Survey guest about menu ..tacky?

obsessivelistmaker · July 2013

Hello ladies!
My question to you is ..
Would it be tacky to include a survey card in with invitations about open bar options and favorite cake flavors (for the cup cake buffet)?
Were inviting about 80 people who all seem to have different taste, and..open bar can get pricey! I dont want to be the bride whose guest cant wait to leave bc we only served 2 beer options and one wine.

so how do i figure out how to cater to all taste?

allispain · July 2013

Don't let your guests dictate these things for you.

Regarding the bar options - are you planning on limiting to just beer and wine due to your budget? That is perfectly fine. I've been to several weddings like that, and never heard anyone complain about it. What I would suggest, if it's within budget, is to have 2-3 beer options (we had an IPA, a standard lager, and a light beer) and then two wine options (one red and one white). That way you're covering your bases and still giving your guests some options.

As for the cupcakes - everyone's going to have different favorite flavors or flavors they don't like. You can't get around this. See how many options fit within your budget. Maybe you have 1-2 standard/basic flavors (chocolate cake w/ chocolate frosting, for example) and then a couple cool or different ones. Again, you're giving your guests options but keeping it reasonable.

obsessivelistmaker · July 2013

No we are having liquor but thats where the questions come in. Vodka is a given (which i hate) so how many other options to go with after that? Tequilla, rum, dark liquor? What to mix with ? I want to have options but with the venue its a you buy it we serve kinda thing. So, im just trying to figure out how to please everyones taste with out spending thousands on unused liquor. And.. How much to get of what? i love sangria and spiked lemonaid but i should i bother with those on the menu? I know most of his family and friends are beer and vodka so thats the easy part but most of mine are 5different beers or 2nd choice 10different liquors. I dont want them all to be stumbling drunk haha but enough for everyone to loosen up and have fun.
As far as the cupcakes its really a do you think morethan 5 flavors is too much? ( choco, vanilla, lemon, something nutty, pound cakeish) cup cakes are cheap to make but i still dont want to make too many for no reason.. I was thinking doggie cake bags? Is that tacky ? (for c/c its just a plastic clear cup and a clear treat bag with tie)

allispain · July 2013

Ok, well then with the liquor, the first thing to do is to make sure that wherever you buy it, they have a return policy that allows you to return any unopened bottles. Then, you instruct the bar staff (and wait staff if you're having table service for wine or some such) that they should not open any new bottles until the one that was previously been opened has all been used. That way, you're minimizing the number of partially used bottles you'll still have at the end of the night (ie - the ones you can't return to the store).

Regarding what types, I would say that the most common are: vodka, rum, tequila, and whiskey. You can have more than that if you really want to, but I personally think it's unnecessary. I'm not saying that there aren't other good liquors out there (I personally am a scotch girl) but that not enough people will drink them for it to be worthwhile. As for mixers, coke/pepsi and diet, tonic, seltzer, orange and cranberry juices, etc. are all pretty common. Again, you can always add more, but those will cover pretty much all basic drinks.

For the cupcakes, I would personally aim for 5 or 6 flavors. I don't think it's too much, because I like my guests to have some options. I've seen take-home containers before for them as well, so I don't think anyone would bat an eye. If they're normal sized cupcakes, it's recommended to have 1.5 per guest. If they're the mini ones, I'd say probably 3 per guest would do it.

NYCBruin · July 2013

There's no way you're going to please every single guest, you'll give yourself a headache trying to!

I would skip the survey because what happens if you get 80 different responses? Are you going to get 80 different things? I would be a little bummed if you asked me what I would prefer and then didn't provide it.

Why not reach out to your VIPs and ask what they like and come up with an assortment of liquor and cupcake choices?

Don't worry about getting everyone's favorite thing. As long as there are a few choices, no one should complain.

obsessivelistmaker · July 2013

Thank you for your help! I forgot to say we are also having the big cake , we were shooting for it to serve about 50 bc of the cup cakes but should we plan to have it serve all 80 plus the cupcakes and with that how many cupcakes to serve each after that (mini cupcakes)?

Jessica41381 · July 2013

As far as liquor, we are having Malibu rum, Smirnoff vodka, and Patron tequila.When it comes to mixers we are doing coke, cranberry juice, pineapple juice, sprite. I don't drink beer or wine but we are having two types of each.

I definitely wouldn't ask for opinions because that could get extremely difficult if everyone wants something different, then if you don't accommodate what they said they could get offended that their opinion wasn't used. Just my .02

QueerFemme · July 2013

Don't include a survey card. You are going to get wayyyyyy to many opinions and you'll likely be even more stressed out.

You can do a few different wines, beers and a couple hard liquors. (rum, vodka and whisky). Or, just do beer, wine and two signature drinks. (like, a vodka/lemonade and a whisky sour or something). I'm sure everyone will be able to find something to drink.

Jen4948 · July 2013

Don't include the survey card. It will give each of your guests the idea that whatever they want is what you'll be giving them, and there is no way you can please every single person you invite.

LaurenS47516 · August 2013

I have Similar dilemma. I am having a 3 tiered cake, macaroons, cake balls and biscottis. The bakery has over 170 of the greatest flavors to choose from. I'm totally at a Loss. I made it a fun activity at the shower. I made a voting box and passed around a flavor list. Now i have a better idea of what the tastes are (ie: mostly chocolate or fruit or plain flavors) and it had made my decision a little easier. I would not, however, include that in the invites. Save that for some other informal setting. Most of these things don't have to be decided right away.

davisse3 · August 2013

You will never please everyone and you probably aren't going to want to leave deciding your menu to that late in the game.

One thing you will need to keep in mind for food is any potential dietary restrictions - vegetarians, vegans, food allergies etc. Try to have at least one option available for these guests (if you have any with dietary restrictions).

Survey guest about menu ..tacky?

Re: Survey guest about menu ..tacky?

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