

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• keysmit

  

  March 2012

  @ McFaro0130
  
  Thanks for your post.. Your meal sounds so good... My FI loves Mac maybe we should incorporate that into our meal.. Hmmm..

  

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• Made4Him

  

  March 2012

  I am having a dinner buffet with salmon, steak, 2 starches, 2 salads, and a vegetable. My cocktail hour will have 4 butler passed hors d' oeuvres, a fruit display, and champagne punch.

  
  
  
  Planning Bio Updated 02/11/12

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