Expert: Teri Davis Newman - 8/10/2008

Question
I am attempting to create my own menu for my wedding in October of 2009.  It is being held in my parents beautiful backyard, which features vegetable gardens and fruit trees, so I want a very fresh produce filled menu. My rough menu thus far is:

Appetizers:         
Cheese plate w/ crackers            
Fruit w/ Lavender honey Goat Cheese spread   
Veggies w/ pumpkin seed pesto, ranch & Scarlet Parsley Dip
The Simple Antipasto Plate            
Killer Artichoke Dip w/ breadsticks      
Shrimp Cocktail            
Albondigas (Pork Meatballs)            
              
Salads:            
Avocado Spinach Salad with Citrus         
Confetti Spring Salad (pasta salad)         
Spinach & Strawberry Salad            
Caesar                     
              
Main Course:               
Hung Burgundy Beef            
Smoked Salmon            
Rosemary Chicken               
Veggie Lasagna (vegetarian option)            
Sides:               
Suzy's Creamy Potatoes            
Rosemary Red Potatoes            
Breads (assorted)            
Roasted Butternut Squash with Sage & Cranberries
Stir-fried garlic broccoli            
                    
Desserts:               
Key Lime Tarts            
Chocolate Caramel Crispy Cakes            
Mascarpone Mini Cupcakes with Strawberry Glaze      
Wedding Cake            


I have been trying to set numbers and quantities but my Internet research has yielded several different answers and none of which directly fit my situation.  For example depending on the website I either need 800 appetizer servings for 100 people, (6-8 per person,) or 2200 appetizer servings for 100 people, (5 hors d'oeuvres per person per hour for the first 2 hours and 3 per person per hour for each additional hour.)

My questions are as follows:
1) Does there seem to be too many options?
2) Can you provide me some general guidelines based on a menu including appetizers, main course, salad, sides & desserts. (I can set numbers within those categories.)
3) Is there anything on the list that raises any red flags for you.

I plan on prepping all dishes and preparing some the day before.  I will have two assistants that will cook (limited) and plate the day of and I am preparing a kitchen timeline that they will follow.  It is my goal to make a near failsafe process as I want nothing to do with any preparation the day of.   

Thank you for all your help with this.

Answer
OMG you are insane!! LOL You have set an impossible task even if you were just the caterer and not the bride!!  You need to cut back on your menu items in a big way because if you don't, you are going to have tons of leftovers and waste.  Here's the rule of catering as to how much you will need per person:
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 or slice of cake
6-8 appetizer bites per person
16 oz of non-alcoholic beverage
2 oz of chips per person
1 oz of dip 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.  

I will be glad to help you, but you have to trim at least 50% of your menu choices.  You have wayyyyyyyyyyy too many items and you'll be insane on your wedding day if you don't cut back here. You need 1-2 entree choices (and you need to know how many of each--the little 'chicken or beef' cards in wedding RSVPs are for this purpose)2-3 sides with one being a salad and wedding cake only for dessert.