Wedding Cakes & Food Forum

Brunch reception menu

We're planning a brunch reception to follow our ceremony. Here's the menu we were thinking about:

Breakfast casseroles made with eggs and bread, one with meat only and one with vegetables only
Bagels and cream cheese
Assorted pastries
Roll-up sandwiches with ham, turkey, and/or roast beef 
Finger sandwiches with chicken salad, cream cheese with cucumber, and/or pimiento cheese
Swedish meatballs 
Fruit tray
Cheese tray
Vegetable tray
(I was thinking about adding a salad or two as well.)

Chocolate chip cookies
Cake

Coffee
Hot and iced tea
Juices
Sparkling water
Cider

ETA: I will not be doing the cooking. This will be catered.

Re: Brunch reception menu

  • That all sounds good, however it feels a little "all over the place." It's supposed to be a brunch, but the breakfast casserole and bagels seem random compared to all of the other more lunch type foods. Are you looking for a more lunch vibe or breakfast brunch type vibe? 


    image
  • We're planning a brunch reception to follow our ceremony. Here's the menu we were thinking about:

    Breakfast casseroles made with eggs and bread, one with meat only and one with vegetables only
    Some type of french toast casserole?
    Bagels and cream cheese
    Assorted pastries/blueberry muffins?
    Roll-up sandwiches with ham, turkey, and/or roast beef 
    Finger sandwiches with chicken salad, cream cheese with cucumber, and/or pimiento cheese
    Swedish meatballs 
    Fruit tray
    Perhaps some yogurt/granola that could coordinate with the fruit tray?
    Cheese tray
    Vegetable tray
    (I was thinking about adding a salad or two as well.)

    Chocolate chip cookies
    Cake

    Coffee
    Hot and iced tea
    Juices
    Sparkling water
    Cider

    ETA: I will not be doing the cooking. This will be catered.

    I would be OK with this menu.  I will add suggestions in bold to reflect @levioosa's suggestion that it might be too "lunch heavy".  I personally might do either the roll up sandwiches or the finger sandwiches, but not both.
  • I think it all sounds yummy. I like @MobKaz suggestions for additions but would keep all sandwiches. I would certainly be blowing the diet at your brunch.
  • Agree that it might be a bit lunch leaning and to fill it in with a few breakfast items. Think cinnamon buns, yogurt/granola, hardboiled eggs, pancakes or French toast slices.
  • You're having a pretty small group right? Would just having brunch in a restaurant work? Your menu as it stands now is light on hot lunch entree options, heavy on breakfast casseroles (why three) and I think you'll wind up with quite a bit of waste with a buffet. By the time you have enough if each option you'll have overall way too much food. 
  • edited April 2017
    You're having a pretty small group right? Would just having brunch in a restaurant work? Your menu as it stands now is light on hot lunch entree options, heavy on breakfast casseroles (why three) and I think you'll wind up with quite a bit of waste with a buffet. By the time you have enough if each option you'll have overall way too much food. 
    Only two breakfast casseroles, and the reason for two is that one of FW's BFF's can't eat most vegetables (hence  the all-meat) and I'm a vegetarian (hence the all-veggies).

    Brunch in a restaurant might be a better option -- will definitely compare prices.

    ETA: Yogurt and granola and pancakes or French toast are good suggestions.
  • You're having a pretty small group right? Would just having brunch in a restaurant work? Your menu as it stands now is light on hot lunch entree options, heavy on breakfast casseroles (why three) and I think you'll wind up with quite a bit of waste with a buffet. By the time you have enough if each option you'll have overall way too much food. 

    I was going to make the same suggestion. Brunch items don't tend to be that expensive, so private room brunch and let everyone order to their hearts content would be a good option instead of having a whole casserole to accomodate one person's food preferences, YKWIM? Plus this kind of stuff doesn't "keep" that well as leftovers. 
  • Thanks everyone! I'll have to find out what it costs (if anything) to rent a private room in a restaurant. Food-wise, it's less expensive than what we were planning. I'll still get drinks and muffins, bagels, etc. for getting ready and anyone who shows up early.
  • Thanks everyone! I'll have to find out what it costs (if anything) to rent a private room in a restaurant. Food-wise, it's less expensive than what we were planning. I'll still get drinks and muffins, bagels, etc. for getting ready and anyone who shows up early.
    The restaurant is overall going to end up being less because of the nickel & dime add-ons (plates/utensils/cups/etc.) especially since it's only ~15..  I'd go with their menu with those two requests (the all-meat/all-veggie two)...
  • Quiche is smaller so you can do more combo options and it tends to hold better than casserole.

    Perhaps add a breakfast potato as well?  

    I also agree with roll up or finger sandwhiches, not both, and I'd mix the bagels with the pastries and muffins and offer cream cheese and a couple jams.

    The Swedish meatballs stick out as the odd menu item to me.
    image
  • You're having a pretty small group right? Would just having brunch in a restaurant work? Your menu as it stands now is light on hot lunch entree options, heavy on breakfast casseroles (why three) and I think you'll wind up with quite a bit of waste with a buffet. By the time you have enough if each option you'll have overall way too much food. 
    Only two breakfast casseroles, and the reason for two is that one of FW's BFF's can't eat most vegetables (hence  the all-meat) and I'm a vegetarian (hence the all-veggies).

    Brunch in a restaurant might be a better option -- will definitely compare prices.

    ETA: Yogurt and granola and pancakes or French toast are good suggestions.
    This is sad.  I love vegetables.  I can't imagine not being able to eat them.
  • CMGragainCMGragain member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    edited April 2017
    Daughter's wedding had a catered brunch.  It was a pre-packaged deal.  Here is the menu:

    Carved roast beef with horseradish
    Glazed salmon
    Asparagus with hollandaise
    Sausage and bacon
    Scrambled eggs
    Eggs Benedict
    Hashbrown potatoes
    Assorted pastries  (not bagels- they have to be toasted)
    Assorted fruit

    The biggest hit was the sausages and bacon - "man food", according to many of our guests.




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  • Most of the restaurant private rooms we considered were free. The one we ultimately chose did not have a room charge but did have a food and drink minimum. Had we not met the minimum, the leftover amount we owed would have turned into a room fee. So we did not have to pay for venue space, rentals or decorations or set up or clean up afterward. I highly recommend it. It's also nice being able to go back to the place we had our wedding for date night/date brunch.
    "Marriage is so disruptive to one's social circle." - Mr. Woodhouse

  • CMGragain said:

    Daughter's wedding had a catered brunch.  It was a pre-packaged deal.  Here is the menu:

    Carved roast beef with horseradish
    Glazed salmon
    Asparagus with hollandaise
    Sausage and bacon
    Scrambled eggs
    Eggs Benedict
    Hashbrown potatoes
    Assorted pastries  (not bagels- they have to be toasted)
    Assorted fruit

    The biggest hit was the sausages and bacon - "man food", according to many of our guests.






    This is fairly similar to what one of the venues we're considering is offering.
  • This thread is going to help me so much on deciding on the menu i am going to serve. Thank you so much!
  • Same here, i am in a hurry to decide for my own brunch menu and thank you
  • edited May 2017
    Oh, I love brunch! Who doesn't?!? You get all your favorite breakfast foods AND your favorite lunch foods. If you wrap it up with some mimosas and bloody marys all the better (unless its not a drinking crowd, then, fancy OJ is nice.)

    I'm all for a restaurant taking care of all of it, if that's an option. The more inclusive the venue is, a lower chance for a ball to drop=less stress for you. 
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