Matt and I self-catered our reception for 80 of our nearest and dearest because we wanted to save money, spend quality time cooking with our friends, and feel very connected to the experience of crafting a wedding from scratch.If the majority of our guests had been been local, I think we might have opted for a potluck, which would have helped us save money and foster a sense of community and connection.
If we had been looking for a third or fourth option, I think we would have gone with a taco truck or a portable wood burning pizza oven. How yummy and fun!
Ooh, a crawfish boil (with vegetarian/vegan options) might also be fun!
I'm constantly reminded that--at its core--a wedding is really just a public proclamation of love and commitment and a fun, fun party. And both of those things can be whatever we want them to be.What other ideas do you have for unique catering ideas that create a f-u-n party?
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Very cleaver ideas! Love the taco truck... We are going to have a So. Texas specialty... Botana Platters... Each table will have a huge platter of meat, veggies, cheese, chips, etc... (think fajitas on steroids) and will be given tons of tortillas to dig in and fiest :)
haha love the taco stand! yumm, mexican food :P
We're thinking about Texas barbecue (we know a few local trucks/caterers) - casual, fun, and a huge shout-out to his homestate. We'd include tons of fresh vegetable sides, vegetarian options and appetizers for vegetarians. At the welcome dinner the night before, we'll probably make it simple fresh California fare to represent my side of the family.
Alternatively, we might do a middle eastern buffet for the wedding - it was food from our first date and it doesn't need to be heated at all.
And as another option, there are great burger trucks (My Father's Office, In-N-Out Burger) and other ethnic food trucks (http://laist.com/2009/06/17/the_list_food_trucks_that_twitter.php ) that are a very delicious, very "Los Angeles" option.
I'm pretty excited about eventually making this decision... and taste testing everything along the way!
Ohhhh yeah! The In and Out Burger truck is COOL!!!! I just had my first double double animal from there last weekend and it was YUMMY! Too bad they can't do the fries from the truck too.
We did the BBQ. Our guy was kind enough to lend us one of his catering BBQ pits (we just had to have a pickup with a hitch to pick it up that day) to keep the food warm in until the very last minute. Then we returned it a few days later.
Here in NC, barbecue (of the pulled pork kind) is a great option for a fun picnic wedding. Pig-pickin's are common for any kind of big party, and weddings should be no exception -- that is, if the couple and their guests eat pork! Of course, you have to decide whether your loyalties lie with Eastern-style or Lexington-style barbecue (the difference is in the sauce -- whether it's vinegar or spicy-tomato-vinegar). I prefer Lexington-style.
Barbecue catering usually includes chicken, along with plenty of sides, so if some guests don't eat pork, they'll still have food. Vegan/vegetarian options are obviously much tougher with barbecue; you'd likely have to get some vegan platters from somewhere else, like Whole Foods.
I love the idea of the taco truck!
My husband and I were married last October in Southern NJ where pizza and hoagies (subs) reign supreme. ALL of our guests, inclluding US!, were from out of town, so we had a huge pizza party, complete with red and white checkered tablecloths that you find in little Italian pizza shops. We invited every guest who came in the night before to our rehearsal dinner, and it was super inexpensive and so much fun! And believe it or not, we all fit into our dresses and tuxes the next day!
we're lovingt these ideas. especially the taco stand! PS. Dont miss your chance to enter our latest give-a-way! 75 $ worth or merchandise + a matching garter + a wedding planner!
a crawfish boil would be AWESOME, but they are seasonal.
a friend of mine's cousin did a pig roast (sounds redneck, but it'd be cool for a country wedding and/or a luau theme wedding). Another friend of mine attended a wedding where there were different "stations"...cheese, fruit, sweets, hamburgers, nachos, fajitas, etc. That way, people got a choice, but they didn't have to pay for 100 people to have a full portion of each.
We are working with our innkeeper, Beverlee, to put our spread together. We are getting married in Central Vermont in the middle of August so we are serving all room temperature, no oven needed food.
Beverlee is growing some of the veggies in her garden to roast just for our wedding (how awesome is she), buying the ham, remaining veggies and fruit from the local farmers.
We are picking up the cheeses from the farm down the road from the inn, purchasing some local breads and making an antipasto platter and few protein packed vegetarian salads with a lot of items from our CSA.
Part of the adventure is we are not exactly sure what will be available from the farms and gardens at that time but since it will be fresh it will be fantastic!
We're going to be doing a milk can dinner. (Cooked the same way as a crawfish boil but it's cabbage, potatoes, carrots, onions, sausage, etc. instead.) It's REALLY tasty, super cheap and easy to cook in large quanities. For ours we'll be using veggies from my dad's CSA so who knows what crazy heirloom veggies we'll end up with. I'm sure it will be colorful at least!
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