We have some tips for ensuring you have enough food at your wedding.
Food is a crucial aspect of your wedding reception, especially if you’re serving alcohol. It’s also a wonderful way to share culture and heritage, or a theme, with those joining you. When planning a menu for your wedding, be thoughtful about what you’re serving your guests.
It’s better to order more food than too little, so you can ensure your guests are satisfied at the reception! Most couples rely on a caterer to order food for their wedding, but their calculations are only as good as the guest count. If you’re the one estimating food amounts, we have some tips for ensuring you have enough food at your wedding.
Keep Food Allergies in Mind
It is important to consider your guests’ food allergy needs. People can be allergic to a wide range of foods, including gluten and nuts, so it’s a good idea to consider these allergies when planning your menu.
Another option is to ensure that any ingredients containing common allergens are clearly labeled on the service table. Ensure that the wait staff and/or servers are well-versed in which foods contain what.
Ordering Food for a Daytime Wedding
If your reception is during the day, you’ll likely be able to serve less food per person and serve lighter dishes. Often, you won’t need to plan on serving an appetizer for a daytime event, but that is ultimately up to you! Consider three to five servings per person per hour when offering appetizers at a daytime reception before a meal.
You can plan to offer a smaller portion of the side dishes if you’re serving a big meal with appetizers, a main course, sides, and dessert. With a green salad, a rice dish, or a pasta side, you can end up with lots of leftover side dishes if you don’t plan carefully!
When you host your wedding reception during the day, the main dish can be any number of items, from baked, fried, or barbequed meat to sandwiches. If you’re opting for the meatier side of things, you can plan for up to four to six ounces per person for poultry, fish, or meat and six to eight ounces for any vegetarian option.
Ordering Food for an Evening Wedding
Many of the same rules apply to a dinner menu as a lunch plan. If you’re offering a big main dish with lots of sides, you can lighten up on the appetizer portions, serving four to six pieces per person per hour. If you’re planning a happy hour that is more than an hour long, you might offer 6 to 8 pieces per person per hour.
Plan to serve 4 ounces per person for a vegetable or potato side dish. Two ounces per person is sufficient for rice and other grain side dishes. If you’re serving a green salad, two ounces per person will be plenty with your evening meal.
When planning the dessert, you’ll want to work closely with your caterer to ensure you get what you envision for your wedding. For example, if you’ve chosen a traditional wedding cake as the dessert, you can plan for one slice per person.
Ordering Beverages
With a daytime wedding in a summer month, you’ll want to be sure to have plenty of water on hand. Infused water is quite popular, and you or your caterer can easily infuse it by adding slices of cucumber, lemon, lime, or mint. You should stock up on soft drinks and juice if your wedding will have kids. At a dry celebration, you can plan on three beverages per person per hour and a liter of water for every three of your guests.
With an evening wedding, you may end up serving quite a bit of alcohol. Plan on one bottle of wine per two people per hour and two bottles of beer per person per hour. Remember that if there is beer left in the keg and/or wine and soda left over, have plans to take them home! Beverages will keep for some time. So even if you overshot your guest list, you would have plenty to share with friends after the celebration!
HISTORIC OAKLAND MANOR: THE PERFECT WEDDING VENUE
Nestled in a peaceful wooded area in the heart of downtown Columbia, Historic Oakland Manor stands proudly in natural splendor. Elegant Oakland is the perfect setting for ceremonies, wedding receptions, bridal showers, holiday parties, family celebrations, business meetings, or retreats. Schedule a tour today with our expert venue coordinators! Please call (410-730-4801), email ([email protected]), or visit our chat on our homepage to book a tour appointment.