Expert: Teri Davis Newman - 7/1/2008

Question
My husband and I are already married but never got the actual wedding, we are planning a Beach Wedding in october. The ceremony will be about 6:30 pm with the sunset and Reception will follow. Couple of Questions....
Am I required to serve a meal? I am planning one that consists of pork loin chops, Turkey Breast, Honey baked Ham, Broccoli rice casserole,sweet potato suffle,green bean casserole, mixed veggies, Mash potatos w/ turkey gravy, potato salad, deviled eggs, with chips and dips, rolls, fruit skewers and cheese cake... Okay know do you think this is a good menu or am I over doing it we are in the south so there will be hungery men to feed!! Also how much of each type of meat do I need for 65 people and how much of the sides? Any better Ideas things you think I should change? Also I plan on offering 2 specialty mixed drinks and then just beer and champange do you think this is logical? How many drinks should I plan on? I am so lost doing almost everything with the help of family and just dont want my wedding to be ruined because of my inexperience. thank you so much any advice is extremely appreciated!

Answer
OK, the first thing to do is RELAX so you can enjoy your party.  The general party rule is that if you have a party during the dinner hour you must feed your guests a substantial meal. You have WAY too much food on your menu plan, but I will share the basic rule of thumb for catering menus.
7 ounces of cooked meat entree
4 ounces of each side dish up to 3
3 ounces of salad greens
1 4 ounce dessert serving
6-8 appetizer bites per person
16 oz of non-alcoholic beverage
2 oz of chips per person
1 oz of dip per person
3 cocktails per person
Multiply the ounces times the number of guests and then divide by 16 to give you pounds of food and the beverage by 128 to give you the number of gallons of beverage you will need.