Brides will often ask “How much food is enough at the wedding reception?”
If you have hired a professional caterer, don’t worry about it. They always plan for enough, as long as you provide an accurate guest count. Running out of food would be a huge blow to their reputations, so it rarely if ever happens. But if you are planning for your own wedding reception catering of the food, here are some hints.
If you are serving “plated” meals, caterers usually figure per person - 6 to 8 oz of main dish (meat, fish, or vegetarian), 4-6 oz. of starches like rice or potatoes, 4 oz of vegetables and 6 oz of salad. They may also bump up that number by 10% to be sure.
Buffet meals tend to double the amount shown above. People tend to make more than one trip to the buffet table. Consider your guest list. Age, gender and activity levels of your guests will determine the volume of food they are likely to consume.
How long should the meal last?
While some wedding receptions - the ones with elaborate buffets, large guest lists and various “stations” for different kinds of foods may take two hours or more, it is usually safe to figure 1 - 1.5 hours for a sit down meal. Many couples plan a break between the entrée and dessert for dancing. If it takes much longer than this, guests will get restless. Pace the activities to keep the event moving. Your site manager or wedding coordinator will be able to advise you on the proper timelines.
Bluestone Weddings - wedding planner / wedding coordinator
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