Wedding Buffet

djenks_2

I am on a tight budget for my wedding and I have decided on a buffet rather than a wedding breakfast. The thing is though it will be for around 100-200 guests! I also have no idea where to start so I could use all of your menu ideas and money saving Tips!:o

Thanks
Danielle
x

newlywed

We had a buffet for about 120.

We asked everyone that lived locally to bring something - eg french bread, pizzas, quiche, pasta salad etc. No one minded and it meant everyone could choose what they wanted.

We went to Asda and got lots of squash, juice and fizz etc for those that didn't want to drink (and we had lots of kids there too).

We had things you'd take on a picnic that are fairly easy to eat - cold rice dishes, cold pasta dishes, selection of meats, selection of sandwiches, crisps, sausage rolls, vol au vents, bread, cheeses, chicken drumsticks etc.

Hope that gives you an idea where to start on a menu

djenks_2

Thanks you have given me a few good ideas.
Danielle
xx

newlywed

I personally tried to avoid anything that was likely to "slop" down my dress!!!

newlywed

If you look up some of the catering companies, quite often they will send you their suggested menu lists (some are three peanuts and a crisp for an extortionate amount of money mind you!!). You can then get some idea of what you want.

quickstepqueen

I was told to cater for 75% of your guests and not 100%. Unfortunately I was told this AFTER I'd catered for the full 50 guests at a birthday bash and I had LOADS left over. Would have saved loads of money.

Also, make sure that whatever food you have it will OK sitting out on the table all night. not sure where you're having the buffet but for the birthday bash we hired a hall and whilst the food was in a fridge all day it had to sit out from 7pm when we arrived until 9pm when the buffet opened. I would therefore resist anything with Prawns and cream type cakes/gateaux!

Good luck.

Contains_Mild_Peril

Yes, make sure stuff is covered (e.g. with cling film or whatever) to keep it fresh. I had planned to do my own catering with help from friends for my wedding, but my mum offered to pay for the venue to do the buffet, and I foolishly agreed. It was awful! By the time we went to eat, the stuff had been out for hours with only giant-kitchen-roll type stuff covering it, and everything was stale, overcooked or both. There was also hardly any vegetarian food.
As for quantities, it's always better to overestimate than underestimate. Friends and family will usually accept doggie bags of leftovers to snack on at home for the next day or two!
Vol-au-vents usually go down very well. You can buy frozen vol-au-vent cases quite cheaply and you can use whatever you fancy to fill them.
It's also worth checking supermarket reduced-to-clear shelves near closing time from about a month before the wedding for cheap freezable foods. Most foods can be prepared in advance and frozen: one notable exception is anything containing mayonnaise.
It's also wise to assume there will be at least one vegetarian at any large gathering; there may be several.

boo81

You can have a fork buffet or a finger buffet, the fork buffet is a little more formal I feel and people will have to be able to rest their plates on something to eat really. Good things for this are cold meat and lots of potatoes, rice and salad.

You could have a calvery type set up or a joint carved up with bread rolls, very novel and wouldnt have to be expensive-a joint goes a long way!

Finger food works well, cold chicken nuggets, sausage rolls and pizza seem to be the ultimate favourites!

For a desert you could buy a cheap chocolate fondue kit and supply some bits and pieces to dip in. People will eat much less like this!!

quickstepqueen

At a recent wedding reception we went to they had a hog roast cavery so the butcher sliced up the pork, helped yourself to apple sauce and there was limited salad. (Not so good though if there are veggies.)

However, one tip I liked was that they also had a wicker basket piled high with packets of crisps. Great for the kids particularly but that seemed to work really well. No guessing what flavour the crisps are unlike when there are a few in a dish and it's pot luck.

pretty_lady

I have to agree with quickstepqueen - don't cater for the total amount - i think we did 60% and still had loads left over!

djenks_2

cheers everyone, I think I shall start on a list...