Food at bridal shower

sarahnicole6 · April 2012

Hi ladies, my bridal shower is coming up and it's going to be in a little banquet room in an Italian restaurant. The venue requires that we spend 75 minimum to have the room at no charge and we can't bring in our own food. We thought "oh perfect! We can do pizzas and salads and call it a day!" Well now I'm wondering if that will do. What of there are elderly guests like my grandma, great aunts, etc that don't sit we'll with pizza? Should I offer to order something different for them? My fear is unfairness.....if I offer to a few people, I should offer to all huh?

So my main question is, is it decent that only pizza and salad is being offered?

Mrs.B6302007 · April 2012

Isn't there a pasta option? Is the restaurant serving family style or will each person place their individual order?

ETA: If it's family style, just order pizzas and a pasta so everyone can choose what they want out of the middle of the table.

crnflkgirl75 · April 2012

My MOH did sandwiches from Panera. They were a huge hit. More expensive than pizza, but maybe you could do a combo of both?

Mrs.B6302007 · April 2012

Another thought. Can you work with the manager ahead of time to come up with a smaller menu from which your guests can order? Meaning, figure out several options of pizza, pasta dishes,etc. (maybe 3 choices) that you KNOW would put you at your $75 minimum. You could type it up yourself and have it set out before your guests arrive. Also, you could order a couple of antipastas to bump up your cost.

And just double-checking but you ARE planning on paying for your guests, right?

ETA: well, not you necessarily - probably the hosteses - just meant you're not planning on having your guests pay, are you?

Avion22 · April 2012

I think pizza, salad, breadsticks, and some pasta (all served family style) should be fine.

AdeleDazeem · April 2012

I didn't know eldery people had something against pizza...?

Kristin789 · April 2012

Note to Joy and the OP: Me too. I thought there were digestive issues with older people eating pizza and other spicy foods.

And then I became the VP-Programming for a group that is 75% over the age of 50. One of the oldsters suggested pizza. And I said what I thought.

And she said, "Oh that's a very small percentage of seniors. Most of us LOVE pizza but we never get to eat it because we don't want to order a whole pizza." I was stunned, and yes, I told her that these days you can get a "personal pan pizza" from Pizza Hut which is small (and you could share it with your spouse or put the leftovers in the fridge for the next day if it was still too much to eat), and at some restaurants, you can get just one slice and a salad and a drink, etc.

We ordered PIZZA for the mostly-senior-citizen-group, and they L O V E D it. That was two years ago, and I've been asked to do another PIZZA PARTY with them this year. Totally surprises me, but that's my experience with seniors and pizza.

Avion22 · April 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_food-at-bridal-shower?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:c1108cda-0843-4596-a277-58a3e411f0b9Post:fd3ee644-cd8a-4f37-adb8-abc89108d01a">Re: Food at bridal shower</a>:
[QUOTE]Note to Joy and the OP: Me too. I thought there were digestive issues with older people eating pizza and other spicy foods. And then I became the VP-Programming for a group that is 75% over the age of 50. One of the oldsters suggested pizza. And I said what I thought. And she said, "Oh that's a very small percentage of seniors. Most of us LOVE pizza but we never get to eat it because we don't want to order a whole pizza." I was stunned, and yes, I told her that these days you can get a "personal pan pizza" from Pizza Hut which is small (and you could share it with your spouse or put the leftovers in the fridge for the next day if it was still too much to eat), and at some restaurants, you can get just one slice and a salad and a drink, etc. We ordered PIZZA for the mostly-senior-citizen-group, and they L O V E D it. That was two years ago, and I've been asked to do another PIZZA PARTY with them this year. Totally surprises me, but that's my experience with seniors and pizza.
Posted by Kristin789[/QUOTE]<div>
</div><div>Huh. Good to know! I always assumed old people didn't like pizza because of heartburn or whatever. I'll have to throw my pre-conceived notions out the window now:-)

</div>

Mrs.B6302007 · April 2012

Pizza gives me heartburn and I'm not old.

Well, not terribly old anyway. ;-)

I think, like any food, it depends on the individual's own system which is why it's nice to offer a couple of options if at all possible.

MNVegas · April 2012

We had a birthday party a couple of weeks ago. Ordered pizza, made taco salad and pasta salad. 87y/o MIL ate pizza, 82 y/o dad ate pizza, 75 y/o mom ate pizza, 70 y/o BIL ate pizza. I had asked them if they wanted something else and they said heck no, they wanted pizza!

AdeleDazeem · April 2012

But... isn't the heartburn due to the tomato sauce? The same tomato sauce that is in pasta? Tomatoes are very acidic. Or am I crazy? I've literally never heard of an older person turning down pizza so bear with me.

Mrs.B6302007 · April 2012

Joy - not for me. Spaghetti, marsala, parmagean (sp?) etc. don't bother me. I think mine could be a mixture of toppings. Or...it could be different prep for different pizzas. Papa Johns bothers me but most of the time, Pizza Hut doesn't. Maybe it also depends on what I've had previously during the day that's already in my stomach? Who knows.

sarahnicole6 · April 2012

My mom and sister are paying for the entire bill. That was part of my concern. Pizza will go further for your money, whereas if a large number of people order their pasta dish at 8.00 a pop then that can get pricey. I guess I just feel bad for my mom bc she's doing a lot to put this together and she works 2 jobs just to make ends meet so I don't want to break her wallet :

sarahnicole6 · April 2012

In Response to Re:Food at bridal shower:[QUOTE]Note to Joy and the OP:nbsp; Me too.nbsp; I thought there were digestive issues with older people eating pizza and other spicy foods.nbsp; And then I became the VPProgramming for a group that is 75 over the age of 50.nbsp; One of the oldsters suggested pizza.nbsp; And I said what I thought.And she said, "Oh that's a very small percentage of seniors.nbsp; Most of us LOVE pizza but we never get to eat it because we don't want to order a whole pizza."nbsp; I was stunned, and yes, I told her that these days you can get a "personal pan pizza" from Pizza Hut which is small and you could share it with your spouse or put the leftovers in the fridge for the next daynbsp;if it was still too much to eat, and at some restaurants, you can get just one slice and a salad and a drink, etc.We ordered PIZZA for the mostlyseniorcitizengroup, and they L O V E D it.nbsp; That was two years ago, and I've been asked to do another PIZZA PARTY with them this year.nbsp; Totally surprises me, but that's my experience with seniors and pizza. Posted by Kristin789[/QUOTE]

This is a big help! I was worried about heartburn, digestion problems, etc.

adamar15 · April 2012

Can you do family style pasta, though? That shouldn't be as expensive as people individually ordering. I think family style pizza, pasta, and salad would be good. Maybe do an alfredo or cream based pasta so people can get away from tomato sauce if they want to.

Mrs.B6302007 · April 2012

What's your mom's budget for this and what is she realistically planning on spending? Typically, $75 isn't that far from the cost of dining out for 4-6 adults. How many people does she really think she can feed for $75?

adamar15 · April 2012

Mrs B! I gave H the BMG tickets, and he's super excited. Thanks so much for the suggestion!

Mrs.B6302007 · April 2012

A location change could also be in order if this is going to be too expensive. Nothing wrong with a living room shower and some sandwiches.

Mrs.B6302007 · April 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_food-at-bridal-shower?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:c1108cda-0843-4596-a277-58a3e411f0b9Post:778950d8-8839-4054-8371-24470135aaf1">Re: Food at bridal shower</a>:
[QUOTE]Mrs B! I gave H the BMG tickets, and he's super excited. Thanks so much for the suggestion!
Posted by adamar15[/QUOTE]

Yay!

lyndausvi · April 2012

How many people are being invited?

sarahnicole6 · April 2012

In Response to Re:Food at bridal shower:[QUOTE]How many people are being invited? Posted by lyndausvi[/QUOTE]

There will be about 20 people there.

sarahnicole6 · April 2012

In Response to Re:Food at bridal shower:[QUOTE]nbsp;nbsp; What's your mom's budget for this and what is she realistically planning on spending?nbsp; Typically, 75 isn't that far from the cost of dining out for 46 adults.nbsp; How many people does she really think she can feed for 75? Posted by Mrs.B6302007[/QUOTE]

A salad is automatically served to every guest. It's included with every order. And she planned on about 10 pizzas at 10.00 per pizza...each pizza will serve about 24 people. So that's hour be plenty of pizza. She's looking at probably 130 with pizza and drinks and salads included. So I think it can be done for sure, between her ad my sister. I just didn't feel comfortable with tons of 8.00 pasta dishes being ordered. But we'll see how it goes :

J&K10910 · April 2012

Feeding 20 people for $75 at a restaurant is not really plausible, no matter how you do it. I think you guys should consider a change in venue.

sarahnicole6 · April 2012

In Response to Re:Food at bridal shower:[QUOTE]Can you do family style pasta, though? nbsp;That shouldn't be as expensive as people individually ordering. nbsp;I think family style pizza, pasta, and salad would be good. nbsp;Maybe do an alfredo or cream based pasta so people can get away from tomato sauce if they want to. Posted by adamar15[/QUOTE]

We might look into family style pasta, not a bad idea. :

sarahnicole6 · April 2012

In Response to Re:Food at bridal shower:[QUOTE]Feeding 20 people for 75 at a restaurant is not really plausible, no matter how you do it.nbsp; I think you guys should consider a change in venue. Posted by JK10910[/QUOTE]

75 was just the MINIMUM that needed to be spent. I realize it will be more. I was just trying avoid her having a 300 bill.

J&K10910 · April 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_food-at-bridal-shower?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:c1108cda-0843-4596-a277-58a3e411f0b9Post:a7dc48b4-df93-43ef-89bb-b71206ab8f41">Re:Food at bridal shower</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re:Food at bridal shower: 75 was just the MINIMUM that needed to be spent. I realize it will be more. I was just trying avoid her having a 300 bill.
Posted by sarahnicole6[/QUOTE]

Oh ok, sorry. I misunderstood. That makes more sense!

lyndausvi · April 2012

Well in my experience pasta dishes feed more than one person. I would look into maybe ordering a few orders of pasta and make it family style.

crash2729 · April 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_food-at-bridal-shower?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:c1108cda-0843-4596-a277-58a3e411f0b9Post:4b53767e-8514-4e30-a700-4dff7c1257d1">Re:Food at bridal shower</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re:Food at bridal shower: A salad is automatically served to every guest. It's included with every order. And <strong>she planned on about 10 pizzas at 10.00 per pizza...each pizza will serve about 24 people.</strong> So that's hour be plenty of pizza. She's looking at probably 130 with pizza and drinks and salads included. So I think it can be done for sure, between her ad my sister. I just didn't feel comfortable with tons of 8.00 pasta dishes being ordered. But we'll see how it goes :
Posted by sarahnicole6[/QUOTE]
If there's only 20 people why order enough pizza for 240? <div>
</div><div>Depending on how much drinks are you could probably order 4 or 5 and stay close to min, have enough food but you'll still have some left over.</div>

ceh789 · April 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_food-at-bridal-shower?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:c1108cda-0843-4596-a277-58a3e411f0b9Post:8dd4f890-c0f5-479b-b91a-302848e5505a">Re: Food at bridal shower</a>:
[QUOTE]But... isn't the heartburn due to the tomato sauce? The same tomato sauce that is in pasta? Tomatoes are very acidic. Or am I crazy? <strong>I've literally never heard of an older person turning down pizza so bear with me.</strong>
Posted by Joy2611[/QUOTE]

<div>I'm with you - I had absolutely no idea this was an issue.</div>

crash2729 · April 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_food-at-bridal-shower?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:c1108cda-0843-4596-a277-58a3e411f0b9Post:4b53767e-8514-4e30-a700-4dff7c1257d1">Re:Food at bridal shower</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re:Food at bridal shower: A salad is automatically served to every guest. It's included with every order. And <strong>she planned on about 10 pizzas at 10.00 per pizza...each pizza will serve about 24 people.</strong> So that's hour be plenty of pizza. She's looking at probably 130 with pizza and drinks and salads included. So I think it can be done for sure, between her ad my sister. I just didn't feel comfortable with tons of 8.00 pasta dishes being ordered. But we'll see how it goes :
Posted by sarahnicole6[/QUOTE]
If there's only 20 people why order enough pizza for 240? <div>
</div><div>Depending on how much drinks are you could probably order 4 or 5 and stay close to min, have enough food but you'll still have some left over.</div>

Mrs.B6302007 · April 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_food-at-bridal-shower?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:c1108cda-0843-4596-a277-58a3e411f0b9Post:4b53767e-8514-4e30-a700-4dff7c1257d1">Re:Food at bridal shower</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re:Food at bridal shower: A salad is automatically served to every guest. It's included with every order. And she planned on about 10 pizzas at 10.00 per pizza...<strong>each pizza will serve about 24 people.</strong> So that's hour be plenty of pizza. She's looking at probably <strong>130 with pizza and drinks and salads included</strong>. So I think it can be done for sure, between her ad my sister. I just didn't feel comfortable with tons of 8.00 pasta dishes being ordered. But we'll see how it goes :
Posted by sarahnicole6[/QUOTE]

Is that a typo? Is that 14 people? Or is that 24 servings because the slices are ultra-tiny?

But even if there was no pizza option and all 20 people ordered an $8 meal, that's only about $30 more than the pizza plan.

Anyway, I still would look into the possiblity of family style pasta dishes because those will feed 3-4 people and then add 2 or 3 pizzas at $10 each. You could do one loaded and a couple with just pepperoni, sausage, all veggie or whatever.

Food at bridal shower

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