UPDATE: Self-catering my wedding - 40 people. Foodies and cooks, I need your help!

[lisabees]

If you read my update, you know that I planned our June wedding for 40 people.  We rented an "estate" for a few days, where all out of town guests will stay.  Our very casual wedding will be there also.

 

We are foodies and always critical whenever we eat out :).  I love to cook - ethnic foods, especially.  I am not looking for typical crockpot meals or casseroles.  I am thinking Middle Eastern, Moroccan, Thai or Vietnamese.  I don't know yet.  But I really want the food be special, yet doable.

 

We do have access to an amazing huge, awesome grill for a meal or two.  I am not an expert in grilling and don't want that for the "wedding" meal.

 

So, I not only need ideas for the "wedding" meal but all of the other meals we have during our stay.

 

For all of you wannabe chefs and foodies out there, what can you recommend ?  And any advice on the logistics is welcomed too.

 

UPDATE:  Time crunch!  The wedding is in four months!  I'd love feedback to these two ideas.  I'll take thoughts on ease of advanced preparation, being able to serve at room temperature, ease of eating for guests.  This will not be a formal sit-down dinner.  Guests will find chairs wherever they can - inside/outside.

 

My current thoughts...

 

Lamb shawarma or chicken shawarma with lamb kofte, homemade pita bread, yogurt sauce, hummus, israeli salad and other salads, rice pilaf, falafel (if it possible to make ahead), red lentil shooters.

 

Or...

 

Butter Chicken with lamb biryani or Lamb Curry with Tandoori Chicken, rice, homemade nan, raita, veggie sides - eggplant bharta, chana masala, dal shooters.

 

I am not attached to these ideas.  Just trying to narrow my decision! 

 

 

Edited February 22, 2017 by lisabees

[The Girls' Mom]

Since you mentioned Thai, I think a couple of good curries and rice would go a long way, and wouldn't be terribly stressful to make.  (With maybe some simple meat and veggies as an option for those who do not like curry?)  

 

[shawthorne44]

One idea I got from a wedding book is to use the standard wedding menu in an area not yours.   For example, in Texas a default menu might be BBQ with the standard sides and cobbler for dessert.  In an area where the default is a clam bake, the BBQ might be an interesting idea.  By sticking to the standard full menu, most of the kinks will be worked out already for you.  

 

In your case, maybe look at what the default wedding menu might be in those areas, and do that.  

[marbel]

This might not be special enough, but maybe check it out as a starting point:  Oven-roasted Chicken Shawarma.  (Link to NY Times Cooking)

 

We like it for parties because it's fun to add sides and accompaniments and let people eat it the way they want to (in a pita, not in a pita, with olves, feta, cucumbers, etc, or without...)  I make a chickpea salad with tahini sauce to go with it.  Once I added falafels, that was great too.   I think the chicken could be grilled rather than done in the oven?  That would be so delicious!

 

I won't get my feelings hurt if you reject it.  

 

 

[ktgrok]

I'd so some grilled pizzas for one of the meals. A nice way to use the meal, you can make them as gourmet as you like, but also fun and casual. So have lots of things like japanese eggplant, goat cheese, roasted peppers, etc as well as maybe some really nice italian sausages, capicola, fresh mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes, pesto sauce as well as traditional sauce, etc. Even some chicken and barbecue sauce and such for those that like that. You could pre buy the dough for the crust, either at a deli or even at a favorite pizza restaurant maybe. Grilled pizzas look amazing, taste amazing, but are casual at the same time, you know?

[lisabees]

Since you mentioned Thai, I think a couple of good curries and rice would go a long way, and wouldn't be terribly stressful to make.  (With maybe some simple meat and veggies as an option for those who do not like curry?)  

 

 

 

Totally agree!!!

 

Can't go wrong with a simple red curry/coconut milk recipe.

[lisabees]

This might not be special enough, but maybe check it out as a starting point:  Oven-roasted Chicken Shawarma.  (Link to NY Times Cooking)

 

We like it for parties because it's fun to add sides and accompaniments and let people eat it the way they want to (in a pita, not in a pita, with olves, feta, cucumbers, etc, or without...)  I make a chickpea salad with tahini sauce to go with it.  Once I added falafels, that was great too.   I think the chicken could be grilled rather than done in the oven?  That would be so delicious!

 

I won't get my feelings hurt if you reject it.  

 

marbel - I have made this a handful of times and it is exactly the kind of meal we like to have in our family.  Lots of fun sides to build a personalized meal.  

 

Falafel will keep the vegetarians happy!

[madteaparty]

I am not familiar with cooking the cuisine of those particular ethnicities but we did our wedding buffet style and i did hire someone to help with the serving. What we had was (think pretty versions of the aluminum trays, lined up);

Poached whole salmon

Roasted chickens

Steamed shrimp (I bought this tray from the fish store--my wedding was on an island).

Various salads

I forgot the starch and veggies I used but be mindful of the need to keep food hot--I did rent some of those warm trays but as I said by food lent itself to room temp because Martha's Vineyard in summer.

I'd make a tagine and cus cus

Also cake--I ordered that ;) from the famous local bakery...

[lisabees]

I'd so some grilled pizzas for one of the meals. A nice way to use the meal, you can make them as gourmet as you like, but also fun and casual. So have lots of things like japanese eggplant, goat cheese, roasted peppers, etc as well as maybe some really nice italian sausages, capicola, fresh mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes, pesto sauce as well as traditional sauce, etc. Even some chicken and barbecue sauce and such for those that like that. You could pre buy the dough for the crust, either at a deli or even at a favorite pizza restaurant maybe. Grilled pizzas look amazing, taste amazing, but are casual at the same time, you know?

 

I was totally thinking of this!  Maybe naan for the crust?  If I buy the dough, I would still have to shape them.  Not sure if there will be time to do that.

 

Perfect for lunch or one of the dinners.

 

Thanks!

Edited September 1, 2016 by lisabees

[lisabees]

I am not familiar with cooking the cuisine of those particular ethnicities but we did our wedding buffet style and i did hire someone to help with the serving. What we had was (think pretty versions of the aluminum trays, lined up);

Poached whole salmon

Roasted chickens

Steamed shrimp (I bought this tray from the fish store--my wedding was on an island).

Various salads

I forgot the starch and veggies I used but be mindful of the need to keep food hot--I did rent some of those warm trays but as I said by food lent itself to room temp because Martha's Vineyard in summer.

I'd make a tagine and cus cus

Also cake--I ordered that ;) from the famous local bakery...

 

Good point about warm foods.

 

Tagine and couscous sounds delish too.

 

Not into baking.  I would definitely order dessert.  Maybe little bites of various things? 

[KungFuPanda]

Wait! You're catering your own wedding and feeding 40 house guests for the weekend?

 

I need to lie down just imagining it!

 

I say use the grill and assemble a gazillion kabobs the day before. You can cut and skewer two days ahead, then marinate the night before. Then you can serve seasoned rice or couscous, naan, hummus, tabouli, tzatziki sauce, olives, nuts, etc . . . and most can be prepped ahead.

[KungFuPanda]

Kabob meat and veg leftovers lend themselves well to burritos/quesadillas the next day.

[EmilyGF]

I went to a great party (probably 40-50 people) for Independence Day at the home of a former professional chef. He hired catering staff to run the kitchen and deal with the plating and serving while he did the grill. While I'm not suggesting grilling, at your own wedding, you may want some back up so that you can focus on the parts that matter to you and not on clean up. 

 

Emily

[ktgrok]

I was totally thinking of this!  Maybe naan for the crust?  If I buy the dough, I would still have to shape them.  Not sure if there will be time to do that.

 

Perfect for lunch or one of the dinners.

 

Thanks!

 

Or maybe a variety of breads? Foccacia, or french breads split, etc?

[Anne in CA]

I have catered dozens of middle eastern weddings and the food is always yummy. Plus with middle eastern most dishes tend to hold up to a certain wait time if things get delayed. The main thing with weddings is to understand that there will be unavoidable delay even if you are normally that person who is on time for everything. It just happens. That is why people should not get married out side in August (and yet people do). Their elderly relatives and the wait staff suffer needlessly in the heat because the ceremony that was supposed to only be fifteen minutes so there was only supposed to be about an hour outside never starts on time so granny is dying of heat stroke because of the delay. Please remember that the food needs to be able to be held at room temperature for longer than normal so that no one gets sick.

[lisabees]

Wait! You're catering your own wedding and feeding 40 house guests for the weekend?

 

I need to lie down just imagining it!

 

I say use the grill and assemble a gazillion kabobs the day before. You can cut and skewer two days ahead, then marinate the night before. Then you can serve seasoned rice or couscous, naan, hummus, tabouli, tzatziki sauce, olives, nuts, etc . . . and most can be prepped ahead.

 

The idea of assembling 100 kabobs makes me want to lie down!!

[lisabees]

I have catered dozens of middle eastern weddings and the food is always yummy. Plus with middle eastern most dishes tend to hold up to a certain wait time if things get delayed. The main thing with weddings is to understand that there will be unavoidable delay even if you are normally that person who is on time for everything. It just happens. That is why people should not get married out side in August (and yet people do). Their elderly relatives and the wait staff suffer needlessly in the heat because the ceremony that was supposed to only be fifteen minutes so there was only supposed to be about an hour outside never starts on time so granny is dying of heat stroke because of the delay. Please remember that the food needs to be able to be held at room temperature for longer than normal so that no one gets sick.

 

Excellent advice.

 

Please note:  The wedding is not really what many might be thinking.  We are literally going to have everyone walk to one of the gardens and stand there as we exchange vows.  We are marrying ourselves.  No seats, no wedding gown, no typical hoopla that usually accompanies a wedding.  We are more interested in enjoying the time getting to hang and know out of town family.

Edited September 1, 2016 by lisabees

[Closeacademy]

We cater once a month for a get-together of about 25-50 people.  One thing that keeps it less stressful is to come up with ideas for things that can be made ahead and easily reheated before serving and fresh items that can easy be put together quickly.

 

So with Thai or vietnamese:

 

A curry or stew that could be made the day before and reheated would be good.

Also rice can be cooked that morning.

Pork is big in Thailand (ask me how I know, our exchange student is all about pork) so roast pork Thai style that is easy to slice might be a good idea.

For finger foods, you may want to go with a different region and serve various types of hummus with flat breads and veggies

For dessert, you'll have cake but you may want to have fresh cut fruit.

 

Just a few ideas.  Keep it simple, make ahead then reheat, don't do anything really complicated.

[lisabees]

Group activity the day before the wedding.

 

This idea I like - in the days before, having friends and family help with the preparations.

[KungFuPanda]

The idea of assembling 100 kabobs makes me want to lie down!!

It's not that bad. 50 beef, 50 chicken, 60 plain veg. You'd only need 5-6 lbs of each meat and you'd do a ton of kabobs. I'm guessing it would take two hours two days before the event.

 

I did this for a dinner party for ten. I planned 1/4 lb meat per person and had leftovers for DAYS. you only get about 3-4 chunks of meat on a kabob, so before you know it you've assembled a gazillion. Assembly went much faster than I anticipated. Separating the meat from the veg makes marinating and cooking so much easier. OR don't even skewer and just broil your cubes in giant pans to serve buffet-style.

[idnib]

I would do a biriyani for the main wedding dish, for your special meal, and you can heat up roti/naan on the grill. (Buy pre-made, it's really tricky to roll these out to the right level of thickness and layers on the fly.) Add some chutneys (pre-made yourself, or bottled Patak brand) and some fried onions. The onions can be purchased in bag from Indian or Pakistani grocery, or pre-fry them in ghee. They keep well without refrigeration, but it does take about 45 minutes of cooking them on low to get the water out and turn them crispy. Also, you have to slice a lot of onions quite thin. Anther side dish that's easy and goes wonderfully with Biriyani would be yogurt mixed with chopped cucumbers and tomatoes, cumin powder, salt, and a bit of sugar.

[umsami]

For middle eastern, you may be able to rent a vertical grill for schwarma.  Serve it was fattoush or any Middle Eastern chopped salad, tzatziki, tahini sauce, pita, etc.   Or even try and do a roasted lamb (whole).   Rice with almonds, pistachios, etc. sauteed in butter elevate it a bit.  There are some lovely Persian rice dishes that take it to a whole new level as well.

 

Mashi are stuffed vegetables which are very popular....can be made vegetarian or without. 

 

You could do red lentil soup shooters or gazpacho. 

 

 

[lisabees]

I would do a biriyani for the main wedding dish, for your special meal, and you can heat up roti/naan on the grill. (Buy pre-made, it's really tricky to roll these out to the right level of thickness and layers on the fly.) Add some chutneys (pre-made yourself, or bottled Patak brand) and some fried onions. The onions can be purchased in bag from Indian or Pakistani grocery, or pre-fry them in ghee. They keep well without refrigeration, but it does take about 45 minutes of cooking them on low to get the water out and turn them crispy. Also, you have to slice a lot of onions quite thin. Anther side dish that's easy and goes wonderfully with Biriyani would be yogurt mixed with chopped cucumbers and tomatoes, cumin powder, salt, and a bit of sugar.

 

 Ok - Indian food is my favorite!  But, I just don't do a good job of making it.  I always end up so critical and disappointed.  I always say it's because I never had an Indian grandmother teach me.  There is that special something that always seems to be missing.  Hmmm...

 

I do have the winter to practice!

 

Not a fan of Patak chutneys, but I'm willing to make my own.

[FaithManor]

Check and make sure there are no restrictions feom the facility if you do not have a catering license. Some states are very strict others quite lenient. You need to stay within the guidelines pf your state so the facility does not get into trouble.

 

I think kabobs would be wonderful and fun, but definitely get a bunch of helpers for assembly.

[lisabees]

For middle eastern, you may be able to rent a vertical grill for schwarma.  Serve it was fattoush or any Middle Eastern chopped salad, tzatziki, tahini sauce, pita, etc.   Or even try and do a roasted lamb (whole).   Rice with almonds, pistachios, etc. sauteed in butter elevate it a bit.  There are some lovely Persian rice dishes that take it to a whole new level as well.

 

Mashi are stuffed vegetables which are very popular....can be made vegetarian or without. 

 

You could do red lentil soup shooters or gazpacho. 

 

 Lentil soup shooters!!!!  OMG!!!  Awesome!

 

Off to look at vertical grills...

[lisabees]

Check and make sure there are no restrictions feom the facility if you do not have a catering license. Some states are very strict others quite lenient. You need to stay within the guidelines pf your state so the facility does not get into trouble.

 

I think kabobs would be wonderful and fun, but definitely get a bunch of helpers for assembly.

 

 

We are just renting someone's house, or rather, "estate".  But good point.  

[FaithManor]

We are just renting someone's house, or rather, "estate". But good point.

Oh..that is a big difference. In most places this would be considered a private in home event, eat at own rism. However we have one particularly controlling county east of here that requires a catering license for even private events over 20 people. Grrr...the churches no longer do potlucks, and birthday parties and graduations are now kept to ice cream and cake only as those two foods are unregulated in the statute.

 

I am excited for you and hope it is a lovely event!! Best wishes.

[idnib]

 Ok - Indian food is my favorite!  But, I just don't do a good job of making it.  I always end up so critical and disappointed.  I always say it's because I never had an Indian grandmother teach me.  There is that special something that always seems to be missing.  Hmmm...

 

I do have the winter to practice!

 

Not a fan of Patak chutneys, but I'm willing to make my own.

 

When someone is disappointed with how Indian food turned out, the culprit is often a lack of ghee, or a lack of browning in the spices and/or onions, or old powdered spices. Your really need all the browning for the depth.  And it always takes way more spice and onions than you think it's going to take. 

 

The other nice thing about biriyani is you can make big trays and heat in the oven.

 

Here's a captioned video of it being made in bulk. There's no recipe, but you can get an idea of the amount of spices it takes.

Edited September 1, 2016 by idnib

[lisabees]

Thanks for the well wishes, FaithManor!

 

idnib!  That video is awesome.  You have definitely inspired me to try this.  I will head to the Indian Market and hopefully get some good quality ingredients.

 

Thank you so much!

[KungFuPanda]

I'm crashing this wedding.

[wendy not in HI]

I don't have any food suggestions, but just a little idea.  I wonder if you could assign out meals to a few of your closest family or friends.  It just seems like a lot for you to have to think about before your big day.  Every breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a group of 40 for a weekend is a lot for one person to plan/purchase/prepare. 

 

Congratulations on your wedding!

 

 

 

[idnib]

Thanks for the well wishes, FaithManor!

 

idnib!  That video is awesome.  You have definitely inspired me to try this.  I will head to the Indian Market and hopefully get some good quality ingredients.

 

Thank you so much!

 

Check out the amount of browned onions in the video. That's a big part of getting the taste correct.

 

To make the onions, start by making your own ghee, a lot of it. Put 3 lbs of salted butter into a pot, and put in on medium heat. When the butter melts, turn it to low and keep checking on it for the next ~45 minutes. Once it has a golden color and a nutty smell, turn off the heat and let it cool until it's still liquid, but not hot enough to burn you. Pour it through a thin cloth into  jars. The solids can be used to flavor rice as a side dish.

 

To make the onions, slice as thinly as possible, and place in enough ghee to cover. For a 10 qt pot, I would probably use ~5-6 onions. Keep heat on medium until ghee is hot and onions are sizzling, then turn to low and check occasionally for the first 30 minutes. After that, stay nearby. Browning time is usually 30-60 minutes, depending on how juicy the onions are. They should get dark brown, but not burnt. Here's a good example. They do go too dark quickly at the end, so stay nearby. Remove with slotted spoon onto paper towels, and save the cooled onion ghee for flavoring rice, vegetables, frying eggs, etc. Most of the onions should be cooked in the biriyani, with the remainder sprinkled on top. Or if that's too fussy, cook them all in the rice.

 

They keep well and this can be done the week before. Store in the fridge.

[lisabees]

I'm crashing this wedding.

 

That would be just awesome!  :)

 

Just bring some kebabs with you, eh?

[lisabees]

I don't have any food suggestions, but just a little idea.  I wonder if you could assign out meals to a few of your closest family or friends.  It just seems like a lot for you to have to think about before your big day.  Every breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a group of 40 for a weekend is a lot for one person to plan/purchase/prepare. 

 

Congratulations on your wedding!

 

Yeah - I kind of agree.

 

Six families are local.  They wouldn't mind helping.  

[lisabees]

Check out the amount of browned onions in the video. That's a big part of getting the taste correct.

 

To make the onions, start by making your own ghee, a lot of it. Put 3 lbs of salted butter into a pot, and put in on medium heat. When the butter melts, turn it to low and keep checking on it for the next ~45 minutes. Once it has a golden color and a nutty smell, turn off the heat and let it cool until it's still liquid, but not hot enough to burn you. Pour it through a thin cloth into  jars. The solids can be used to flavor rice as a side dish.

 

To make the onions, slice as thinly as possible, and place in enough ghee to cover. For a 10 qt pot, I would probably use ~5-6 onions. Keep heat on medium until ghee is hot and onions are sizzling, then turn to low and check occasionally for the first 30 minutes. After that, stay nearby. Browning time is usually 30-60 minutes, depending on how juicy the onions are. They should get dark brown, but not burnt. Here's a good example. They do go too dark quickly at the end, so stay nearby. Remove with slotted spoon onto paper towels, and save the cooled onion ghee for flavoring rice, vegetables, frying eggs, etc. Most of the onions should be cooked in the biriyani, with the remainder sprinkled on top. Or if that's too fussy, cook them all in the rice.

 

They keep well and this can be done the week before. Store in the fridge.

 

I am so doing this over the weekend.  Make my own ghee?  Yowza!  That is awesome.

 

What about the rest of the recipe?  Do you know of a good one?

[Beth S]

We did a nice chicken salad, which can be made ahead of time . . . then added into croissants (or hearty buns) closer to serving.

I heartily agree that you need to recruit some of your guests to join you in the kitchen.  It's fun & will make great memories. :)

We also did cut fruit, veggie tray, chips, cupcakes = not exotic, but not stressful.

Maybe gIve the guys a bunch of marinated chicken breasts to grill.

 

ETA = You definitely want to make & serve food you enjoy, but with a big crowd like that AND being the bride (& parent/daughter/sister, etc.), I would compromise on the food. 

Edited September 2, 2016 by Beth S

[lisabees]

We did a nice chicken salad, which can be made ahead of time . . . then added into croissants (or hearty buns) closer to serving.

I heartily agree that you need to recruit some of your guests to join you in the kitchen.  It's fun & will make great memories. :)

We also did cut fruit, veggie tray, chips, cupcakes = not exotic, but not stressful.

Maybe gIve the guys a bunch of marinated chicken breasts to grill.

 

ETA = You definitely want to make & serve food you enjoy, but with a big crowd like that AND being the bride (& parent/daughter/sister, etc.), I would compromise on the food. 

 

Ooh - a curried chicken salad is yummy and easy.  Thanks for the suggestion!

[Jaybee]

This might not be special enough, but maybe check it out as a starting point:  Oven-roasted Chicken Shawarma.  (Link to NY Times Cooking)

 

We like it for parties because it's fun to add sides and accompaniments and let people eat it the way they want to (in a pita, not in a pita, with olves, feta, cucumbers, etc, or without...)  I make a chickpea salad with tahini sauce to go with it.  Once I added falafels, that was great too.   I think the chicken could be grilled rather than done in the oven?  That would be so delicious!

 

I won't get my feelings hurt if you reject it.  

This looks so good! Thanks for sharing. We have a large family, and I am kind of tired of our usual get-together dishes. I'm going to try this one soon.

[Jaybee]

I'm crashing this wedding.

Yeah, my mouth is watering just reading through the posts.  :drool5:

[Pippen]

We really like Mattar Paneer. It reheats well, and if you purchase the paneer is not too time consuming.

 

I always start with this recipe and tweak as I go. 

http://www.food.com/recipe/mattar-paneer-85853

 

[idnib]

I am so doing this over the weekend.  Make my own ghee?  Yowza!  That is awesome.

 

What about the rest of the recipe?  Do you know of a good one?

 

Sorry, I don't know anyone who has written down a biriyani recipe. I'll poke around online for one that looks good. Any idea of the meat? Beef, goat, lamb, chicken, and shrimp all work well.

 

Clarification: When I said 5-6 onions for a 10 qt pot, that was a 10 qt pot of biriyani, not onions! So if you decide to make biriyani for the wedding, and you made 20 qts, you need 10-12 onions.

Edited September 2, 2016 by idnib

[Happy]

This might not be special enough, but maybe check it out as a starting point:  Oven-roasted Chicken Shawarma.  (Link to NY Times Cooking)

 

We like it for parties because it's fun to add sides and accompaniments and let people eat it the way they want to (in a pita, not in a pita, with olves, feta, cucumbers, etc, or without...)  I make a chickpea salad with tahini sauce to go with it.  Once I added falafels, that was great too.   I think the chicken could be grilled rather than done in the oven?  That would be so delicious!

 

I won't get my feelings hurt if you reject it.  

We made this tonight and it was SO good.

​

Definitely a keeper recipe.

 

 

OP if you decide to do shooters of some sort, remember you can buy small vessels on Amazon. Plastic but just the right size. I"ve collected several glass shot glasses I use at party time...desserts, shrimp and sauce, ranch dressing and several veggie sticks. Always fun to do.

 

[lisabees]

We really like Mattar Paneer. It reheats well, and if you purchase the paneer is not too time consuming.

 

I always start with this recipe and tweak as I go. 

http://www.food.com/recipe/mattar-paneer-85853

 

Yummy paneer!  Definitely going to make that next week.  Thank you for the heads up!

[FaithManor]

Mouth watering!!!!!!

[Zinnia]

When we have groups, we always have a taco night.  It might not be fancy enough for you, but maybe for a lunch?  Depending on the season/weather, I usually assume people will make either burrito bowls or salads, so I make rice or lettuce as the main, first thing.  Then add beans, grilled or sauteed onions and peppers, grilled meat of one or two types, sometimes ground meat, too, then all the toppings.  Huge vats of pico and guacamole and on and on.  Serve with chips.  

Truth, it's not fancy, but most people love it, and the ones that don't can find a little something they like, even if they eat lettuce and meat separately.  

[lisabees]

Sorry, I don't know anyone who has written down a biriyani recipe. I'll poke around online for one that looks good. Any idea of the meat? Beef, goat, lamb, chicken, and shrimp all work well.

 

Clarification: When I said 5-6 onions for a 10 qt pot, that was a 10 qt pot of biriyani, not onions! So if you decide to make biriyani for the wedding, and you made 20 qts, you need 10-12 onions.

 

Ha!  Thanks for clarification.

 

Not sure of the meat yet.

 

I may make it with lamb this weekend.  

 

Hmmm...shrimp is good?

[StephanieZ]

Do a Mexican night for one of the non-wedding meals. Carne Asada on the grill (can be prepared in marinate and frozen ahead of time. then just thaw, drain, and grill). Plus a big pot of black beans (likewise can be prepared and frozen). Mexican rice (easy, can be prepped ahead of time and baked day of). Fixings. Your all set. Divine. 

[idnib]

Ha!  Thanks for clarification.

 

Not sure of the meat yet.

 

I may make it with lamb this weekend.  

 

Hmmm...shrimp is good?

 

Shrimp is good but doesn't keep well as it can become rubbery upon reheating. I would make it for my own enjoyment, but not for the wedding where you might have to reheat for the guests or later as leftovers.

[LucyStoner]

I'd probably make Aloo gobi, tandoori chicken and daal. Indian food is easy to make in quantity and reheat.

 

Also the ATK recipe for Thai street noodles is great if you have access to LARGE woks or pans.

[KatieJ]

My advice is more on logistics.  When our DD got married, it was a traditional church wedding with a catered meal afterwards.  However, most of the guests were from out of state and staying in hotels. We had guests from at least 12 states visiting as we don't live near any of our relatives on either side of those two families.  Because of that I wanted to have as much casual time with these precious dear friends and family as we could.  We self catered what you would refer to as the "rehearsal dinner" in our backyard, for almost 100 people. The morning after the wedding we had a brunch/gift opening and we fed over 100. Yes, the gift opening could have waited, but our DD was moving to her DH home state the next day, so we wanted to enjoy her gift opening with her.

Organization was key.  I had lists, and I had lists for my lists.  I kept track of everything in a 3 ring binder.  The week of the wedding I had daily lists of meals to be prepared and tasks that needed to be done.  I even wrote down things like, someone check toilet paper in the bathrooms and put out fresh towels.  Each morning the task list was posted on a cabinet and anytime a willing hand asked if they could help, we pointed them to the list. We had local friends offer to help and we asked them to do things like bring us a meal early in the week when we were busy with decorating the chruch.

One of the biggest issues we had was storage for food and the necessary dishes.  My amazing butcher offered to store the pork loins in his cooler until grill time.  We picked them up the day before, got the marinade on them, and took them back overnight, retrieving them again when it was time for the grill.  I had neighbors gave us access to their extra fridge in the garage.

Our meals were simple, but delicious, and I wouldn't change a thing.