Menu for a wedding for 50 people? & for a banquet in [2022]

There are some nuances that will make the menu for a wedding for 50 people more harmonious and economical, and all guests will go home well-fed and in a positive mood.

After all, no matter how many guests there are at the wedding, they should be close and loved, but for some couples the number of such people reaches 50.

The bride and groom involuntarily think about how to make the banquet satisfying and not particularly expensive. A modern wedding does not always pay off, and entering married life with debts is not the best option.

Peculiarities

On average, a wedding banquet lasts for 6-8 hours, and all this time there should be food on the tables. According to estimates, there are 1-1.2 kg of various dishes per guest (and how many drinks are written in this article), but it is better to slightly increase the norm in reserve so that no one goes hungry. When creating a menu for a wedding banquet for 50 people, it is better to stock up on 65-75 kg of food.

In the standard version, the order of serving dishes at a wedding is as follows:

cold appetizers (200 g per person);
salads (100 g per serving, ideally there should be 2-3 such salads);
cold meat snacks (200 g per serving);
hot snacks (200 g per guest);
main course (200 g + 150 g for side dish);
desserts (100-200 g per person);
cake (150-200 g per serving).

You can not use all the items by removing some of them, for example, cold meat appetizers or individual desserts. In addition, fresh fruits, meat, cheese and vegetable slices, and, if desired, marinades and pickles, should be present on the tables. If supplies become depleted, servers must be prepared to replace empty plates with full ones.

There should be harmony on the table: it is advisable to use meat, fish and vegetable dishes in approximately equal proportions. In this case, each guest will be able to choose food according to their taste, without remaining hungry and without being satisfied with unloved foods. It is also necessary to place an equal number of drinks - juices, mineral water and sweet soda.

Interesting! Learn how to create a good wedding menu and not leave your guests hungry. And here are the features of creating a menu for a celebration in nature.

Basics of booking a wedding reception

Remember the following traditional rules:

Institutions most often work with prepayment. First of all, this is a guarantee that you will not cancel your reservation at the last moment. You can agree on a fixed deposit amount, but most often in restaurants the prepayment is a certain percentage of the entire order (10-20% of the preliminary calculation).
The work of waiters is indirectly included in the cost of organizing a banquet, but according to an unspoken rule, you need to pay a remuneration for their work. The amount is approximately 50 cents for 1 guest (accordingly, for 50 guests – 25 USD for waiters). The work of cooks is estimated at approximately the same amount.
Not often, but there are establishments where you need to pay for the rent of the hall.
How much does the wedding menu cost per person? The administrator of any establishment will clearly state the amount of the minimum order for each guest. In Minsk restaurants (as of 2016) this amount is 70-100 BYN. rub. In cafes and canteens you can invest 40-50 rubles. Some establishments close the hall when booking for a specific total amount (for example, 5000 rubles and you can invite 50-90 people, the amount does not change). The final price depends on the status of the establishment and the markup.

In what order are the dishes served?

By the appointed time of the start of the banquet, the table should be filled with all snacks, including assorted dishes, juices and waters, fruits and alcohol.
After about 30 minutes, salads are served on the table.
The first hot dish (snack) is brought 1.5-2 hours after the start of the celebration (it all depends on the number of hot dishes and the planned duration of the evening).
The second (main) hot dish must be served with a side dish. Before it is taken out, waiters change cutlery and remove dirty dishes. This happens a little later than mid-evening (if the wedding is 7 o’clock, then 4 hours after the start).
The final touch of the feast is the bringing out of the wedding cake. After tea, the celebration can continue - start a disco.

What to make up of

When guests arrive at the banquet hall, meat and vegetable cuts should already be placed on the tables. For example, you can arrange plates with three types of meat - boiled pork, smoked brisket and carbonated meat. Separately, slices are made with two or three types of sausage and cheese.

For seafood lovers, a plate with lean fish, squid, octopus, shrimp, scallops or mussels is organized.

Another cut is made for vegetables; it may include fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, radishes, lettuce and greens. In addition to them, you can add lemon, olives or olives to make the design original.

In addition to the cuts, the so-called aperitif should immediately be on the tables. These are light snacks that whet your appetite. They will come into use when the guests just begin to sit down and get to know each other. Canapes, portioned rolls of meat, vegetables or seafood, as well as fresh fruit are suitable as an aperitif. Such snacks should be placed on each plate so that there is enough for all guests equally.

Cake and loaf

The loaf begins the wedding feast, and the cake symbolizes the peak of the celebration. According to tradition, a round loaf is made, which is decorated with paintings and patterns, and it is presented to the young people before entering the establishment.

A wedding cake gives true scope for imagination. The shapes and variations are so different that each couple will be able to choose the option they like, make some changes and order a wedding cake. The cake is ordered by weight at the rate of 100-150 g. per guest. Don’t forget to order wedding hall decorations and off-site registration from PikoBy.

Cook

It is not necessary to use all types of cutting; you can choose 2-3 optimal options for your banquet. Yamanov Eduard

The aperitif is followed by salads and cold appetizers. The latter are placed in common dishes or cups on each table, but it is advisable to make salads in portions. They take them out one at a time so as not to crowd up the free space. It is desirable that the salads differ from each other: one can be made vegetable, another meat, the third fish.

This stage is followed by a series of cold and hot meat snacks, which are served without a side dish. Cold ones are most often jelly or aspic, and hot rolls or portioned pieces of meat, chicken or poultry are served. In addition, you can serve baked or stuffed champignons. The difference between hot appetizers and the main course is that the portion size is smaller, and they are prepared immediately before serving, so they arrive on the table, as they say, piping hot.

After this, it’s time for the main course - the most high-calorie, tasty and voluminous. It is used as meat, poultry or fish; sometimes cabbage rolls or pancakes with meat are prepared. The main course may not be portioned, but whole, for example, baked pig, duck or carp. First, a large piece must be cut according to the number of guests, without disturbing the original shape, so that everyone can take a portion if desired. In addition to this, a side dish is prepared, most often potatoes, rice or vegetable stew.

After the main course there will be no more high-calorie food. The next step is to serve desserts:

candies;
cookie;
fruits;
soufflé or mousse;
marshmallows or marshmallows;
cupcakes;
sweet pancakes or pancakes;
marmalade;
cream or ice cream.

For desserts, you can organize a separate sweet table (candy bar) in advance. In this case, anyone can approach the delicacies at any time and choose the appropriate option for themselves, without trying something they don’t like. It is imperative to hang a sign above such a table.

The banquet ends with a wedding cake. It can be single-tiered or multi-tiered, bare or richly decorated, classically formal or with an original design, but in any case it should be tasty, and everyone should have at least a piece.

Interesting! Be sure to learn how to choose the right wedding cake. There are secrets that pastry chefs won’t tell you...

If the main menu is high in calories, then the main dessert is made light and airy, for example, from soufflé and whipped cream.

As for drinks, these can be either cold juices, mineral water and lemonade, or hot tea, coffee, cocoa and mulled wine. On average, 1.5 liters of soft drinks need to be prepared per person. Alcohol is selected depending on the tastes of the guests - some don’t drink at all, others have enough wine or champagne, and still others prefer strong drinks.

Calculating the menu for the wedding

Remember that you cannot do without certain hassles, since you need to create a menu not only taking into account the variety and sophistication of the dishes, but also taking into account their quantity and portion size. No one wants their wedding guests to go home hungry or upset that they didn’t have time to try the delicacy. It is important to clearly understand whether there will be 20, 50 or more guests at the banquet.

Remember versatility

The menu for the wedding table should be universal, that is, the dishes should be interchangeable so that each of the guests can try whatever they want. The menu at a wedding banquet should be varied; you need to think about not only the availability and composition of hot dishes, but also take care of vegetables, fruits, and cold appetizers.

The main task:

Calculate the total number of dishes and their ratio to the invited people.
Calculate portions.
Select ingredients for dishes.

What to consider when creating a menu

After reviewing the range of dishes offered by the establishment, decide for yourself which ones you would like to order. You should not take into account dishes that you have never tried.

If you are on a limited budget, you should not choose expensive options, since there are similar ones, but at a more reasonable price.

It is very important to diversify the menu. You need to order snacks of different composition, since guests have different tastes, and someone may prefer meat, another fish, and another vegetable.

During the banquet there must be at least 2 hot dishes: one general and the other individual. If the celebration lasts more than 7 hours, then you can add one more hot dish (3 in total).

Check with the administrator about alcoholic drinks: how much you can bring your own. In establishments, alcohol is more expensive than in a store, so there is often an unspoken amount for which you need to order in a restaurant, and you can take the rest of your own.

A buffet table will be very useful for young guests awaiting their arrival, and some will also want to have a snack during the gift ceremony (while they are waiting for their turn). Light snacks (sandwiches, canapés), fruits, and don’t forget champagne and wine are suitable for the buffet. When ordering wedding decor, remember that the buffet table also requires the attention of decorators.

Options

When selecting dishes to treat guests at a wedding, it is recommended to take into account all possible factors - time of year, style of celebration, age of guests, etc. For example, when choosing popular European themes for a holiday, the menu for a wedding table for 50 people can be compiled as follows:

aperitif - canapés with sturgeon, olives on skewers, broccoli in batter;
salads - classic “Caesar” with chicken and croutons, “Greek” with tomatoes, cucumbers and Feta cheese, “French” with shrimp, Parmesan cheese, tomatoes, garlic and lettuce;
cold and hot appetizers - aspic with mushrooms and vegetables, boiled tongue with horseradish, stuffed eggplant with vegetables, herbs and nuts;
main course - julienne with shrimp or chicken or duck with apples with a side dish of rice or vegetables;
desserts - cupcakes (cupcakes), marshmallows (a type of marshmallow), popcakes (cake on a stick);
drinks - punch, mulled wine, fruit juice.

If the wedding takes place in the summer, then you should select a menu taking into account that in the heat your appetite decreases. In this case, you can give preference to the following dishes:

aperitif - canapes of vegetables, cheese and olives;
salads - from cucumber, boiled egg and smoked chicken, from tomatoes, Feta cheese, garlic, croutons and lettuce, from squid, shrimp, crab sticks, eggs and hard cheese;
cold and hot appetizers - jellied meat with chicken, croutons with fish, cheese and mayonnaise, bell peppers stuffed with sausage and cheese;
main course – baked fish with citruses and vegetable side dish;
desserts – ice cream, marmalade, marshmallows;
drinks – natural lemonade, fruit drink, compote or juice.

When compiling a holiday menu, some recommend calculating that there should be 60% meat and poultry, and 20% fish and vegetables each. In addition, if people with health problems are invited to the celebration, a separate menu is selected for them, which is communicated to the waiters. It should also be taken into account that the more intense the entertainment program, the less time will be left for the banquet itself.

Some restaurants offer the opportunity to save money: main courses and salads are ordered at the establishment, and you can bring your own slices and appetizers.

How to correctly calculate the amount of alcohol

There is a special calculator for calculating drinks.
You just need to enter the number of invitees, for example, 30 people. Roughly calculate how many women, children, men, select the time of year, and the program will tell you how many drinks you need. If you do not trust such calculations, then professionals recommend taking average statistical consumption rates as a basis.

For 10 men you need 10 bottles of vodka, 7 liters of wine and half a bottle of champagne.

The same 10 bottles of vodka will be needed for 20 women. There is more champagne per bottle, and the same amount of wine. It has been proven that people drink more red wine than white wine. It is clear that the region, its characteristics and traditions should also be taken into account.

For beer lovers, you can take a 5-liter keg and place it on a separate table, along with nuts, pistachios, dried fish shavings, so those who wish can help themselves to a drink.

Number of soft drinks

Sweet sparkling water – 0.5 liters;
juice – 0.5 l;
mineral water – approximately 0.7 l;
coffee and tea 2 cups each;
milkshake or hot chocolate – 1 cup each.

If there are children at the banquet and if the celebration takes place in the summer, the number of non-alcoholic refreshing drinks should be about a third more.

You can prepare a wedding table for a silver wedding or any other anniversary in the same way. You just need to plan in advance all the stages of preparing the menu in order to have time to prepare everything on time, freeing, if possible, the day of the celebration from tedious work in the kitchen.

What should you consider when choosing recipes?

If you are holding a celebration at home, then you need to think about the menu itself.

Pay special attention to him. Guests should not feel discriminated against, because the newlyweds’ task is to provide tasty food to everyone present.

Stages of food service – Not all food is served at the same time. Be sure to keep in mind that appetizers and light salads are placed on the table first, and then hot dishes are served.
Think ahead about when you will serve each dish. After salads, it is not customary to immediately bring hot food. It takes time for the food to be digested and the body to be ready for new dishes.
The meat requires special attention, so it’s worth marinating it a day before and figuring out how to cook it. The ideal option would be shish kebab, which is suitable even for home cooking.
If you decide to cook unusual dishes, try them in advance by making a small portion. Try to avoid particularly original food combinations. As a rule, men do not like it when sweet fruits and meat dishes are combined.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=_SSv-8fWSEE

Fruits (from 300 g per person):

— sliced bananas – 0.5 pcs; – apples – 1 pc; – pears – 1 piece; — tangerines – 2 pcs; - oranges - 1 piece; — peeled kiwi – 0.5 pcs; - peeled pomelo - 1 clove; – strawberries – 50 g; – peeled fresh pineapple – 1 slice; - sliced lemon - 2-3 slices; – grapes – 40-50 gr.

Fruits should be placed peeled and cut into vases. You should not cut all the fruits at once, they may become windy and wither. Let some sliced fruit be served at the beginning of the feast, and the second part whole and in wide vases at the end of the banquet.