jpinal205 Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 (edited) Thank you to everyone who offered advice. The day was wonderful. We had 130+ guests. There were plenty of leftovers but not excessive. If I were to do this again, I would have more appetizer food. People were starving when they got to park. As advised here, I bought more wine and lemonade. Very glad I did. I would also drop one main dish. There were too many things to pick from. Mac and cheese baked beautifully in roaster ovens and I will definitely do that again. The geode cake was a hit As I wrote in previous post my dd is getting married on Saturday. We are self catering for about 110 people. HELP!! I really thought I had it under control but now don't know. Could you all take a look the menu and let me know what you think about the amount of food. And please be blunt. Wedding Mass at 1 pm.. Reception at state park event center immediately following. Appetizer table - 6 lbs of cheese balls, 3 lbs of cheese cubes, 2 large bowls of hummus, crackers, pita chips, 8-10 lbs grapes Buffet - 180 hot dogs and buns, 45 lbs of shredded pork, 150 slider rolls, various bbq sauces, 2 full size steamer pans of mac & cheese, 5 lbs coleslaw, 5 lbs bean salad, 150 Tamales, 2 large bowls of salad greens and fixings, 3 large bags of chips 150 water bottles, 8 gallons lemonade, 4 gallons apple cider punch, 8 gallons wine punch Mostly adults and teens. Thank you Edited November 7, 2019 by jpinal205 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 There's not much for vegetarians there, especially if they don't/can't eat dairy. I don't know about the amount of food in general, but I'd definitely add another vegetable thing - say, potato salad maybe? pasta salad? vegetarian baked beans? one of each of those? - and another type of fruit (tangerines travel well and are easy to eat, bananas are cheap, a mix of those would be good). 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 11 minutes ago, jpinal205 said: 5 lbs coleslaw https://parade.com/843547/tessmelchreit/how-much-coleslaw-per-guest-do-you-need-for-your-bbq/ serving is 3 oz, so you're low on this. and the bean salad is probably low I think your drinks might be a bit low. So you can go through and do the math for normal servings for each one and figure out if you're low. I will tell you that the last wedding I went to where they served a complete dinner like this had SERVERS on the buffet line. I think you might want to do this. It's not impolite, just reality and practical. Otherwise you're going to have to have a lot of extra food. The wedding coor had everyone seated and then released tables a few at a time to go through. After everyone had been through once, with one thing of each, THEN people were allowed to go back and get 2nds, taking what they wanted. I went to a wedding with appetizers, and they had a LOT of leftovers. Like people really liked it, but it was something that people ate very sparsely. Totally beautiful, but people are holding out for the meal, kwim? So even if you're worried, I would just put out what you've got and not sweat it. Just me. Your spread sounds WONDERFUL!!! I think your guests will love it. :) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klmama Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 (edited) I haven't added up what you have here, but I've read to serve 1-1.5 lb. of food per person, in addition to desserts and beverages. Is there going to be cake, too? FWIW, I would add some fresh veggies and dip to the appetizer table (baby carrots, celery, bell peppers, broccoli florets, and cauliflower) and a large fruit salad, maybe to mix with the grapes you already planned: cubes of watermelon, cantaloupe, muskmelon, red grapes, green grapes. Or, if you want them on the appetizer table, you could arrange all those on trays with toothpicks. Edited October 30, 2019 by klmama 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpinal205 Posted October 30, 2019 Author Share Posted October 30, 2019 Thanks for the suggestions. I will add a fresh fruit or veggie tray. There will be tortilla chips so should I add a vegetarian bean dip? There is 4 tier wedding cake, a half sheet grooms cake, cannoli and minature pumpkin breads for dessert. we really aren't drinkers but the groom's family is. Wine is the only alcohol allowed. Do I need more than 8 gallons of wine punch? I swear I've been having nightmares in which I run out of food and drink. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 I'm not an expert on quantities, but your meal sounds amazing!!! Best wishes to you all! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sneezyone Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 (edited) Maybe it's just my family but 2 trays of mac n' cheese and 45 lbs of pork wouldn't cut it for 100+ adults and teens. I'd have to add at least one tray of mac and another 10lbs. of pork. One and a half tamales is about right tho. If possible, I'd cut back on the hot dogs (not a family favorite) and add more pulled pork with black or pinto beans. I agree with the others about veggies/fruit/salad and drinks. Edited October 30, 2019 by Sneezyone 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WendyLady Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 I would worry a little about just 150 sliders for 110 people. To me, a slider is a mini burger and people may expect 2-3, not 1+. Not an emergency as I see you have enough for one hot dog and one slider plus one more of either one... butif it were me, I would want to have enough for most people to have 2 sliders. We have self catered 2 weddings and have had too much food both times.... so you are probably just fine! It sounds like a great menu! Best wishes for the bride and groom!! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 I really have no idea ......I think your menu sounds great. I think I would serve the appetizers at the same time as the main meal so people can pick and choose. There is a lot of variety and I think not having many leftovers is a good thing. I also think some more beverages might be needed, not alcohol. Just more liquid in case you run out. Extra bottles of water ready to bring out maybe? Coffee with dessert? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 2 hours ago, jpinal205 said: Thanks for the suggestions. I will add a fresh fruit or veggie tray. There will be tortilla chips so should I add a vegetarian bean dip? There is 4 tier wedding cake, a half sheet grooms cake, cannoli and minature pumpkin breads for dessert. we really aren't drinkers but the groom's family is. Wine is the only alcohol allowed. Do I need more than 8 gallons of wine punch? I swear I've been having nightmares in which I run out of food and drink. I don’t think you need a vegetarian dip because you have hummus. I’m a vegan and would be happy with the chips and hummus, grapes, and salad. Fruit and veggie trays would be great, too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vmsurbat1 Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 I think you have enough meat--45 lbs of shredded pork is almost 1/2 lb. person--but possibly not enough slider rolls if they are small. Get extra rolls--any leftovers can go into Thanksgiving stuffing. 😉 I would also up the salads just a bit, although if you are adding a couple of veggies trays, that might suffice. If you decide to up, pick the salad that can last longer (I'm guessing bean salad) as a leftover but that does depend on the recipe.... Agree with the need for extra water bottles, especially if there is going to be any kind of activity--dancing or games, for example. Are there stores in your area that would allow you to return unused bottles of water? I wouldn't add more wine punch or sweet drinks, just extra water because that satisfies when one is thirsty.... And, I agree--your spread sounds fun and fabulous. Congratulations and enjoy! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klmama Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 Yes, this sounds great! Keep in mind that much of this could be frozen afterward, if you have leftovers. Freeze extra pork in meal-sized portions - much smaller than you'd think. It might be better to freeze it in small, sandwich-sized blobs on a tray, then put the blobs into a large freezer bag once frozen. Hot dogs and buns can also go into large freezer bags to be pulled out as needed. Extra fruit can be frozen for smoothies. Extra veggies frozen and added to soups or smoothies. Extra salad could also be added to smoothies, or you could take bags to send it home with people. Cheese cubes freeze, and what's left of the cheese ball could be frozen in blobs for snacks. I have no idea how well extra tamales, cole slaw, or bean salad would freeze, but it could be worth a try, or you could send home with people. Again, if freezing, freeze in smaller portions, so easier to use. It seems the cole slaw and beans might work in soups, if nothing else. Leftover cake freezes well - just cut into pieces and separate them slightly before freezing, so individual pieces can removed from the container. We've done that after grad parties and have enjoyed it long after the event. I hope all goes well and that you can enjoy the special day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 I think it sounds great- and I probably wouldn’t worry about adding more slider rolls. Lots of folks don’t bother with bread when they eat pulled pork. Adding the veggie or fruit tray will be nice. ‘Have a great time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acadie Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 Sounds delish! In terms of quantity I'd double the mac-n-cheese and green salad. Veggie tray with the appetizers sounds great too, and the colors will look lovely on the table. Amy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sneezyone Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 As a total aside, if you’re concerned about leftovers (and this sounds like more of an informal family wedding) you might want to order some to go containers from amazon. We do this for our big family holiday dinners. Everyone appreciates the thoughtfulness (when you don’t cook you miss out in leftovers) and the host has less food to store! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawthorne44 Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 Just in general for self-catering. You can pick between having a server or just buying extra food. That is somewhat close to what a friend of mine said is the best self-catered wedding meal, and he is a photographer. Note, we are in Texas. Fajitas, where the meat/onions/peppers are already wrapped in the tortillas and aluminum foil. The benefits of this is that you don't have someone putting a pound of meat on each tortilla, but people can still highly personalize their meal. Your slider idea sounds similar. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 For a wedding mass at 1pm, I would have had a light lunch before attending so assuming the reception is at 3pm, I would not be too worried about food as that would be teatime rather than lunchtime. Is the weather going to be cold where you are? I would have liked something warm to drink like warm apple cider, tea, coffee, but I am totally fine with bringing my own coffee in a Kleen Kanteen and leaving it in my family car just in case (being the coffee addict that I am). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 That is tons of food. You should relax and enjoy the day. Nobody will be hungry. Somebody WILL complain because that's what people do and you can't prevent that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpinal205 Posted November 7, 2019 Author Share Posted November 7, 2019 update 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 Lovely couple, lovely reception!!! And everything looks SO YUMMY!!! Super fun cake, too. Good job!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 What a beautiful wedding! I love the geode cake. Congrats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mominco Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 Congratulations!! Everything looks great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommyoffive Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 Wow. It looked wonderful. The cake is amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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