Every bride knows that 90% of success with guests is a good table. At the ceremony they will evaluate the beautiful bride, the groom’s suit and decoration, but at the banquet they will evaluate the dishes: their quantity, quality and presentation. Therefore, after choosing a dress, rings and a banquet hall, the newlyweds have another question - how to feed the guests so that everyone likes it, and at the same time not cost a pretty penny. According to Russian tradition, it is not customary to arrange light buffets; guests should leave the holiday well-fed and satisfied, only then is it considered that the Russian wedding was a great success.

Wedding table: menu, recipes

There are no specific rules about what to serve on the table on the day of the celebration. However, there are unspoken rules that, as a rule, are observed if this is not a completely informal celebration. For example, drinks should not include beer. Perhaps wine, champagne, vodka, cognac, martinis or cocktails, but not beer.

All restaurants have their own menu, with a wide variety of options and for any amount. The administrator and chefs will tell you what is best to choose and how to please your guests. This includes several cold appetizers and two hot ones, as well as tea and cake. This is the minimum that is usually present everywhere. Let's look at the most popular dishes at Russian weddings.

• Appetizers usually include seafood (fish, shrimp, mussels), sausage, cheese, meat, and sliced ​​fresh vegetables.
• The wedding table menu should include several salads. It’s better to have a little bit, but a lot, than one big bowl with one salad. Olivier, herring under a fur coat, Caesar with chicken, salads with mushrooms, and vegetable variations are popular in Russia. You can mix just 2 ingredients, for example, green beans with chicken, tomatoes with cheese.
• Tartlets with various fillings are also popular. It's always satisfying and tasty. You can put almost anything inside.
• Guests will also enjoy stuffed vegetables and eggs.
• Meat must be served as a hot dish. It can be a fish, pork or beef steak with a side dish of rice or vegetables, or chicken julienne. Despite the beautiful name, julienne is simple to prepare. To do this, you only need chicken fillet, milk, cheese, butter and seasonings. It turns out very tasty, satisfying and inexpensive.
• Don't forget that in addition to alcohol, there should also be non-alcoholic drinks, such as fruit juice, mineral water, sparkling water.
• Cake is usually served for dessert. You can also make a sweet table for guests to come up to and take sweets. Sweets, cupcakes, cakes, and cookies are suitable for treats. Tea or coffee is required.

Wedding menu calculation for 1 person

The basic rule of a successful holiday is that everything should be delicious and there should be enough for everyone. But at the same time, it is undesirable for a large amount of untouched food to remain, because the young people spent money on it that they could have spent on something else.

When calculating food and drinks, consider not only the number of guests, but also the duration of the holiday. The longer the banquet lasts, the more they eat and drink. The average wedding lasts 5 hours. In this case, the best option would be 1.5 kg of food per guest. Cold appetizers, salads and meat with side dishes should be in approximately equal proportions; you can make more hot food, but less salads. On average, there should be 250-300 g of food for each item per person, that is, 250 g of salad, 300 g of snacks, 400 g of hot food, etc.

There should also be 200 g of fruit and cake per guest. If you have small children, you can reduce the volume.

There should be plenty of drinks. This is something that does not spoil for a very long time, and if there is any unopened alcohol left, it can be left for another celebration. Strong drinks (vodka, cognac, whiskey) are taken in half a bottle per person, weak drinks - one bottle per person, of course, children are not taken into account. You don’t need a lot of champagne, they drink it only at the very beginning, so take 1 bottle for three. There should be more soft drinks, especially in hot weather, approximately 1.5-2 liters per person.

Wedding menu: how to create

When choosing dishes, be sure to take into account your budget, time of year, number of guests, and duration of the feast. If you have invited a lot of guests, there are a few tricks that will help you feed everyone and save money.

Be sure to clarify which foods the invitees do not eat, whether they have food allergies, and whether there are vegetarians present. An allergy in one of the guests can seriously ruin the event and frighten the young people. But vegetarians are not troublesome people. Vegetable dishes are inexpensive, and they are quite tasty; meat-eaters will also enjoy them.

Don't forget about age. Children do not want a lot of spices, and representatives of the older generation will not appreciate newfangled dishes such as rolls, Chinese salads and carpaccio.

• Wedding menu for 15 people. This is a modest wedding, where only family and friends are present. Such banquets can be completely arranged at home, prepared by yourself. You can prepare 5 different salads or 2-3 salads, but in several dishes so that it is convenient for everyone to take. Salads should have different ingredients. You don't need to put just chicken or mushrooms everywhere in case someone doesn't like something. Be sure to have 2 hot ones; to save money, you can take chicken. For snacks, any sandwiches, cheese and cold cuts are suitable. For dessert, you can offer traditional cake, pastries, chocolate, ice cream, fruit jelly, muffins or any other sweets. Guests will enjoy fresh coffee brewed in a coffee maker.

• Wedding menu for 20 people. Accommodating 20 people at home is already more difficult if you do not have a cottage. Most often, modern newlyweds still prefer to rent cafes and restaurants. There is no need to cook, wash dishes, or serve food. To make it convenient for everyone present to take food, distribute each dish onto 3 plates. It turns out that for every 6-7 guests there will be salad, cold cuts, etc. Then you won’t need to run to the other end of the table for the desired snack. Consider the gender of the guests. If there are more men than women, increase the amount of food. There must be 3 salads, several plates with various snacks: vegetables, cheese, meat, sausage, fish, as well as 2 hot dishes (preferably meat and fish) and desserts. For such a number of invitees, it is better to have at least 10 bottles of wine and the same number of stronger drinks, as well as at least 5 liters of juice, not counting soda and mineral water.

• Wedding menu for 30 people. This is still a small wedding, but already requires renting a banquet hall. If you want to save money, then choose more budget-friendly products rather than reducing portions. So, for example, you can replace the pork chop with chicken, choose cheaper varieties instead of red fish, pancakes will be inexpensive if you choose a simpler filling, canapés and various light snacks will also help you save money. Chicken can be prepared in any way you like - grilled legs, stuffed, baked, fried, stewed. Hot food can be either portioned or shared on a platter. The cake should be large enough for all guests. Total weight – at least 7.5 kg. In summer, instead of a cake, you can present ice cream with fruit.

• Wedding menu for 40 people. Lunch for 40 people will not be cheap. It is advisable to place snacks on small plates so that everyone can try everything and do not have to reach too far for food. Appetizers may include eggplants, fish and cold cuts, pickled vegetables, olives, and mushrooms. Among the inexpensive salads is “Stolichny” with chicken breast, potatoes, cucumber and green onions. For main course you can serve pancakes with meat filling, chicken julienne, chicken tobacco, baked pike perch. Instead of a cake, you can make a pyramid of muffins with the initials of the newlyweds on them.

• Wedding menu for 50 people in a cafe. It is not possible to organize a celebration of this scale at home, so it is better to entrust the serving and cooking to professionals. You can make more appetizers, put different types on the tables: liver with onions, breaded fish, sausage, meat, cheese, olives, beef tongue, stuffed prunes, jellied meat, sandwiches, stuffed eggs, salted fish. It is recommended to make hot dishes in portions for convenience. Stuffed cabbage rolls, duck stuffed with apples, roast with mushrooms, and charcoal-baked potatoes would look great as second courses. You will have to make a large and multi-tiered cake, or offer cakes for every taste.

• Wedding menu for 60 people in a restaurant. To save money on a banquet, serve chicken and fish as main courses. This is the most budget option, and everyone loves chicken and fish, which cannot be said about, for example, lamb. For salads, “Caesar” with chicken, “Meyerhold” with tongue, apples and cheese, herring under a fur coat, and vegetable salads are perfect. Inexpensive appetizers include marinated mushrooms with onions, a cheese plate, olives, chicken roll, and sausage. The cake can be made into portions in the form of cupcakes or pastries.

• Wedding menu for 80 people in summer. Summer is a fertile time for weddings. There is a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables at this time. If you have your own garden, then you can save a lot of money. Feeding such a number of guests is not so easy. There should be at least 4 salads with different dressings and ingredients. You can make 1 or 2 vegetarian salads, for example, Greek. This is a great option for summer. For hot dishes, poultry and roast beef with a side dish of vegetables or rice, fried goose with stewed cabbage are suitable. There should be enough cake for everyone, so it will be big. It is advisable to also have a dessert table with all sorts of sweets, in case someone finds a piece of cake too small.

• Summer wedding menu for 100 people. This is already a big wedding, where most of the entire holiday budget will be spent on the banquet. If your guests are waiting for the arrival of the newlyweds, there should be a small buffet table with fruit, light snacks and champagne, then no one will get bored. The more you bring with you to the restaurant, the greater the savings. So, for example, you can make some snacks yourself, and instead of a cream cake, serve a light fruit dessert or ice cream in the summer. When calculated per 100 people, the savings will be noticeable. Pies, sandwiches with caviar, and meat rolls are suitable as snacks.

Outdoor wedding menu

A summer wedding outdoors has its pros and cons. Taking waiters out into the countryside, arranging tables and getting rid of insects will not be easy. But what beauty is all around, the birds are singing, the air is fresh. Typically, outdoor banquets involve a small number of people, barbecue and quiet relaxation. It will be difficult to think through a wedding menu for 60 people in nature, especially considering the complexity of food delivery.

The first rule of such a banquet is that appetizers must be fresh and drinks must be cold. You are outside with no air conditioning, so make sure you have plenty of ice or portable coolers in advance. It is better to refuse powdered juices, replacing them with natural lemonade or just water with ice and lemon slices.

There should be a lot of greens, fresh fruits, vegetables, and berries on the table. For salads and snacks, it is advisable to choose lean fish and chicken, so as not to overload the body with fatty foods in the heat. Tartlets, fresh vegetable canapés and olives are also welcome. For main course, kebab made from any meat, barbecue ribs, steaks, and fish are perfect. Prepare sauces for this treat in advance.

Cream cake is not the best choice for nature, preferably ice cream or fruit. For dessert, you can serve shortbread baskets with jam or fruit mousse, soufflé and, of course, tea.

To prevent guests from feeling too tired in the heat after drinking strong drinks, serve refreshing cocktails with ice and mint. You can even replace strong alcohol with them. Chilled sangria with fruit is perfect. The less alcohol there is, the easier and more fun the wedding will be. As you know, heat and strong drinks do not go well together.

Try to put more cold snacks on the table; they are often used to snack on alcohol.

Creating a festive menu for a wedding banquet is not only an important, but also a very difficult task. A competent approach to selecting treats for guests will ensure half the success of the event. If you want all guests to be happy, there must be a sufficient amount of food on the festive table. But the most important thing is that it be varied, because it is difficult to take into account the taste preferences of each invitee.

How to calculate a wedding menu for 50 people?

The composition and selection of the wedding menu is constantly changing, taking into account not only the number of guests, but also the season, availability of products and the expected time of the celebration. However, the general principles of filling the table will remain virtually unchanged. It will include: salads, in rare cases soups, cold appetizers, hot meat dishes, fish dishes, desserts, drinks (alcoholic and refreshing), coffee, tea, fruit.

The average calculation for a wedding menu per guest is approximately 1 kilogram, if the banquet lasts about 7-8 hours. Soft drinks are also added here - from 1.5 liters, as well as alcohol. At first glance it may seem that the average portion is very large, but in fact this is not the case. Approximately 350-370 grams is a standard serving of hot food, which includes side dishes and meat. We multiply this amount by the required number of guests (in your case 50) and as a result we get the average calculation for the wedding menu.

Wedding table menu for celebrating at home

It is easy and simple to order a wedding menu in a cafe or restaurant, but financial resources do not always allow this. Don’t be sad; with a little effort and diligence, you can organize the holiday yourself at home. You won't have to spend all your money on just one wedding menu, but you can save big to take your loved one on a romantic getaway. Below you will see an example of a wedding menu that can be easily adjusted to your own taste.

Cold appetizers and salads

The following options for cold appetizers and salads are perfect for a wedding menu:

• cold cuts;
• gefilte fish;
• boiled pork;
• assorted fish (smoked and salted fish are suitable);
• Greek plate (uses olive, lemon, black olives);
• fried fish in batter;
• assorted mushrooms;
• liver cooked with onions;
• chicken and meatloaf;
• eggplant tongue;
• stuffed prunes;
• tongue cooked with mayonnaise;
• sauce (you can use a variety of options);
• eggplant caviar;
• cheese plate (brynza, cheese, suluguni);
• aspic;
• pork chops;
• assorted vegetables (fresh products only);
• any seasonal salads (cook according to the time of year of your wedding celebration);
• Olivie;
• assorted Korean;
• seasonal fruits must be included in the wedding menu;
• stuffed eggs;
• herring under a fur coat - a traditional dish on the wedding menu;
• bread.

Main courses and side dishes

As a side dish, in almost all cases, it is recommended to opt for mashed potatoes. This is a universal option that is ideal even for a wedding menu. If desired, you can prepare noodles as a side dish. Here are some options for main hot dishes for the wedding menu:

• brisket with mushrooms, cheese;
• cabbage rolls;
• duck baked with apples;
• baked thighs;
• pancakes with red caviar, cottage cheese, meat;
• cauliflower;
• roast with mushrooms (make sure it is not too salty);
• carp baked with vegetables will perfectly complement the wedding menu.

Desserts for the festive table

A wedding menu cannot be complete without delicious desserts. You can use the following options for a sweet table:

• cake;
• wedding loaf;
• chocolate candies;
• cream dessert or with whipped cream;
• cookie;
• fresh fruits (add to the table not only apples, but also pears, oranges, bananas, strawberries, grapes, pineapple slices, lemon, kiwi, tangerines, etc.) must be included in the wedding menu.

Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks

The following alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are simply ideal for a wedding menu:

• mineral water (carbonated, still);
• juice (you can choose any option - 1 liter per person will not be enough in the hot season);
• wine (dry white and red at the rate of 1 bottle per person);
• cognac;
• vodka;
• Champagne is a traditional drink on the wedding menu.

Sample menu for 50 people in a cafe

If you decide to celebrate in a cafe, use the wedding menu option presented below. It is easy to adjust it to suit the specific celebration and preferences of the young people. You will need the following products:

• red caviar (approximately 800 g);
• egg (145-155 pcs.);
• fish (pelengas 2.5 kg, pike perch 1.5-1.75 kg, carp 15-16 kg);
• assorted fish (smoked mackerel 5-6 pieces, herring 1-1.25 kg, salmon - 1.25-1.75 kg);
• olives (4 jars with pits, 1 without pits);
• olives (4-5 cans);
• lemon (1.25-1.75 kg);
• meat (20 kilograms);
• beef liver (3-4 kg);
• tongue (2-3 pcs.);
• pepper (5 bags);
• salt (200 g);
• garlic (550-650 g);
• chicken fillet (5-6 kg);
• whole chicken (4-6 pcs.);
• chicken thighs (3.5-4 kg);
• duck (3-4 pcs.);
• rooster (1 piece);
• liver (about 1 kg);
• cheese plate - hard cheese (550-600 g), grout cheese (350-400 g), suluguni (1-1.25 kg), feta cheese (1.25-1.75 kg);
• mushrooms (3-5 liter jars);
• Korean salads (about 1.5 kg);
• small pickled cucumbers (2-3 liters);
• fresh cucumbers (about 5 kg);
• salad (1.25-1.75 kg);
• basil (1-2 bunches);
• cilantro (1-2 bunches);
• large bell pepper (10-13 pcs.);
• tomatoes (about 8 kg);
• green onions (10 bunches);
• parsley (10 bunches);
• dill (10 bunches);
• onions (about 10 kg);
• potatoes (15-17 kg);
• eggplants (3-5 kg);
• champignons (4-5 kg);
• cabbage (about 4 kg);
• apples (5-6 kg);
• sausages (about 5-6 kg);
• cauliflower (3-4 kg);
• carrots (about 3 kg);
• bread (about 10 loaves).

Sample wedding menu in a cafe:

• canapes with sturgeon, salmon, basturma, ham, raw smoked sausages;
• olives;
• olives;
• bacon and zucchini rolls;
• mushroom salad in tartlets;
• stuffed tomatoes with cheese and garlic sauce;
• ham rolls;
• vegetable mix;
• boiled tongue with horseradish;
• stuffed eggplants with herbs, walnuts;
• chicken in spicy tomato sauce;
• mushroom julienne;
• pike perch on a pedestal;
• duck with apples;
• fruit slides must be present on the wedding menu;
• assorted cakes;
• a wedding cake.

Recipes for cooking at home (photos)

It is not always possible to book a chic restaurant or a modest cafe for a wedding banquet, but this is not a reason to be upset. You can celebrate this holiday perfectly at home. Prepare incredibly delicious dishes for your wedding menu that will be no worse than the creations of experienced chefs. To make your work a little easier, we have selected several recipes that are often used at such celebrations.

Stuffed trout for a wedding menu

• horseradish - 0.75-1.25 tbsp. l.
• frozen spinach – 250-275 g
• raw eggs – 2-3 pcs.
• salt – 1 pinch
• cream cheese – 175-225 g
• river trout – 2-3 pieces

Preparation:

1. We clean the fish from scales and make a not very deep longitudinal cut along the back.
2. We carefully remove the ridge and gut the trout.
3. We take scissors and cut out the gills and remove the fins.
4. Wash the fish thoroughly inside and outside with cold running water.
5. In a deep plate, beat the eggs (pre-chilled) with a whisk or fork, gradually add the cheese.
6. Add defrosted and well-wrung spinach to the egg-cheese mixture and lightly season with salt.
7. We start stuffing the trout - fill the fish carcasses with cheese mixture and bake in a well-heated oven for 30 minutes. The finished dish will be a great addition to the menu for your wedding.

Sturgeon baked in the oven for a wedding menu

• sour cream – 125-175 g
• vegetables (bell pepper, cucumber, lettuce, greens) - to taste
• pepper - to taste
• salt – 1 pinch
• ground nutmeg – 8-12 g
• breadcrumbs – 95-120 g
• lemon – 0.5-1 pcs.
• vinegar (balsamic or rosemary) – 1.25-1.75 tbsp. l.
• olive oil – 1.75-2.25 tbsp. l.
• butter – 1.75-2.25 tbsp. l.
• raw eggs – 3-5 pcs.
• sturgeon – 1 kg (1 pc.)

Preparation:

1. Wash the sturgeon thoroughly with cold water, remove the scales and gills.
2. We make a cut along the abdomen, in the direction from the head to the tail, and take out all the giblets.
3. Wash the fish again.
4. Place a saucepan on the stove, pour in water, and bring to a boil.
5. Place the prepared sturgeon in boiling water, and after a few seconds we take it out, immediately pouring cold water over it. Carefully remove the skin and spines from the fish carcass, rub it with salt, and leave for about an hour.
6. We make the sauce - boil the eggs, then peel them and separate the yolk from the white.
7. In a deep container, mash the yolk with a fork, add sour cream and pre-chopped nutmeg on a fine grater. Add butter, bread crumbs, rosemary or balsamic vinegar, mix everything thoroughly. Proteins can be used for any other dish.
8. By this time the fish should be ready.
9. Turn on the oven and preheat it to 190 degrees.
10. Grease a baking tray with a small amount of vegetable oil, cover it with baking paper and place the fish.
11. Pour the sturgeon with the prepared sauce, olive oil, and sprinkle with a small amount of lemon juice.
12. Bake the dish in a preheated oven for 30 minutes.
13. Serve to the table, garnished with fresh vegetables and herbs. This fish menu option is a good choice for a wedding at any time of the year.

Canapes for the wedding menu

Option #1

• slices of bread
• lettuce leaves
• ham
• Cherry tomatoes

1. In a dry frying pan, lightly fry the pieces of bread, but not too much.
2. Place lettuce and ham, rolled into a small envelope, on croutons, and place a cherry slice on top.
3. We secure the composition with a skewer. This appetizer is not only perfect for a wedding menu, but can also be prepared in just a couple of minutes.

Option No. 2

• salted and smoked fish
• fresh herbs
• avocado slices
• fresh cucumber
• slices of bread

Preparation:

1. We make the perfect appetizer for a wedding menu - put fish, cucumber, and avocado on a piece of bread.
2. Decorate with greens.
3. We secure the composition with a skewer.

Cod liver salad for a wedding menu

• pepper – 1 pinch
• salt – 1 pinch
• mayonnaise – 3.25-3.75 tbsp. l.
• boiled potatoes – 2-3 pcs.
• green onion feathers – 25-35 g
• eggs – 2-3 pcs.
• canned green peas – 145-155 g
• cod liver – 225-250 g

Preparation:

1. Boil the eggs, cool, and peel.
2. Drain the oil from the cod liver, place it in a deep bowl, and mash it with a fork.
3. Finely chop the eggs and transfer to the liver.
4. Peel the pre-cooked potatoes and cut them into small cubes, add them to the rest of the ingredients.
5. Drain the liquid from the peas and add to the salad.
6. Wash the onion feathers with cold water and dry well. Then finely chop and add to the rest of the ingredients.
7. Dress the salad with mayonnaise, seasoning with a little salt and pepper.
8. Mix everything well, decorate with herbs and serve to the wedding table.

Eggs stuffed with salmon for a wedding menu

• any spices - to taste
• mayonnaise - to taste
• lightly salted salmon – 145-155 g
• parsley - to taste
• eggs – 5 pcs.

Preparation:

1. Boil the eggs, cool, peel and cut into halves.
2. Take out the yolks and mash them with a fork in a deep bowl, add a little mayonnaise.
3. We fill the whites with a mixture of yolk and mayonnaise.
4. Cut the salmon into thin strips and roll them into a roll.
5. Carefully place the resulting rosette of fish pieces into the egg white.
6. Decorate the finished dish with fresh herbs. It would be a great addition to any wedding menu.

Snack tartlets for the wedding table

• red caviar – 45-55 g
• tartlets – 22-27 pcs.
• garlic – 1-1.5 cloves
• mayonnaise – 95-110 g
• bell pepper – 0.5-0.75 pcs.
• Adyghe cheese or mozzarella – 145-155 g
• boiled eggs – 3-5 pcs.
• shrimp – 245-255 g

Preparation:

1. To use these delicious tartlets in your wedding menu, peel and chop the boiled eggs.
2. Add finely chopped pepper and boiled shrimp to the eggs.
3. Peel the garlic, crush and mix with mayonnaise, season the salad with the resulting mixture.
4. Fill the tartlets, garnish with caviar and serve - this is the perfect appetizer for a wedding menu.

A wedding is a celebration of love, the newlyweds enjoy their happiness without noticing anything around them. But the wedding feast is an important part of the event, to which numerous close people and friends of the couple were invited. A properly composed menu for a wedding for 50 people will help you set a luxurious table on the most modest budget.

Important Details

How successful the celebration will be depends on how carefully the wedding menu for 50 people was thought out. Newlyweds can create a list of dishes themselves or ask the wedding planner for help. Important nuances of organizing a wedding banquet:

• Banquet venue. The choice of location significantly affects the cost of the wedding reception. A celebration in a restaurant will cost much more than a wedding in a cafe. A modest budget is not a reason to refuse a wedding celebration; you can organize a celebration at home. At the same time, it is worth carefully considering how to accommodate 50 people at home. The best place for a celebration is a spacious apartment or a country house, with enough space for all the guests of the celebration.
• Date of celebration. The cost of a banquet table can fluctuate significantly throughout the year. In summer, you can give preference to light food; you need to use as much greenery as possible. The fruit plate can be decorated in an original style. There should be sufficient quantities of soft drinks: kvass, juice, sparkling water. In the fall, the menu for 50 people may include vegetable and fruit slices; preference should be given to berry fruit drinks and jelly. In winter, hearty dishes predominate: hot snacks, salads. In the cold season, you can give preference to warming drinks: punch, mulled wine.
• Composition of guests. When creating a menu for 50 people, you need to consider how many men and women will be present at the wedding. Men need more calories and also like strong drinks. Women prefer gourmet snacks and wine. The presence of older people at a wedding may require changes to the menu; it is better to add dietary dishes. A separate category is children, for them it is necessary to set a sweet table.

Secrets of saving

A young couple getting married should plan the budget for their upcoming wedding as accurately as possible. So, how to create a banquet menu for 50 people? Advice can only be advisory in nature; it is impossible to provide for all the nuances. The wedding menu depends on the taste preferences of the newlyweds and the theme of the celebration. Perhaps a couple in love will decide to organize a banquet for 50 people in the traditions of national cuisine: Russian, Japanese, Armenian. On the first day of the wedding, the tables should be bursting with food. Sample menu for a wedding table for 50 people: salads, hot appetizers, main course, dessert, alcoholic and soft drinks.

A wedding table should look luxurious, but its decoration can cost quite a reasonable amount. There are little tricks to save money. You can replace hot snacks with an original dish - pilaf or fish soup in cauldrons. Outdoors, you can serve kebabs at your holiday table - an excellent hot dish without a side dish. The only menu item that does not require savings is drinks. The excess can be left for the second day of the wedding or taken home. Very often, restaurant workers accommodate the newlyweds and allow them to bring alcohol and soft drinks in any quantity.

Minimum calculation per person

A wedding is a long event, and not having enough food will definitely cause dissatisfaction among the guests, so it is important to know how to calculate the wedding menu. At the same time, excess food will disappear, especially in the summer. The secret to a correctly compiled list of dishes for 50 people is the minimum calculation of food per person. It is believed that a good table is at least 1200 grams of food per person. It’s better to play it safe and take 1500 grams as a unit of calculation.

Newlyweds should remember that this is the total weight of all dishes per person. If necessary, you can replace expensive low-weight dishes with cheaper items, but with a sufficient number of grams. For example, in a menu for 50 people you can include ham or chicken fillet instead of ham. A completely acceptable replacement option, and also a budget one, which will benefit newlyweds who want.

List of dishes per person:

• cold appetizers (cheese plate, cold cuts) - 350 grams;
• salads of various types - 250 grams;
• hot snacks (pancakes, pies) - 100 grams;
• main course - 250 grams;
• potato or vegetable side dish - 200 grams;
• fruit plate - 200 grams;
• cake - 200 grams.

List of drinks:

• strong alcoholic drinks (vodka, whiskey, brandy) - 0.5 liters for two people;
• low-alcohol drinks (wine) - 0.75 liters per person;
• low-alcohol drinks (champagne) - 0.75 liters for three people;
• soft drinks (carbonated water, juice, fruit drink, compote) - about 2 liters per person.

General calculation

If we talk about what a menu for a wedding for 50 people should look like, then the approximate list is as follows:

1. Cold appetizers: 50 servings, including 25 cheese plates and 25 sausage or meat plates.
2. Salads: at least 3 types, 16 servings each.
3. Hot snacks: depending on the serving size, but not less than 5 kg in total.
4. Main course: chicken kebab 4 kg, pork kebab 4 kg, chicken kebab 4 kg.
5. Side dish: 20 servings of French fries, 20 servings of country-style potatoes, 10 servings of vegetable side dish.
6. Fruit plate: 10 kg of fruit (bananas, oranges, apples, grapes).
7. Cake: 10 kg.
8. Strong alcoholic drinks: 25-30 liters.
9. Wine: at least 30 liters.
10. Champagne: at least 20 bottles.
11. Soft drinks: 100 liters.

A wedding banquet is a responsible affair: hungry guests are not able to appreciate the beauty of the festive event. No matter how original the wedding is, the main thing in any celebration is a good table. The menu for a wedding for 50 people should include a sufficient number of dishes. In this case, the festive feast will leave the most favorable impressions of the wedding.

Also read:

Preparing for the most special day in a couple’s life requires a lot of effort, dedication, and time. In addition to hundreds of little things that future spouses have to take into account, the main points of celebrating the wedding day are in question: where will the event take place, how many guests will come, how much money needs to be invested in decorating the hall, ordering dishes for a magnificent banquet? A separate point in organizing the holiday is the wedding menu. In order for everyone to like it, the heroes of the occasion will have to seriously approach the issue of selecting festive food.

What should you consider when creating a menu at home?

A wedding banquet is always a real feast. If you are not ready to celebrate an event in a restaurant, but want to hold a home wedding with your closest and dearest, there are several practical recommendations for organizing a meal and creating a formal menu:

• All the time while guests are at the wedding event, the table, as a rule, is bursting with all kinds of dishes - delicious appetizers, hearty hot dishes, salads. The ideal option is when the prepared culinary masterpieces are constantly replaced throughout the celebration, during breaks for dancing, socializing, and a competition program. To prevent guests from getting bored with wedding dishes, calculate the approximate duration of the banquet and time the removal and change of food: then, even with a small number of recipes, a feeling of variety will be created.

• Surely all the burdens of preparing dishes from the menu will fall on the shoulders of the mother of the bride or the groom, and possibly both of them, so the hostess needs to start planning the cooking time in advance. It is better to make some items from the wedding list of dishes in advance, or at least carry out preparatory work. For example, the day before the event, you can marinate meat, cut sausage, cheese, and prepare sandwich spreads. It is better to store semi-finished ingredients in the refrigerator under transparent cling film.
• Meat requires increased attention, so it is unlikely that the parents of the newlyweds will want to spend their wedding day stewing, frying or baking it. Home cooks can prepare meat dishes the evening before the banquet, make meatballs or simmer a roast, and before the guests arrive, all they have to do is warm up the finished menu items and top them with some delicious creamy/tomato/spicy sauce - it will feel like a freshly prepared meal. To learn how to create a menu, watch the video:

• It is also worth thinking about the theme of the wedding celebration. If the newlyweds have chosen a certain style of celebration, decorated the room, and prepared appropriate outfits, then the menu should reflect the thematic mood of the wedding. For a wedding in a maritime style, it would be logical to prepare a lot of fish dishes and appetizers, light meat dishes, and Mediterranean salads. If this is a Hawaiian event, the wedding table should be decorated with island-themed menu items: chicken with pineapple, coconut shrimp, fish salad, banana-mango smoothie.
• Important advice before starting preparations for a wedding banquet: if you have never tried the dish you want to serve, it is better to make several trial attempts. It is possible that preparing such a wedding meal will be much more difficult than described in the recipe, and it will also be possible to adequately calculate the amount of time spent. It may happen that the combination of ingredients will taste unpleasant: you can change the proportions, replace one product from the menu with another, or abandon the recipe altogether.

Number of invited people

The number of people who are invited to celebrate a wedding event is one of the main points that influences the number of products, their variety, and the frequency of changing dishes. If no more than ten closest people are invited to the table, it is clear that the relatives of the newlyweds or the bride and groom themselves are aware of the tastes of the guests, so preparing the menu for the wedding day will be much easier. It’s a completely different matter if the banquet involves a large number of guests - from twenty and above. You'll have to think about choosing holiday dishes that will please everyone.

Correct calculation of alcohol and number of dishes

A wedding is a holiday that involves a big party dedicated to the unity of two families. Alcohol flows like a river at a wedding event, and the menu includes so many items that the guests' eyes run wild. However, it will not be enough to simply prepare a lot of food according to the recipes that you liked on culinary forums - the purchase of food is subject to a clear calculation of the amount of alcohol, drinks, and edible products. What to drink at the celebration:

• Champagne. This drink is usually poured at the registry office, as well as during the first toast, when guests greet the newlyweds at the banquet. Then those present move on to other alcoholic drinks. The required number of bottles is 1-2 per ten people.
• Wine. Medium strength alcohol, which is preferred by girls and women during the holiday. It’s better to take 2 dry reds, a dry white, and one semi-sweet. About 4-5 bottles for ten people.
• Strong high-proof drinks - vodka, cognac and others as desired. These types of alcohol tend to go to men. Considering that the wedding banquet will last for six hours or more, you will need about 3-4 bottles of spirits for ten people.

Calculate alcoholic drinks yourself, taking into account the tastes of your guests. Some guests may drink little alcohol, while others, on the contrary, may drink and not get drunk the entire wedding day, so in the end the amount of alcoholic drinks is selected individually. How to calculate the number of appetizers, salads, main courses in grams at the exit (10 people) subject to a long banquet:

• Cold fish appetizers, in total - half a kilogram of salted salmon and cold smoked fish, 200 grams of sprat and sardines, canned with oil, a kilogram of jellied carp.
• Salads and vegetable cold appetizers for the menu. Approximately 1200 grams of meat salad, a kilogram of pickled tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms, 300 grams of green peas.
• Meat cold appetizers. Half a kilo of boiled pork roll, 700 grams of jellied tongue.
• Bread snacks, butter. Approximately 200 grams of butter for ten, twenty pies with bacon (2 each), 800 grams of rye bread, 400 grams of wheat.
• Hot dishes. Sample menu: a kilogram of roast goose, 400 grams of baked apples and sweet stewed cabbage, 800 grams of roast beef, 400 grams of mashed potatoes, baked or in their jackets.
• Dessert. For 10 people you will need about 1-2 kilograms of cake, a kilogram of fruit, 200 grams of sweets, half a kilogram of cookies.
• Soft drinks. 3 liters of slightly carbonated mineral water, 2-3 liters of sweet sparkling water, 3-4 liters of juice.

Sequence of serving dishes

Serving food during a wedding banquet has clear rules. To ensure that everything goes well, the guests are satisfied, and fresh new dishes are constantly pleasing to the eye, follow the natural sequence of serving appetizers, hot dishes, and desserts. How to serve wedding day menu items - from first course to last:

1. When guests just sit down at the table, they should already be expecting snacks from the menu - these are, as a rule, spicy salted and smoked fish, pickled foods (tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms).
2. This is followed by such wedding buffet items as all kinds of hearty salads, fish, canned or marinated in oil, stuffed pike, crucian carp, etc.
3. Natural meat dishes: cold cuts, boiled tongue with mayonnaise, boiled pork roll, roast beef, pies. When the appetizers thin out significantly, the owners can put the leftovers into one or two dishes and bring out the first hot dish of the holiday menu.
4. After the first main course, followed by appetizers, there is a break. If a second dish is not provided, a short pause should take place immediately after fish, vegetable, meat snacks and salads.
5. When the guests are already full and the wedding feast is coming to an end, it is time to bring out dessert. Before dessert, there is another break while the guests relax in another room. The owners take away dirty plates, cutlery, and leftover food, replacing them with dessert dishes. The cake appears on the table first, the newlyweds cut the dish, then sweets and fruit are served. Those who wish are treated to tea and coffee.

How to calculate the amount of food for 40 people?

Above is the calculation of dishes for 10 people. To get the approximate amount of necessary products, multiply the indicators for wedding appetizers, main courses, and desserts by 4. It turns out: you will need approximately 7 kg of fish appetizers; salads, pickled vegetables – 10 kg; meat snacks – about 5 kg; bread and flour products – up to 6 kg; hot dishes with side dishes – about 12 kg; cake, fruit, sweets, etc. – up to 13 kg.

Sample menu for a wedding banquet

Selecting wedding dishes is a troublesome task; ready-made lists of dishes will help with this. What wedding menu items would be appropriate for cold appetizers: black olives, pickled tomatoes, mushrooms, Greek salad, chicken salad, sliced ​​sausage, roll, lightly salted fish, stuffed fish, cold seafood dish. First hot dish: baked chicken + jacket potatoes. Second main course: rice and chalagach. As a dessert wedding dish - a multi-tiered cake, sweets, fruits.

Second version of the home wedding table menu

What is suitable for wedding cold appetizers: fish rolls with cream cheese, ham, smoked fish, meat pies, small sandwiches with several types of spreads, meat salad, seafood salad, Winter salad with pickled vegetables. The first hot wedding dish: chicken pieces baked with cheese and pineapples, garnished with mashed potatoes. Second hot dish: fried pork steaks + rice. For wedding dessert, hosts can serve homemade cupcakes, sweets, and fruits.

Wedding recipes with photos

When choosing between a home wedding celebration and ordering food in a cafe, it is not for nothing that many people prefer a family holiday, because delicious recipes will be prepared from the best ingredients by the loving hands of close relatives or friends. Below are several interesting recipes for wedding dishes that will fit perfectly into the formal menu:

• Summer snack “Fish rolls”. What you will need for 7-8 serving pieces of the dish: two fresh cucumbers without skin, 200 grams of lightly salted salmon, Philadelphia or other cream cheese. How to cook: place the fish on the table, brush with cream cheese, moving 0.5 centimeters from the edge, place a cucumber block in the middle, as in the photo. Wrap the roll and cut into pieces. Your summer wedding dish is ready!

• Hawaiian salad. For this wedding dish (yield - more than a kilogram) you will need: 600-700 grams of chicken fillet, 300 grams of hard cheese to taste, a can of pickled pineapples in their own juice. To prepare the dish, you need to boil the fillet, finely chop it, cut the cheese into cubes or small strips, and cut the pineapples into small pieces. Mix everything, add mayonnaise, pineapple marinade - and the wedding appetizer is ready. If desired, the dish can be seasoned with corn, croutons, and green salad.

• Chicken baked with mustard. This wedding dish requires the following ingredients: one chicken, mustard, salt, pepper, lemon. A lemon cut into four parts is inserted inside the chicken, then the skin is sewn up with threads or tightly fastened with toothpicks, rub the bird with seasonings on top, and brush with mustard. Bake for an hour and a half at 180 degrees. Regular mashed potatoes are suitable as a side dish for a wedding hot dish.

• Pork fried with cheese is a good main course option. What you will need for 7-8 balls: 700 grams of fillet, 100 grams of grated cheese and crackers, two eggs, salt, pepper, vegetable oil. How to prepare a wedding dish: cut the pork into layers (1 cm thick), mix breadcrumbs with cheese, beat eggs with seasonings. First dip a piece of meat in eggs, then roll in breadcrumbs and cheese. Cook the wedding dish over low heat until done - about seven minutes on each side. The dish can be served with rice or potatoes.

• Wedding dessert - homemade sweets. For the dish you will need: a mold for sweets, 150 grams of milk chocolate, condensed milk, nuts. Melt the chocolate in a water bath, pour into the molds, turning them so that the chocolate covers the walls, and freeze for half an hour. Then for the wedding dessert, put condensed milk and nuts in the candy, fill the molds, melt more chocolate, pour on top, removing the excess. The dish is placed in the freezer for five hours. The wedding food is ready!

• An interesting wedding treat is cherry oranges. You will need for the dish: five oranges, cherry compote (half a liter), 100 grams of sugar, 25 grams of gelatin, 150 ml of clean water. Soak the gelatin, leave for an hour, cut the fruit in half, remove the pulp from the peel. Pour the compote into a saucepan, add sugar, bring to a boil, then add the gelatin-water mixture, boil again and immediately remove from the stove. After the liquid has cooled, pour it into the peeled peel and leave in the refrigerator for seven hours. A simple wedding dish will not leave guests indifferent.

Thinking through a wedding menu on your own, and then preparing dishes for the gala table without outside help is a difficult task. To cope with it, plan the stages of cooking in advance - only then will you be able to prepare wedding dishes on time, please the guests, please the newlyweds, in other words, organize a real feast for those present. Delicious dishes to you!

A wedding is the first celebration of a new family, during which the newlyweds show themselves as hospitable hosts. They want their guests to remember their celebration with pleasure. Delicious treats and a beautiful festive banquet will make the right impression on family and friends. But first you need to figure out how to create a wedding menu so that the festive table will amaze you with an abundance of mouth-watering dishes and a variety of drinks.

Basic rules for creating a wedding menu

Changing dishes during the wedding feast

The treats are not put on the table all at once. During the holiday there are four or five changes of dishes. This approach prevents guests from getting bored. When guests first sit down at the table, there is a display of cold appetizers, fruits and drinks.

Sometimes, due to the fact that the newlyweds are delayed at the photo shoot, the first guests appear at the festive table earlier. This possibility must be provided for. Light snacks and drinks should be served for early guests.

Subsequent changes of dishes and cleaning of the table are carried out when the guests of the ceremony leave the table to participate in rituals, competitions or dances. A thoughtful wedding script plays an important role here.

Wedding menu sections

Snacks and salads

1. There must certainly be various cuts on the wedding table:

Main course at a wedding

The banquet menu for a wedding may include meat, game or fish dishes as the main main course. It would be nice if guests have the opportunity to choose the option that suits them. For example, among the guests there may be people who do not like or do not eat meat at all. They will be left without hot food if there is only a meat dish on the menu.

A whole dish prepared is perfect for a wedding table. For example, a whole cooked goose or stuffed pig.

Wedding dessert

The main dessert at such a celebration is the wedding cake. In addition, you can order a chocolate fountain. Fruits, cakes, cookies, muffins and sweets are also placed on the tables. During a sweet treat, you should offer guests coffee or tea.

Drinks for the wedding table

It is mandatory to purchase champagne for a wedding, but you will need a little of it, since this drink is rather symbolic. It is drunk at the very beginning of the holiday.

The main alcoholic drinks at the wedding will be red and white dry and semi-sweet wine and the most popular strong drink in Russia - vodka. Cognac and whiskey are drunk less often, but for variety they can be added to the menu.

We must not forget about the sufficient availability of a variety of non-alcoholic drinks at the celebration.

Creating a wedding menu gives you room for creativity. When preparing for a wedding feast, you can have a lot of fun if you plan ahead.