How to Plan Food for a Wedding of 160 People
- 1). Send a menu selection card to each guest if you are serving a sit-down dinner or will have the event catered. Count the entree selections from each guest and arrange to order that number, plus a few extra for guests who do not respond but happen to show up at the reception.
- 2). Use 1 lb. of food per guest as a general measurement. For 160 people, plan on having 160 lbs. of food for entrees and side dishes. This breaks down to about 85 lbs. of chicken or 70 lbs. of pork, 17 lbs. of bread and the remainder in side dishes.
- 3). Estimate 5 hors d'oeuvres per guest, per hour. If cocktails lasts two hours, expect each guest to consume 10 hors d'oeuvres; for 160 people, that adds up to 1,600 hors d'oeuvres. As an alternative, consider veggie platters; these indicate the number of people that each platter will feed. Include a little extra to be safe: For example, if the platter says it will feed 50 people, buy 4 platters for 160 people.
- 4). Purchase an adequate supply of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages. A gallon of punch is enough for 10 people, which would come to 16 gallons --- minus, of course, the number of people who will be drinking something else. Purchase enough liquor for each guest to have 2 drinks during the cocktail reception and beer or wine for throughout the event. Purchase 10 cases of beer, 27 bottles of wine and 38 1.75-liter bottles of hard liquor, such as vodka, rum, tequila, brandy, gin and scotch. Adjust this number up or down if you will be serving fewer types of drinks, your guests are light or heavy drinkers or if you will be serving the meal at an early hour. Include an adequate number of mixers and plenty of ice.
- 5). Order a cake that will feed at least 175 guests. If you are offering other dessert options, you will need 30 pies and 8 gallons of ice cream to feed your guests. Other options are to have a cupcake wedding cake, for which you will need at least 1 cupcake per guest. Cookie or candy buffets are popular alternatives; plan to have 14 dozen cookies or 5 lbs. of candy.
- 6). Be prepared to substitute foods if the expense begins to mount. Choose pork over steak; offer a salad course to help guests fill up faster. Have starchy, inexpensive dishes, like potatoes. Limit the number of choices you offer.
- 7). Create food stations at your reception venue to avoid having a single line in which guests have to wait to be served. Multiple lines will be shorter, and the guests will be happier --- and tend to stick to the stations closest to them.