A festive banquet is something that all guests at the event are looking forward to. However, it is not as easy to compose as it seems. After all, it is necessary not only to include delicious dishes but also to correctly calculate the proportions, that is, calculate how much food is needed per person.
And without that, it is clear how much one person can eat, but if we are talking about 50 guests, then many questions arise.
What should be considered when planning a banquet?
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Newlyweds try to please their guests, to satisfy them. None of the young spouses want their guests to leave their wedding hungry. That is why it is worthwhile to take a responsible approach to the selection and preparation of the festive menu in advance.
If you go to a banquet in a restaurant, then an experienced administrator or manager will take your order of festive dishes. As a rule, such a specialist can tell you exactly how many dishes are best to order. However, in this case, there is one caveat, as a rule, such employees sit on a percentage of sales, so they are interested in you ordering as many products as possible.
The dishes themselves at the wedding vary depending on where you order them. One restaurant specializes in Georgian cuisine, the other in oriental. Despite this figure, the very approximate menu for a wedding for 50 people remains unchanged in many ways.
This means that they are present in the diet:
- snacks;
- salads;
- hot dishes;
- dessert.
These are the dishes on which the wedding itself and any other festive wedding menu for 50 people are already built. Do not rely on gourmet cuisine or cooking methods when choosing foods. You should know and understand what kind of food you are ordering.
It may look beautiful and appetizing in the picture, but in reality, it will have a completely disgusting taste and smell. In order not to look at the dissatisfied guests later, you should ask the administrator in advance to make a menu for testing. As a rule, it is made in the smallest portions, so to speak by the tooth, so that you can only try this or that dish.
To calculate the average portion of the dish, you need to understand how long the banquet lasts. If its time is 5-6 hours, then 1 kilogram is enough. If the banquet time is from 8 hours or more, then it is necessary to increase the average portion to 1.5 kilograms.
This is the total weight of all meals, calculated per person. It needs to be multiplied by 50 to get an understanding of how much food is needed per 50 invited guests.
How to calculate an approximate wedding menu?
It’s no big deal to order a menu for a 50-person wedding yourself. You just need to imagine what dishes your feast should consist of. It includes several mandatory items that are absolutely at any wedding, regardless of the venue and the financial viability of the young spouses.
Snacks
The most favorite dish of many guests. They are placed at the very beginning of the party on common tables. If an off-site registration is carried out, then it is customary to serve snacks after the official ceremony, so that all guests have a little snack and have the strength to expect further developments. Snacks are an integral part of the buffet party.
They can be called the main component. Most weddings include:
- cheese cuts;
- cold cuts;
- vegetables;
- grilled vegetables;
- pickled vegetables;
- stuffed mushrooms;
- lightly salted fish;
- fish in batter;
- olives;
- olives;
- chicken roll;
- homemade boiled pork.
For 50 people, you will need to make about 15 kilograms of snacks.
Salads
In most cases, guests would like to taste 2 salads each. One of them must be done ordinary and even known to everyone. For example, many people love the classic version of Caesar. It is quite lightweight and sophisticated. In addition, it should be served separately to each person. As a general salad on the table, you can choose a more original and outlandish option.
For example, seafood salad. At the same time, keep in mind that all salads should be as light as possible. This means that you need to abandon ingredients such as potatoes, fatty sausages, and several types of meat. If a meat product is used in the dish, then vegetables should be added to it to make the taste lighter.
The weight of salads for 50 people will be 10-11 kilograms.
Hot meat and fish dishes
The culmination of the evening will be the serving of hot meat and fish dishes. They are served on the same plate along with side dishes. It will not be superfluous at this time to change the snacks on the table. For example, remove meat and cheese plates, replacing them with fresh vegetables and mushroom pickles.
One portion of hot is 350 grams per person, for 50 guests 17.5 kilograms will be required.
desserts
Several products act as desserts at a wedding celebration:
- loaf;
- cake.
The loaf is currently not used by all newlyweds. Previously, it was customary to distribute it, breaking off a piece to each guest. Nowadays, almost no one does that. Therefore, parents order a loaf with an approximate weight of 1-1.5 kilograms. As a rule, the remaining product after tradition is taken home by the newlyweds.
As for the cake, all those present at the celebration are waiting for it with great trepidation and excitement. Absolutely everyone is interested in what kind of cake it will be. If your wedding takes place in the summer, then you can choose airy yogurt or meringue as filling. If the celebration is scheduled for the winter, then the best option would be a fat cottage cheese cream with a biscuit layer.
Order a 7 kg cake, then each guest will get a piece.
Bread
An approximate number of loaves for 50 people – 10. In fact, as a rule, it is bread in a large assortment that remains after the celebration. Please note that it is worth buying not only a white loaf but also dark bread, a baguette, and a few buns.
Condiments
There is a list of popular seasonings that absolutely all people love. These include:
- salt;
- pepper;
- thyme;
- peas;
- Red pepper;
- adjika;
- a mixture of herbs.
You should not sprinkle seasonings on dishes too much, since not everyone will like this. Especially if you have chosen a non-national cuisine, then you can completely minimize the use of spices.
Fruits
Loved by children and women. It is convenient to have a snack with them, and just fruits are an integral part of the wedding table. Fruit should be peeled and cut into thin slices.
Common fruits at a feast are:
- Kiwi;
- Orange;
- lemon;
- grape;
- Apple;
- pear;
- pineapple.
Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks
The following drinks are ideal for a wedding banquet:
- mineral water – 25 liters;
- lemonade – 20 liters;
- juice or fruit drink – 20 liters;
- tea, coffee (optional);
- champagne – 30 liters;
- vodka – 12.5 liters;
- wine – 12 liters.
Outcome
If you are worried that the guests will leave hungry from the celebration, then you should order plus 2-3 portions to the total number of people. In addition, do not forget that at wedding banquets, the main dishes are fed to the host, photographer, and sound engineer. These are the people who will be with you throughout the day.