Wedding reception ideas?

Question

I have been asked to do the food for wedding reception and I am lost!! Lol.
I need some good suggestions for a reception for a small wedding. Around 45-50 people. They have decided to go with finger food for the reception. Things like finger sandwiches, chips & dip, meatballs, etc. Any suggestions?
Also need a good punch recipe. The wedding colors are red and white so a red punch would probably be best. If possible include how many will serve.
Best answer to the answer with most suggestions (prefer w/recipes) and details.
THANKS for the help!!

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

Well, wedding punch is of course my first guess. But there are so many different ways to make it so it can be any color really. The only ingredient they all have in common is club soda. I made my own "Engagement punch" christmas of '06 without even knowing what it was! I had no clue I was cooking for my own party or that there was going to be an engagement that night. LOL

I found one recipe that sounds both delicious and red..

RUBY RED WEDDING PUNCH

1 qt. cranberry juice
1 qt. apple juice
1 qt. ginger ale
2 (6 oz.) cans frozen lemon concentrate
(Combine ingredients. Serve over ice ring in punch bowl. Makes 20-25 servings so you might want to double or even quadruple this recipe depending on how much you think the guest will drink.)

and another that sounds good and red...

WEDDING PUNCH

- 3 large cans frozen orange juice
- Keep one empty orange juice can to measure 9 orange juice cans of water.
- 3 small cans frozen lemonade
- Keep one empty lemonade can to measure 9 lemonade cans of water.
- 1 large can pineapple juice
- 1 box frozen crushed strawberries
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 qts. ginger ale
(Mix all juice, water, strawberries and sugar in punch bowl. Add ginger ale just before serving. Makes 35 servings.)

Also for finger food you could get a chocolate fountain from wal-mart for about $30.00 and then have trays of pound cake, strawberries, cherries, tangerines, marshmallows and anything else that might be yummy in melted milk chocolate.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.d…

Also after Easter, depending on when the wedding is. after easter when all the candy goes on sale you could stock up and hold a "candy bar" it's a lot of fun and can also work as favors (give them little empty wedding bags and they can go to the "bar" and stock up). But it's basically a table filled with bowls and/or class canisters of different candies and even healthy treats such as apples and banana's with caramel to dip them in.

http://www.slashfood.com/2006/06/05/do-a…

On the finger foods have you thought of...

- assorted cheese trays with many kinds of crackers.
- Veggie trays with ranch dip.
- Fruit pizza (one of my favorites!)--> http://www.slashfood.com/2006/06/05/do-a…
- Warehouse stores like Sams Club or Costco sells great large portions of appetizers that you can just put in the oven if you're planning on doing this yourself.
- Cookies (which ever recipe is you and/or your family members favorites)
- Petit fours, you can purchase at great places online if you just google "petit fours" or you can find different recipes here--> http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Petit-Fours/…
- TRUFFLES: you can also purchase these online by googling (truffles) but if you'd like to make them yourself

8 ounces (227 grams) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces.
3/4 cup (180 ml) heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons alcohol (cognac, brandy, grand marnier, kirsch, rum, bourbon, or kahlua to name a few) <--optional
(Place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized stainless steel bowl. Set aside. Heat the cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir with a whisk until smooth. If desired, add the liqueur. Cover and place in the refrigerator until the truffle mixture is firm <-- this will take several hours or overnight)

DIFFERENT TRUFFLE COATINGS:

Dutch-processed cocoa powder
Confectioners sugar (icing or powdered)
Toasted and chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts)
Toasted coconut
Shaved chocolate
(Place your coatings for the truffles on a plate. Remove the truffle mixture from the refrigerator. With your hands, or else a melon baller or small spoon form the chocolate into round or mis-shaped bite-sized balls. Immediately roll the truffle in the coating and place on a parchment lined baking sheet or tray. Cover and place in the refrigerator until firm. Truffles can be refrigerated for a couple of weeks or else frozen for a couple of months. Bring to room temperature before serving.

If you are using nuts - to toast them, Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and bake nuts (pecans, walnuts or almonds) about 8 - 10 minutes or until brown and fragrant. For hazelnuts toast about 15 minutes or until the skins start to blister. Remove from oven and roll in a clean dish towel. Let the nuts 'steam' for about 5 minutes and then remove the skins. Once the nuts have cooled, chop coarsely.

Makes 30 small truffles.)
http://www.joyofbaking.com/ChocolateTruf…

- CREAM PUFFS:
1/2 c. butter
1 c. boiling water
1 c. pre-sifted flour
1/4 tsp. salt
4 eggs
(Put butter and water in small saucepan; stir over high heat until melted and liquid is boiling rapidly. Add flour and salt at once; raise saucepan a few inches above heat. Stir briskly. Mixture will come away from sides of pan and form a ball in center.
Cook and stir 30 seconds more. Remove from heat. Break 1 egg into the paste; beat fast until smooth and fluffy. Repeat until all the eggs are used.

Drop by whatever size you want (1/4 cup) onto ungreased cookie sheet 3 inches apart. Bake at 350 degrees until puffed and golden 35-40 minutes. Cool away from drafts. Cut off tops and fill with filling or ice cream.)

AND THE CREAM PUFF FILLING:
1/3 c. sugar
2 c. milk
2 tbsp. butter
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. cornstarch
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
(Mix sugar, cornstarch and eggs in 2-quart saucepan. Stir in milk gradually. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Cool and fill cream puffs.)
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1637,152…

- POPCORN CHICKEN: http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1739,134…

- POPCORN SHRIMP: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/…

- Shrimp cocktail (just your basic ready to eat chilled shrimp with cocktail sauce)

- MINI QUICHES: http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,mi…

- STUFFED MUSHROOMS: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Mouth-Water…

- SUSHI: http://www.sushirecipes.org/

- I don't know if you already have recipes for your small tea sandwiches but there are...
CUCUMBER: http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,cu…

CHICKEN SALAD: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Basic-Chick…

HAM SALAD: http://www.recipetips.com/recipe-cards/t…

EGG SALAD: http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,eg…

then just regular cold cuts like turkey and ham with cheese. Then I'd say just have a few bottles of ketchup, mustard, mayo, etc...

- DEVILED EGGS: http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/00…

- LITTLE SMOKIES: http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,li…

- PULLED PORK with rolls instead of buns: http://southernfood.about.com/od/pulledp…

It really depends on the formality of the wedding you're planning to cook for. If it's more casual anything goes, if it's more formal little smokeys might not be the best idea.

Hope that helped a little or at least gave you a little insperation.

Source(s):

August 8th bride with a food obsessed family. lol

Answer 2

you can make a simple fruit punch, gingerale soda and frozen fruit juice consitrated. it will serve 45- 50 people use punch bowles.try making soft taco rolls, its a soft taco with cream cheese and pecata sauce rolled up in it, cut in small bite size pieces put tooth picks in them.bite sized egg rolls.

Answer 3

If you're doing meatballs at a wedding provide toothpicks and a lot of napkins. I really wouldn't even consider them seeing as how messy they are. Create a bread bowl with dip and surround it in veggies---yum! Cut a watermelon in half and scoop out the middle. Flip one of the watermelon halves over and place fruit on scewers and use the watermelon as a holder.

Answer 4

Kebobs would be great! Things like beef and pepper or chicken and pineapple. Small chicken salad sandwiches, just cut 1 in fourths and put a toothpick in it. allrecipes.com is my favorite site for recipes! i only cook things that have 5 stars. i would try to get a theme and stick with it. There are tons of punch recipes on there, too. I would also do a spinach artichoke dip with veggies.

Answer 5

I am doing the same for my wedding, and I am using Sams and Coscto. They have GREAT finger foods. The pricing is also great. I am using frozen meatballs, that you just heat and serve. Mini cheesecakes, mini quiches, veggie tray, cheese tray, cold shrimp. The food options there are endless. If you have a Sams or Coscto in your area, you can go and sample!!