backyard informal wedding reception/party?

Question

I am planning my wedding for next summer. I have a pretty limited budget. I am wanting to get married in a sculpture garden at around 7:30pm and then have my guest(40-50) back at my mothers house for reception"party". Is this an okay time to do a finger food reception(sandwiches, fruits, cheeses, dainties). We are wanting to rent a tent for the yard and maybe banquet tables to have the foods placed on, can I use expensive clear plastic plates or dinner plates?? Also, any ideas on the alcohol serving part. We would like to buy most of it but how to have self serve? If you get my drift of what I am planning please give some suggestions, I'd appreciate it.

I plan on stating on the invitations that it is a "snack type"reception.

Also, we are not wanting presentation or any gifts. So for those who leave comments about anything being tacky, it REALLY is only about Partying up after. No dance, no cake, no garter or bouquet toss. Basically a ceremony with a kick a** party and loud music!!

Answer 1

7:30 is totally fine for the things you are wanting to serve. In fact, you could get away with only cake & punch if you wanted at that time of night. You don't have to print anything on the invites or reception cards about the menu, but it would be considerate to your guests.

The plastic plates & even forks are fine! Lots of brides use them who are even having more formal receptions than yours!

I would, however, have a bartender. Even if it is a trusted friend or relative. Having someone to regulate it even a little will keep you from having anyone get really falling down drunk. You can do a keg or bottles of beer & maybe white & red wine. That is probably all you need for this type of event.

Answer 2

I had a friend who did this very thing. I think it makes a lot of sense. I know a lot of people want to have the big formal reception but really it's about being with friends and family and having a good time, not about being in a fancy place. Plus, most people don't even like the dry chicken or bad prime rib they serve at wedding dinners anyway. Why go into a ton of debt for one little party, why not have a fun backyard party and save the money for your house or something.

You could just do ordereves and set them out on tables. If you wanted to have food you could even have it catered through a local restaurant or even a browns chicken or something like that, it would still be much cheaper than at a reception hall. As for alcohol...get a few kegs, a few buckets of different bottled beers, and a bunch of bottles of hard liquor and set them all out on a table. If you wanted a bartender I'm sure you have a nephew or cousin or something who wouldn't mind manning the bar and mixing some drinks. Hopefully you have a great time. Definatley go with the tents incase it rains. My friends party was a blast and everyone loved it. If you have any questions about anyting she did shoot me an e-mail and ask.

Answer 3

I wouldn't do the finger foods that you listed. Think more bar type snacks (nuts, chips, 7-layer dip, chicken wings). The sandwiches, fruits, cheese seem more like afternoon tea party, than late reception party. Your reception probably won't get going until 8:30 or 9. Have a wedding cake or provide chocolates for dessert.

To save money get a keg of beer and have a selection of wines, sodas, etc, you don't need to have any hard liquor. People will drink what is available. If someone wants vodka, they can go and buy a bottle before they come. There is no need for you to have an expensive full bar.

You can go to Sam's Club or Costco for a lot of your plates, cups, utensils, table cloths, etc. They also have a variety of party trays and desserts, which will save a lot of cooking time on your part.

Answer 4

I think that the food will be fine, since most will have eaten already. I would dress the food up by putting it on silver platters, silver food warmers, etc. that you can rent from a party rental place. Also, ask a few people to volunteer to stand behind the tables and replenish as needed.

Clear plastic silverware is good. Get the nicer looking, and stronger, Chinette plates and you will be good there too. Do clear plastic cups for every drink, no cans, etc. and that will look more classy too.

My suggestion for drinks: ask around and see if anyone knows someone who knows someone who wants to make $50 for a couple of hours, and ask them to bartend. Find or build a little bar and buy liters or pop, a keg, wine, etc. It looks nicer to have the clear cups and a bartender pouring it for everyone. They can have coolers with ice, etc. behind them to get into.

These are things we did and it was really nice, looked much better than a drink table where everyone served themselves..I've been to weddings like that and it was a mess at the end.

Answer 5

I think a cocktail/hors d'oeuvre party at that time of day is perfectly acceptable. You could certainly also use high-end disposable plastic plates too, in fact the clear ones sound niest. As for the alcohol, I would actually hire a bartender and have a real bar set up. YOu could ask around, but I would think most bartenders are more than willing to do private parties. If you paid them $10-$15 per hour and they had a brandy snifter for tips, they should do pretty well. I would put nice bottles of wine out on the tables with plastic wine glasses, then for everything else, I would put it at the bar. Get a keg and have it hidden behind the bar so it doesn't look tacky. Then you would want 7up, coke, diet coke, tonic, soda, orange juice and cranberry juice for your mixers. Liquor would be rum, whiskey, vodka and maybe amaretto and peach schnapps (I personally hate schnapps, but lots of weddings have that one). You'd also need grenadine, lemons, limes and cherries and plenty of ice.

My brother had a bartender at a party at his home that was outside and it was REALLY nice. Just be sure to make it obvious that the person is the bartender. This woman we had didn't wear a uniform, so a lot of people assumed she was another guest and were still serving their own drinks. I'd see about having him/her wear black and white so it is obvious they are the bartender.

Answer 6

This sounds very fun! It sounds like your biggest question is about the alcohol. We had an outdoor ceremony and reception and a self-serve bar. It worked out just fine. We just had a table dedicated to liquor . . . complete with cups and a cooler full of ice tucked under the end. In addition to a few bottles of liquor (I think we had Jim Beam, Captain Morgan's, Vodka, and an Amaretto) we also had a keg. We used those big plastic buckets with rope handles filled with ice for soft drinks, that way people could easily see what they were getting.

Use whatever plates you'd like . . . all of the plates for my cake came from the dollar store. You can get paper plates at the dollar store in nearly any color to match your wedding. I wouldn't worry about ensuring the plates are "nice" no one will care. Being so late in the evening there is no need for a full meal . . . another option you may want to consider is having a drinks and dessert only reception.

Congrats and have fun!

Answer 7

The menu sounds more like a mid-afternoon luncheon. People are ready for a heavier meal any time after 5:00. What about having a late morning wedding? Then your menu would be great! If you are really wanting to party that night you could get together with your close friends and hit the town that night. If an earlier event isn't practical, think about serving more dinner type foods. If cost is an issue a buffet style dinner is always a good way to go! Congrats and good luck!

Answer 8

I don't think this is an appropriate time of day for finger foods - people are going to be hungry and would expect a meal at this time. I could see having a sit down dinner in a backyard - no buffet. I would also suggest to not use plastic plates - you can rent real dishes. Hiring a bartender is necessary.

In other words, have an earlier wedding with the finger foods or look into a well-priced dinner option for a later wedding. Consider places that don't serve American food if you are adventurous. I had a Chinese style banquet (10 course meal) for my wedding and it worked out to about 15 per person - my husband is Chinese. Maybe look into other ethnic food that suits your tastes - always seems to be cheaper on average than the American style.

Answer 9

All those ideas sound great. I would mention in the invitations that appetizers, not dinner, will be served. Also, consider serving foods for an evening affair, like chicken skewers or stuffed mushrooms. It seems your wedding will be late enough for your guests to catch a quick bite beforehand.

As far as serving alcohol, put an ad in craigslist.org for a bartender for the night. It won't be very expensive and your guests would appreciate the service.

Answer 10

Anymore, a lot of the traditional "ettiqute" for weddings & receptions has been thrown out the window. Everything is personalized & whatever you want. So what ever floats your boat for your special day is proper.

Since you're on a budget, you can find beautiful plastic "crystal-look" plates & other "ware". It's cheap & looks gorgeous! I have also heard that you can put out stuff to do mixed drinks, but stuff with only 1 kind of alcohol. That helps save $$ & you don't need to pay a bartender,either.

Whatever you choose, it will be wonderful. Just do things you would enjoy & there is always a "thriftier" way of doing it.

Enjoy!