Expert: Teri Davis Newman - 7/9/2009

Question
I will be getting married in September and have decided to save costs by making some of the food myself.  There will be @ 80 adults and 20 children (children 12 and over have been included as adults).  The reception will be held in a barn type building with electrical and no kitchen.  It was suggested that I order some roasted pork for pulled pork sandwiches.  Something that I could put in crock pots/roasters to keep warm.  I think that might be a good idea for an outdoor wedding.  How many pounds of pork would I need?  What type of sides do you suggest, and how many?  I would appreciate the recipes as well.  Are there any good salads I could pick up at Costco?  Do you have any kid friendly ideas to add a special touch to the reception?  Is plastic tableware too informal?  What are your thoughts on plastic table cloths vs. paper with plastic backing?  The wedding will be somewhat casual because of the building we will be in but I still want it to feel a little elegant.  Is that where using plastic plates rather than paper comes in?  Rental fees on actual linen and china are too expensive.   What size wedding cake do you suggest I order?  For drinks I will be doing lemonade, iced water, a keg, and either margaritas or the rum punch if I can find a good recipe.  I appreciate your time.

Answer
Jackie,
You need to call me and talk to me about this as it's much too involved to type all this--and it would take hours for me to do. Call me at my office 618-654-3561 (www.ExquisiteEventsUSA.com) and we'll talk.  In the interim, here are the catering rules:
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
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.