A few general food/service questions.. Would love your opinion!

Lolagirl2012 · August 2012

1. Champagne toast.. skip it or have to have? I plan to have champagne as a beverage option all night (this is my beverage of choice at wedding) but the rental costs of the champagne glasses and the extra bottles for a formal toast is much higher than I thought.

2. We are doing a buffet dinner and we can't decide whether or not we are doing a plated salad or having the salad as part of the buffet. Our salad station would look like this:

Mixed Greens, Spinach and Arugula with roasted pears, gorgonzola, red peppers, grape tomatoes, dried cherries, toasted walnuts, all arranged in bowls with choice of dressings to include pear balsamic, herbed crème fraiche or other dressing of choice

If we did a plated salad, we would make up a salad with some of these items, minus the walnuts because of one of my BM's has a nut allergy. I can't decide, because I like all of these items, but I know others will not. I feel like it could speed up the process if we had a plated salad, but dinner could get started earlier if we didn't have one..

3. Silverware, wrapped in cloth napkins and at the buffet, or set at the table? I didn't think of these, but they are things that my caterer has asked me..

Thank you!

lyndausvi · August 2012

1) Champagne toasts are a waste because a lot of people don't like champagne. Just let the guests drink what they want during the toasts. That's what we did.

2). either one. (I'm not much help right?). I really like your salad station. But I also like having something to eat while everyone is going up to the buffet.

3) Table. You already have to carry a plate, why make them carry silver also? Plus someone ALWAYS forgets. Then they have to go back up, blah, blah. Having them on the table is easier.

Sue-n-Kevin · August 2012

I agree with above poster on items 1 & 3. We also had champagne as an option in our wine selection, and no one drank it! They had other wines.

For #2, we had a buffet and had our salad on the buffet. While a plated salad is nice, having it on the buffet allows for guests to make selections of what they want.

Summer2011Bride · August 2012

I agree with skipping the champagne toast and putting the silverware at the table.

I also think you should have the salad as part of the buffet. Some guests don't want to have salad at all, and for those who do, they can pick and choose what they want.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown · August 2012

Skip the champagne toast if it costs more. We also has champagne available at our venue, but I think people toasted with whatever they were drinking, which was mostly wine.

I like the idea of a plated salad, because it gets dinner started sooner if it is at everyone's place already, and it looks little more formal if you are having everything else as a buffet. BUT I prefer plated meals over buffets in general and I am not a picky eater (and would eat everything on that salad). The salad at my wedding had watermelon, goat cheese, and lemon-tarragon dressing over greens, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

Peavy · August 2012

Skip the toast; plated salad; utensils on the table.

libby2483 · August 2012

1) Skip the toast unless it is included in a package.

2) Salads could go either way. If it doesn't cost extra, I would personally have them plated.

3) Silverware at the table.

Maggie0829 · August 2012

1) skip the champagne...it is just a waste of money
2) salad at buffet, but atleast have an assortment of rolls at the table so people can munch on something while they are waiting for their turn
3) silverware at table...one less thing for your guests to have to carry around with them when at the buffet

MelissaC315 · August 2012

I wouldn't worry so much about champagne. People can toast with their drinks they already have from the bar.

I would say include the salad with the buffet. I think it probably just makes the most sense logistically. And then people can choose to build their salad as they choose.

Silverware at the table is easier and nicer looking.

reppunzel · August 2012

Totally agree with PP on 1 and 3. Could you have the salad buffet-style but as a separate station? Then there'd be the opportunity to build-one's-own without making the buffet line longer, and hopefully some people would go through the buffet line first and then go get salad, which should make the whole process go more quickly. Agree with PP that it would be ideal in that situation, to have bread or crackers on the table for people to munch while waiting (unless you're doing a cocktail hour, too).

Looooooooove the sound of your salad buffet options!!!

Lolagirl2012 · August 2012

We are doing a cocktail hour with 3 passed appitizers and 3 stations. I'm just going to brag about my whole menu.. My caterer is pretty bad a$$..

Hors D’oeuvres

Served immediately following the ceremony at 5 pm, on the lawn

Passed Hors D’oeuvres

Brie Quesadillas- brie cheese grilled in flour tortillas, served with a fresh fruit salsa- we use whatever berry is in season with mint, jalapeno, lime and red onion

Parmesan Crisps- friccos spiked with toasted pumpkin seeds and topped with avocado salsa

Provolone Pesto - on multigrain, served with a
Tomato-Boursin Soup Shot

Stationary Hors D’oeuvres
on small 6’ table on front terrace, 75% of guests will have b&b’s

Bruschetta Bar- rustic italian bread grilled with garlic, rosemary and olive oil and served with assorted toppings including hummus, feta cheese, and tomato-basil relish.

Fruit and Cheese Display- imported and domestic cheeses of your choice …or we can recommend some wonderful local and Artisan award winning cheeses…arranged with clusters of grapes, berries, melon and other seasonally available fruits with a basket of crackers and baguette slices

Crudité Basket- artfully arranged freshly blanched and raw vegetables with appropriate house made dip

Buffet
Tables to be preset with water goblets, carafes, salt and pepper, bread baskets, olive oil & butter
It needs to be determined whether or not flatware should be set at tables or rolled and set on buffet.

Dinner stations to open 60-75 minutes after the ceremony
at 6 pm: Dining Room and Dining Table open

From the Grill

Assorted meats from the grill

Pork Tenderloin- rolled in rosemary, garlic and sea salt then grilled and sliced thin with pesto on the side

Lemon-Basil Chicken- boneless, skinless chicken marinated ni a lemon basil sauce the grilled, sliced into strips

Flank Steak- marinated in italian dressing then grilled to medium rare and sliced thin on a bias

Sauces : fresh basil pesto, blue cheese cream, & marinara

Grilled Assorted Vegetables- zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, peppers, onions

Mashed Potato Station - Yukon gold potatoes and skin on redskins mashed with butter and cream and served with toppings including bacon, scallions, cheddar cheese, roasted garlic, goat cheese

Salad Course
served or pre-set? Or may stay as buffet

Mixed Greens, Spinach and Arugula with your favorite toppings…roasted pears, gorgonzola, red peppers, grape tomatoes, dried cherries, toasted walnuts (or would you prefer not to have them because of the allergy?) all arranged in bowls with choice of dressings to include pear balsamic, herbed crème fraiche or other dressing of choice

Baskets of Sliced Assorted Breads – Salt of the Earth’s Seedy Salt, fresh baked multigrain and sourdough baguettes stationed with butter and olive oil

Dessert Buffet
set with white salad plates and dessert forks
Caterer to provide

4 dz pistachio shortbread cookies

4 dz lemon lavender shortbread cookies
1 3gal tub ice cream

Host to provide

3 dz champagne cupcakes

3 dz chocolate cupcakes

4 dz cheesecake pops

10 Pies from Crane’s, 11^th for cutting
(4 apple, 3 cherry strudels, 3 blueberry, 1 apple strudel)

reppunzel · August 2012

Woooooooow! Sounds amazing! Given that info, I would vote to keep the salad as buffet/station.

A few general food/service questions.. Would love your opinion!

Re: A few general food/service questions.. Would love your opinion!

Choose Another Board

Search Boards