My wedding date is September 24. We’ve just sort of thrown this thing together so we don’t have a lot of time to plan. We are having it outside at this beautiful farm in the country. It’s going to be very casual.
We are expecting about 50-75 people, I will know more specifically when I get the RSVP’s back.
What kind of a meal can I serve that will be cheap and easy without being tacky? It’s a fine line, I know. So far I have thought of giant subs from Subway. The idea is to come up with a main dish and then have several family members (our moms, best friends, etc.) each make a large side dish. This way I am not forking out for the entire meal.
So, I appeal to the Dopers’ sense of refinement and good taste. What can I serve that won’t break the bank and that will be fairly easy to pull off in an outdoor setting?
That was my first thought, but it will cost an arm and a leg to get someone out there to do it. Anyone who would be good at grilling will already be there enjoying the wedding. I don’t know how I could ask people to man a grill.
I like little ham biscuits. And of course some sort of fruit and/or veggie tray. Goes well with a farm setting, too. If you want to spend a bit more, do a strawberry tree (will they still be available in September?) - get a big foam cone from a craft store and stick strawberries to it with toothpicks. Have dishes of grated chocolate, powdered sugar and brandy available for dipping. Yum!
Around here, you can hire people to put on a pig roast. It always smells so fabulous, and the meat is awfully good. It’s not expensive, though it’s obviously more expensive than some other options.
I should have mentioned that you can really dress up a pig roast or really really dress it down. My sister had one for her wedding, and it was fairly fancy, with caterers serving the diners. But local churches have them where it’s extremely casual.
Start calling the BBQ houses and order up trays of BBQ chicken, briskets, whatever turns your crank. No cooking/grilling at the wedding site-maybe some oven reheating. Everyone can still potluck the side dishes.
You can’t go wrong w/ chicken. It’s inexpensive and can be cooked a day or two ahead, then rewarmed, or served cold. Keep it simple and wholesome. People aren’t going to remember the food unless it’s particularly bad. They’ll remember the ceremony, the festivities and the conversation.
Grocery stores (Jewel or Dominicks in Chicago area) can prepare all kinds of deli trays. Fruit, veggies and dip, hot and cold appetizers, and small sandwiches.
Costco is another option (if you have one near you) for fantastic food trays.
If you and your family/friends enjoy cooking, you could make a ton of finger foods in advance of the wedding. Things like rolls and dessert treats freeze well, and things like veggies and dip come together quickly. You can also prepare salads minus the dressing, and have them tossed together at the last minute.
For drinks, you could make a huge batch of sangria. It needs to hang out for a while before it’s served, anyway, and I think it’s both festive and classy. And yummy.
My husband and I catered our own wedding. We did a pork roast and a beef roast, and had buns and salads and fruit and vegetable platters. My sister, mom, husband and I set it up beforehand, and brought the food to the buffet tables after the ceremony. Took us all of about ten minutes, and it was before all the people came in from the outside ceremony.
My first thought was chili, but that doesn’t exactly scream “elegant.”
You could provide various toppings on the side like shredded cheese, scallions, and the like.
If you want slightly more elegant, you could have cold roast chicken(s) or cold roast turkey(s). If your family wants to contribute side dishes, then I’d give them a picnic theme.
I like the idea of ordering bbq (see above). I had friends who semi-self-catered their wedding reception for about 120 people. Trays of brisket, pulled pork & chicken, etc from our favorite local bbq place, plus some sides & a main dish prepared by family for the vegetarian guests. And theirs was actually a formal wedding with tuxedos & all. It did not come off as tacky, IMO, because of their care in decorating the place. Your decorations can set the tone.
My brother’s friend got married on the cheap, and they bought a bunch of food and veggie trays from a grocery store or Sam’s Club or something. The moms and aunts also provided food and I think someone made a cake.
Since I knew the bride and groom but wasn’t anywhere near close enough with them to be invited to the small affair, they hired me I think for $50 to show up at the venue an hour before the event and lay out the trays (get them out of the fridge) and then hang out during the event to keep the food stocked.
I wasn’t offended at not being invited, and I thought their idea was great. Saved them money and let everyone who was invited enjoy themselves the entire time instead of someone having to miss out while setting up the food. And everyone commented on how nice it was having someone to “serve” them (work the buffet).
Is there anyone you know, like a co-worker or a relative’s friend that wouldn’t be invited and could help with the setup and takedown?
We put together the antipasto trays for our wedding, plus good cake. We billed it as “a light meal.”
If I were to do it again right now, I’d pull up this franchise or a similar one: Dinners Done Right. I’m a very good cook, and I’ve really enjoyed their menus.
The deal is, you sign up to make entrees, six servings at once. You choose from a list of entrees, and you make 12 sets of six servings each. You can vary the entrees in sets of six, or you could make half a gross of the same thing. In your allotted 2-hour slot, you make the entrees at the franchise. They do all the prep and all the cleanup. You get a set of frozen entrees. If your wedding meal is in a place with ovens an prep space, you’ve then got the entrees ready to cook (usually quick) for around $3 per person. Add giant salads and CostCo cake. Done!
Like others have said, the cold cut route can be very good for a casual wedding. A bunch of buns, a bunch of meats, cheeses and pickles, a bunch of veggies and dip, a bunch of salads, all served buffet-style, and viola! Dinner at the farm! The trays can be made up at your local supermarket and kept in their fridges until the morning of. Your family and friends could bring desserts or salads or whatever you decide for potluck.
We did a low-key outdoor wedding five years ago. My mom (and I) used to work for a restaurant/catering company years ago, so we developed a menu of refrigerated items and put it all together ourselves the day before. We had fruit trays, veggie trays, cheese & cracker trays, and “spiral sandwiches.” You take a tortilla and put on a few slices of deli meat. Then you add someting like flavored cream cheese (we used horseradish and chives for the roast beef, honey mustard for the ham, and lemon & pepper for the chicken), roll them up, and slice into 1/2" slices. My mother-in-law-to-be made the cake.
The day of the wedding, we had everything plattered up before the ceremony, had the buffet tables laid out, and it took three people less than ten minutes to set out all the food. Easy peasy!