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Food for reception

kluckett09kluckett09 member
First Anniversary
in Wedding Cakes & Food Forum
We are having a night reception outdoors in july starting between 7 or 8. Our ceremony will be at 6, so we know we will sever dinner for our 100 guests. Our wedding is a fun rustic theme with fireworks and games. We are wanting to spend as little as possible on food. We wanted to stay away from the typical backyard foods. We really wanted a soup salad and bread bar, but think soup is kinda out of season for July. So we thought about doing different kind of bars, thinking they would fit our theme. So we thought a baked potato bar and maybe a salad bar. For the potato bar we will have butter, sour cream, bacon, chives, cheese, chili, onions, pulled pork, olives, peppers, ranch and other dressings, The salad bar will consist of cottage cheese, caesar salad, green salad with all the chef fixings, fruit salad, orange salad, and pasta salad. Is this enough food mainly meat? We also thought a burger or hotdog bar would be okay, just not regular hotdogs and burgers? Also we are open to any ideas :)
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Re: Food for reception

  • jessicabessicajessicabessica member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    You could have a sliders bar and include beef, fish, and black bean (veggie) burgers.  Dress it up with fancier toppings like avocado and caramelized onion.  

    If you want to have soup, what about chilled soups?  We had chilled fruit soup shooters during our cocktail hour and gazpacho at the beginning of the meal.  I like the baked potato bar and salad bar ideas you have so far.  

    And keep in mind that while you want to spend as little as possible on food, food can really make or break the reception for your guests, so don't cut corners.  
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  • ei34ei34 member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its

    Ditto @jessicabessica re sliders bar with nice toppings and chilled soups.  Maybe also a pasta station, a couple different cold/room temp pasta salads and a hot pasta (any short shape that holds sauce well...rotini, farfalle, etc.) that can be mixed into a couple different sauce options (pesto, Bolognese, vodka..).  Perhaps an antipasti station or six foot heroes too?

    Maybe it's just because I'm a pretty big eater (fine I'm a pig), but a potato bar and salad bar would not be enough food for me.  And I don't really eat meat, but meat lovers would probably want that option.  Piggie me speaking again, but food isn't an aspect of the wedding where corners should ever be cut.

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  • chibiyuichibiyui member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    A sliders bar would be nice, and I like PP's suggestion of a pasta bar. Just potatos and salad wouldn't be enough for a meal.
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  • lyndausvilyndausvi mod
    First Anniversary First Answer 5 Love Its Name Dropper
    kluckett09 said:
    We are having a night reception outdoors in july starting between 7 or 8. Our ceremony will be at 6, so we know we will sever dinner for our 100 guests. Our wedding is a fun rustic theme with fireworks and games. We are wanting to spend as little as possible on food. We wanted to stay away from the typical backyard foods. We really wanted a soup salad and bread bar, but think soup is kinda out of season for July. So we thought about doing different kind of bars, thinking they would fit our theme. So we thought a baked potato bar and maybe a salad bar. For the potato bar we will have butter, sour cream, bacon, chives, cheese, chili, onions, pulled pork, olives, peppers, ranch and other dressings, The salad bar will consist of cottage cheese, caesar salad, green salad with all the chef fixings, fruit salad, orange salad, and pasta salad. Is this enough food mainly meat? We also thought a burger or hotdog bar would be okay, just not regular hotdogs and burgers? Also we are open to any ideas :)
    I will never understand this line of thinking.  Food and beverage should always be the bigger part of anyone's budget.

    I agree with a slider bar.  Have beef, veggie and maybe a chicken or fish slider with all the fix-ins.
    Then just add a salad bar (both green and others like potato, slaw and/or pasta. 

    I'm not sure where you live but soup doesn't seem to fit  and a potato bar seems too heavy for a July wedding (unless you live in the southern hemisphere.)






    What differentiates an average host and a great host is anticipating unexpressed needs and wants of their guests.  Just because the want/need is not expressed, doesn't mean it wouldn't be appreciated. 
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  • JoanE2012JoanE2012 member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    kluckett09 said:
    We are having a night reception outdoors in july starting between 7 or 8. Our ceremony will be at 6, so we know we will sever dinner for our 100 guests. Our wedding is a fun rustic theme with fireworks and games. We are wanting to spend as little as possible on food. We wanted to stay away from the typical backyard foods. We really wanted a soup salad and bread bar, but think soup is kinda out of season for July. So we thought about doing different kind of bars, thinking they would fit our theme. So we thought a baked potato bar and maybe a salad bar. For the potato bar we will have butter, sour cream, bacon, chives, cheese, chili, onions, pulled pork, olives, peppers, ranch and other dressings, The salad bar will consist of cottage cheese, caesar salad, green salad with all the chef fixings, fruit salad, orange salad, and pasta salad. Is this enough food mainly meat? We also thought a burger or hotdog bar would be okay, just not regular hotdogs and burgers? Also we are open to any ideas :)
    Why?  Most guests will only remember the food, or lack thereof, at a wedding.  Don't skimp out unless you want your wedding to be talked about unfavorably for years to come.
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  • Cookie PusherCookie Pusher member
    First Anniversary First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its
    I don't understand skimping on the food budget at all. Especially since, as the bride, you may end up being too busy to eat during the day. We are having an outdoor wedding in July, and while we aren't doing a rustic theme, our venue lends itself to grilled foods quite well. Our caterer is going to grill london broil for the carving station, chicken breasts, shrimp and scallop skewers, and a boatload of vegetables to go along with our salads and sides. I definitely think you need more than salad and potatoes.
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  • RebeccaB88RebeccaB88 member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    Your food budget should be 50-60% of your total budget. Sounds like you need to reconfigure your budget to have enough food.
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  • Maggie0829Maggie0829 member
    First Anniversary First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its
    @kluckett09 - why are you wanting to spend as little as possible on food?  Or is that your way of saying that you are on a very tight budget and are trying to figure out food that is the best bang for your buck?

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  • emmyg65emmyg65 member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    RebeccaB88 said:
    Your food budget should be 50-60% of your total budget. Sounds like you need to reconfigure your budget to have enough food.
    Maybe, maybe not. We had plenty of really tasty food (pig roast!), but it only came out to about 15% of our budget. Food was our top priority.

    OP, other posters are right that potatoes and salad aren't enough (and actually, I think baked potatoes are a little odd in the summer). But if you add burgers and dogs, you should be fine. It's really easy to make fancy burgers by mixing in cheese, spices, etc. And you can do fancy sausages instead of hot dogs.
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  • kmmssgkmmssg mod
    First Anniversary First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its
    I don't think your FOOD budget should be 50-50% - but your RECEPTION budget should be.
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  • Maggie0829Maggie0829 member
    First Anniversary First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its
    kmmssg said:
    I don't think your FOOD budget should be 50-50% - but your RECEPTION budget should be.
    This.  Your total reception budget should be about half of your entire wedding budget.

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  • hyechica81hyechica81 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Comment First Answer
    u need to properly host your 100 guest with good food. if not they you need to change your reception time to early afternoon tea kind of event with cold salads finger foods and punches.  people remember food and if the food is bad they will talk about it all the time and never forget it

    if you want still have a 6pm reception then what you listed wont be good.

    potato bar sounds nice but you need some meats to go with all your cold and hot salads all i see is starches and carbs and no protein

    grilled chicken sliders burger silders veggie sliders those would work well with all your sides

    but you also need to add some veggie side options i love a nice slider or 2 but i dont want to pair it with multiple starches or carbs

    i would eat 2 sliders a baked potato but would love a side of veggies 

    you could also do a desert table with cupcakes or maybe a make your own ice cream bar with lots of toppings  or have plain cupcakes topped with just a nice buttercream or frosting then have toppings for people to put on
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  • theartistformerlyknownastheartistformerlyknownas member
    First Comment First Anniversary First Answer 5 Love Its
    I love a good slider bar. Beef and turkey patties plus portabella mushrooms, lots of cheeses, flavored condiments like garlic ketchup and sriracha mayo, veggies galore, pretzel buns... yum yum yum. Some of your toppings can do double duty for salad bar and slider bar.
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