We have a wedding planned in June, for our daughter. It will be a very large wedding @ 7:00pm. Since both of them have large families and have lived in the same small town all their lives, there will be approx. 450 guests! I have called around to different caterers and the lowest price for Hors d'Oeuvres are $8 per person(this does not enclude the cake or punch!) and $125 per waitstaff! The menu has a lot of just 'filler' type stuff that I think we can do at a much cheaper price! Cheese, crackers, fruit, nuts and mints are not that expensive. I have a friend who has two girls who will do the filling of bowls/platters for 100$ each. Please share any ideas and recipes for keeping it at 'do--able' price. Thanks for all of your help.

-- none now (No email please@this site.com), February 08, 2002

Answers

go to Gordon Food Service,,,, or SAMS Club,, or the like,, and stock up,, meatballs,, shrimp, and the like. STick a tooth pick in them,,,, good to go

-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), February 08, 2002.

Can you talk her into a pig roast instead? LOL! Best of luck!

-- cowgirlone in OK (cowgirlone47@hotmail.com), February 08, 2002.

We just did my niece's wedding Hors d'Oeuvres and it was not that terribly difficult. Gordon's Food Service has meatballs and BBQ Sauce that is very acceptable if you don't want to make them from scratch. If you do I have a wonderful sweet and sour meatball recipe that we have done for large gathering. Meatballs can be made ahead and frozen with very little loss in quality.

We do a little thing called a pinwheel which is simply that very thin, lunchmeat type ham laid down in a long row, spread with cream cheese with onion grated into it and then rolled up into a little jelly type roll. We gently freeze it for eaze of slicing and then cut into small bite sized pieces. It is always a big hit.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), February 08, 2002.

A wedding at 7pm, the guest are going to expect dinner, not hors- doeuvres, don't think I have every spelled that before, hope your right :) Make sure your reception cards clearly state that the wedding is at 7pm and Hors.....cake and punch, cake and cocktails etc. reception immediatly following, otherwise you will have very hungry unhappy guests! Least this way they can eat before the wedding. Get Martha Stewarts Wedding magazine and just tailor everything down a notch. She has great suggestions, great party favors everyone can make now, great ways to wrap your own stem flowers to save megbucks on your flowers, food ideas galore. You as the mother of the bride do not want to be making radish flowers the night before the wedding, deligate all of this to other folks in the family! Figure 10 different finger foods per 450 people, and don't buy anything till the reception cards come back, rarely does everyone really come! Opt for the new cheap tradition of one lovely little cake, and a chocolate grooms cake, then have lots of sheet cakes with plain white icing stashed in the back to serve! Surely with 450 family and friends someone knows or is a party planner! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), February 08, 2002.

100 dollars each to fill bowls and platters!!! 8~O!!!! Aren't there any friends of the family that would do that as their gift to your daughter or just as a nice thing to do! We put together a wedding for my friend's daughter and served 500. I KNOW that you can do it cheaper yourself! Stan had a great idea of going to Sam's and buying shrimp and assorted cheeses, crackers, veggie trays, etc....They have some beautiful flowers there too! One friend of mine is an excellent flower arranger, one is a professional cake decorator, the bride is an exceptional seamstress and made her own dress, etc...so it was a do it yourself type thing. There are lots of pretty things that you can do with the serving trays with fresh flowers in the center and then the finger foods around the edges. Pretty! Also pretty in the center of the tray are bunches of grapes that have been dipped in egg white and then dipped in sugar. It makes them really pretty! Strawberries dipped in chocolate are also pretty. Tiny shiskabobs (sp?) are neat with tiny pieces of cheese, pineapple, grape, strawberry. Anyway...lots that you can do with fresh veggies and fruits that are very eye pleasing as well. My head is full of ideas since we have done a LOT of weddings in the past for my friend's girls. This sounds funny, but the library has a section on party recipes and such. You might look there for more ideas. There are oodles of recipes there!

-- Nan (davidl41@ipa.net), February 08, 2002.

for the wedding, mix peanut butter and favorite jelly together, slap between day old bread, cut with heart cookie cutter (one per sandwich). I did this in a pinch 60 sandwiches (5 loaves) 45 guest, 1st thing gone, only one or two children in bunch. Now other daughter getting married and we are doing the heart sandwiches again. If anyone says anything, we'll blame it on so many children being there. My daughter is the one getting married in 6 weeks. Today she's been being a bridesmaid (tomorrow wedding) friends made the grooms cake and decorated it today.

There are lots of ways to save and have a really nice wedding.

Good luck, it all depends on whether you want to impress or have a nice wedding that looks good.

AngieM2

-- AngieM2 (ameininger@yahoo.com), February 08, 2002.

My sister in law serves a hot hors d'oeuvre that is very popular -- half strips of bacon (cooked) wrapped around a whole canned water chestnut and secured with a toothpick. You can make them ahead and refrigerate, then heat them in the oven the day of the party, keep warm in a chaffing dish. They are very popular with everyone.

-- julie f. (rumplefrogskin@excite.com), February 08, 2002.

You can wrap bacon around large straight pretzels too and cook them in the microwave until the bacon is crispy. Very pretty served with fresh fruits and cheeses.

-- Nan (davidl41@ipa.net), February 08, 2002.

You should post the same message at the COOKING AND CRAFTS FORUM. We are getting a lot of activity outside the countryside/country families/freedom forum and some with lots of wedding experience.

-- Karen (mountains_mama2@hotmail.com), February 08, 2002.

Julie's bacon and water chestnuts sounds great. Another savoury one is done the same way - rindless bacon around a seedless (seeded? de- seeded?) prune, stab it with a toothpick, heat in oven. Maybe a dab of cottage cheese on top before serving. Also has the advantage that anyone with any sense doesn't eat too many of these, and the ones who do are undertaking their own punishment. Tastes great in moderation though.

Also crudites. Pieces of celery, wide strips of carrot, any other crunchy vegetable you can thing of, served with dips - french onion, sun-dried tomato, avocado, salmon. Crackers as well, but you'd be surprised how long people will keep picking away at the vegetables.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), February 08, 2002.

another good thing would be to have potato salad, macaroni salad, ham and turkey slices.... also look into deviled eggs they go fast too making 450 of anything is going to be a real chore. if you go with sliced meats and an assortment of breads the guests can make their own. be sure to have plenty of ice to keep it all cold. my husband says lagsane that would be good too with salad and garlic toast. the logistics of not having the way to keep hot hot and cold cold unless you are in the business will be a real challenge unless you can rent the hot and cold boxes to keep your food in... how big are the fridges and the ovens at the place you are renting? it will take quite a bit of space to provide for this....

-- js (schlicker54@aol.com), February 08, 2002.

Make a basket out of a watermelon. Lay it on one side. Cut off top half at both ends and leave the middle of the top half for the handle. Scoop out all the watermelon. Cut the edges of the "handle" and basket to give it a sawtooth edge. Fill the basket with melon balls, strawberries, pineapple, etc. Definitely let the guests know that you will have a finger food reception after the wedding. Otherwise they will get there very hungry and your food won't last very long. Hopefully, you can find a couple of family friends to fill bowls and serve punch.

-- Cindy in NY (cjpopeck@worldnet.att.net), February 08, 2002.

A couple of weeks ago I went to a reception and there was about 200 people there and they only had finger foods and I got stuffed and there was plenty extra.They had pigs in blankets,meatballs, different chips and dips,cheese balls,vegetable trays,chicken wings,etc.It was served neatly and everyone seemed really pleased. I would get those leg quarter,debone them and marinate them or oven fry strips and bake in the oven. Meat balls are easy and you could make sweet and sour, swedish or pour spagetti sauce on them.Get a few roasters to keep these things hot.Big roasters on a table look impressive.Another thing they served were unpeeled potatoe wedges baked then slathered with sour cream,cheddar and crumpled bacon. All these things are not expensive and will be appreciated and more filling than a cracker with a piece of cheese on them. Gooey butter cookieswith powdered sugar also looked so pretty and were filling. Good luck with the wedding , Terry

-- Terry Lipe (elipe@fidnet.com), February 09, 2002.

Resident Chef here.....If you would like to email me, I did my own wedding, 100 people for $500, including dress and tuxes. IT CAN BE DONE....Just have to know what to look for. Mother ( mine ) is a wedding planner so I know lots of good tips....Kristean

-- Kristean Thompson (pigalena_babe@yahoo.com), February 09, 2002.

Here are some more recipes to check out

appetizers

Best of Luck!

-- cowgirlone in OK (cowgirlone47@hotmail.com), February 10, 2002.

I am new to this forum but I wanted to let you know I am a wedding planner at my uncle's catering business in Ohio. I would be happy to answer any questions and give you a few tips to keep things inexpensive. Email me at my personal email or on our website at: clasealloccasions.com The website may be down for a short time due to updating it.

-- kym (kkaelber@columbus.rr.com), February 11, 2002.