Wedding Reception Forum

Boxed dinner ideas?

For our wedding, we were skipping on a caterer and having our family members put on a taco bar for us. We feel a buffet right now is not a good idea with Covid-19 concerns. We have been wrestling the idea of doing a boxed dinner. Having maybe sandwiches and chips inside the box and having salads in individual bowls. What other foods could we have that would not be too difficult to make the day before and prepare in separate containers? What do you recommend with the sandwiches? What are some good options we could have for gluten free or vegans? We would only have about 10 people with these concerns. Thanks in advance for your help.

Re: Boxed dinner ideas?

  • For our wedding, we were skipping on a caterer and having our family members put on a taco bar for us. We feel a buffet right now is not a good idea with Covid-19 concerns. We have been wrestling the idea of doing a boxed dinner. Having maybe sandwiches and chips inside the box and having salads in individual bowls. What other foods could we have that would not be too difficult to make the day before and prepare in separate containers? What do you recommend with the sandwiches? What are some good options we could have for gluten free or vegans? We would only have about 10 people with these concerns. Thanks in advance for your help.
    DIY food is never a good idea, but now it's especially bad. 

    Risk of contamination and exposure from family prepared food is exponentially worse than from a licensed, experienced caterer. There's just no way you can guarantee safe food in the way that someone with the specialized training and equipment can. There are plenty of caterers who provide boxed options. (Think catering corporate events). I would start there. 
    I agree with all of this. Having DIY food from someone not a professional is not a great plan because you can’t guarantee safety. 

    I’d start with caterers for boxed lunches or a food truck/vendor that specializes in single serving food. 
  • I agree with the others.  It's better/safer/easier to have a vendor provide boxed dinners.  For example, if you have a Honey Baked Ham near you, their sandwiches are high quality meats and delicious.  They have boxes that include a sandwich, chips, side, and a cookie for I think a little more than 10 bucks/box.  And, if you don't, I'm sure there is a deli/sandwich shop that could do something similar.
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  • Food is one area where you need professional vendors to provide it rather than DIY. It is just too risky and logistically complicated to do it yourself, especially during a pandemic.

    I'd look for a reputable caterer or vendor who can help you with this. There may be some in your local area that provide boxed or single-serving food options.
  • MRDCleMRDCle member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Comment Name Dropper
    Honestly, Panera makes a decent boxed lunches. They do sandwiches, salads, or a combo of both. They also have little individual bags of chips. 
  • ei34ei34 member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    The big movement by me is supporting the mom&pop businesses.  Check with your local delis, pizzerias, restaurants, bagel places, texmex/taco place, family grocery stores with deli counters, etc.  I'm sure if you compared a few you'd find a price point you're comfortable with...DIY food is never a good idea at an event with lots of guests, but right now with the pandemic going on, it's definitely not the way to go. 
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