I have some random questions I want to get some feedback from so people who have already gone through this whole wedding shindig. I am worrying about food... enough, selection, etc. I am certain it is only because I am and EATER, and I never think there is enough food.
My venue (full service) has a package that is a 1 hour cocktail hour, and then a seated dinner, which we are doing. We are also doing a full open bar the whole time, so I think we have covered all the basics of being a good host.
The package is:
Cocktail Hour: 3 passed Hors D'oeuvres, 1 stationary cheese and vegetables
Dinner: Soup, Salad, Choice of Entrée, and Cake with Chocolate Strawberries
Questions:
1) I feel like there should be more at the Cocktail Hour - anyone have thoughts on this?
2) On the choice of entrée, we are thinking a fancy stuffed chicken and a beef. Our other is a lovely fish dish. Can anyone give an idea if fish was a hit with their guests and if we should consider it instead of the beef or chicken?
3) For soup, we can pick a Minestrone or a New England Clam Chowder. Anyone have any advice for the crowd pleaser out of these two? Since we are getting married in the greater Boston Area, and most of the guest are traveling, we were leaning towards the Chowder, but I second guess myself on the love/hate of seafood.
4) What else would you add to the reception?
As a side note, any special diets (vegetarian for example) will be handled separately as long as they do not exceed 10% of the total guests.
Re: Reception Food Questions...
1) Choose heavier apps and/or instead of passed, be stationary... Three with the cheese/veggies should be plenty (I'd maybe see about adding fruit with the veggies & cheese..)
2) Chicken and Beef is a pretty solid "please the masses" type option. Fish is a love it or hate it type dish... The key is - you know your guests and what they like. Go with what you and your guests like the most, not something you need to talk yourself/guests into.
3) Which tastes the best when made by your venue?
4) You can never go wrong with "Make it Delicious" as your guide for all things food. You don't have to choose foods that are "out there" for it to taste wonderful whatever "it" happens to be. Depending on where your budget is sitting, what about adding something put out as a snack later in the evening? Also, make sure to ask on the cake what size portion of cake it is. May caterers include a dessert, but it's far from an actual wedding cake or equiv. portion.
1. My answer depends on how many guests you're expecting. The higher the guest count, the more variety you should have. If you're having more than 50 guests, I would have at least 6-8 varieties. I would also lean toward having at least two more stationary apps. I hate hate hate chasing down servers for passed apps, particularly in larger crowds. I don't think you need to go to completely extravagant levels or have heavy things that could be a meal unto itself like pasta, mashed potatoes, or carving stations since you are having a full meal afterwards, but I think larger variety is important the larger your crowd gets.
2. Chicken and beef are both crowd pleasers. Most people I know who eat fish (and are not pescatarians) will eat chicken, but plenty of people who eat chicken don't care for fish. What about vegetarians? I would add a veggie dish that appeals to everyone. I eat meat (and fish for that matter), but will frequently choose the veggie option if it sounds better. (although truthfully, my criteria is usually picking the thing I'm least likely to make myself at home - I rarely cook red meat or fish at home, so I'm likely to choose those over chicken or more simple preparations like plain baked or broiled)
3. Minestrone is likely the safer choice. Shellfish tends to be divisive. You tend to not have people who are just lukewarm on it - people either really love it or really hate it (and it's a common allergen). And I tend to think of heavier cream-based soups more appropriate for colder weather or as a meal unto themselves rather than part of a multi-course dinner.
4. No, other than making sure a veggie option is available, at the very least as a special option to vegetarians, but also potentially offered to everyone if you decide not to go with fish.
Being that you are getting married in Boston, I would opt for the chowder. I'm allergic and voting for it. That being said, unless you know all of your guest's allergies and know that there are no seafood allergies, I would only do one seafood dish (clam chowder or the seafood option).
Every female member of my family and my FI are allergic to seafood (in varying degrees). It's a fairly common allergen, and one that can be airborne (but usually only for those with a severe allergy). If my younger sister was sitting at the table filled with clam chowder, followed by several plates of salmon, at minimum, she would be having breathing problems. For her, it's a proximity+time+quantity thing. But if it was her writing this, she would also vote for the chowder and deal with sitting at the table...
It is the caterers responsibility to portion correctly for your app pass, so as long as they know how many to allocate for, you should be fine. If you have concerns, make them known. I come from a family of large men (17ish male cousins over 6'3" and well over 200 lbs) so I made sure my caterer was aware.
I too was going to suggest adding a late night snack. Here in Michigan, coneys are popular because they're a very local food, we're doing a Hungarian coney because FIs fan is Hungarian. If there isn't a local specialty you want to serve, I've seen plenty a pizza station be devoured!