wedding reception catering quandry.... what do you think???

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The idea sounds lovely, although I do not think it must be casual dress--it should be whatever you wish. Make sure to have a really tasty dessert, but it needn't be the traditional wedding cake. Or if it is, perhaps a homemade cake with a whipped cream topping and fresh flowers and fruit decorations? Or a nice trifel (yum!) or even cobbler. Decorated cookies would work, or ...
 
I think it's fine. I love Panera! Especially appropriate since it will be held at your beach condo. Sounds perfect. Just make sure as others have said, to let people know that it's semi casual, so they can bring a change of clothes, etc.
 
Sounds like a great plan. It does NOT need to be expensive to be fun and enjoyable!! Some of the best receptions I've attended have been casual with homecooked food. I like Sonoran's idea for dessert. Serve up some beachy drinks and voila!!
 
Sounds like a yummy lunch to me...

I was going to suggest soup, particularly Italian Wedding Soup, seeing as it's November but then I saw that you were in Cali... donno if it gets cold enough where you are in particular to warrant soup or not... Cali is like Texas... you got a little bit of everything landscape and weather wise... but I do love me some Wedding Soup... takes FOREVER to make... boiling the chicken and deboning and THEN there's mixing and rolling all those teensy meatballs but OH it's SOOOOO good.

Anywho, just a thought... but if it's going to be 90 where you're at that'd be pretty silly.
 
You had me at Panera-----and the beach!! Sounds wonderful . If you add a pot of semi-sweet melted chocolate - fresh fruit of any kind - and a bowl of home-made whipped cream I just might move in.
 
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Yup.

My brother and his wife had a HUGE wedding last year. He played football for a Big 10 school, most of his friends are NFL players so he had to have an impressive wedding to show off to them. They had it at an enormous, posh resort on the Lake Michigan shoreline, rooms cost over $200/night. SIL requested the whole dining room for her bridal shower the Fri. before. They rented a trolley to drive around Petoskey, MI so the NFL players could drink ... and BOY can a bunch of 300lb 21-25 year olds DRINK.

SIL originally planned on having a "fancier" bridal shower at the Water Tower Place in Chicago with a catered lunch, dinner at some fancy restaurant and then getting wine and giving each other pedicures. My mother and I--the embarrassing hillbilly relations--would have been very out of place.

MY wedding on the otherhand was of the shotgun variety at city hall ... our reception was a family dinner at Iva's Chicken Shack (a real restaurant, google it if you doubt me and inarguably the finest restaurant in the county). My mother took DD back to her house for the weekend. DH went over to his friend's house and I had to get on the 4 wheeler to go look for him
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The food was better at my wedding than my brother's even though it was at a place with the word "Shack" in the name.
 
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I was going to suggest this very thing, also (since she is a new bride) each person who brings a dish could write the recipe on an index card so the new bride has a start to her meal planning.
 
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I was going to suggest this very thing, also (since she is a new bride) each person who brings a dish could write the recipe on an index card so the new bride has a start to her meal planning.

That's how my hubby and I felt. We are sooo not formal people, I mean, I enjoy getting dressed up and all, but weddings.....come on! We had a Western wedding complete with a belgian team pulling a wagon to the church then the reception. The guys wore the long black frock coats with new black jeans and a white shirt, string tie and cowboy hat with boots and buckle. The girls had very pretty white western shirts and teal green broomstick skirts-yes it was the nineties, lol! I wore a beautiful white western wedding dress and we had BBQ!!! Omigod, we even wrote in the invitations to dress western or casual. Most of our guests were casual and I swear the stuffy formal dressers were soo wishing they had their jeans on! We all had a riot and my father, who is incredibly picky, had an absolute blast!! Best wedding I've ever been to and I'm proud to say it was ours!! Soo deep breath and take it easy, who cares what they all think, you're there for one reason and that is to celebrate the union of two people in love. Yeah, good food is great, but true love, hopefully, lasts forever!!
 
I like your idea, but if you're broke Panera for 80 guests is going to be a bundle. You might look for more budget-friendly caterers (think local mom catering out of her house) or be willing to do it yourself.

We did the food for my reception and it was the same type of fare you are talking about - trays of sandwiches, veggies & dip, a few different salads, tea, lemonade & punch. Recruit some of your favorite relatives to help out and it will be a fun thing, and not too overwhelming for you. But FYI if you have carrots, spread around the cutting into carrot sticks -- if one person does it all, her hands might turn orange . . . . . ask my sister
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I got married at a State Park beach, never cleared it with the park, just told everyone to show up. Had sandwiches made at the local general store (great sandwiches), couple six packs of drinks, and I made little mini cheesecakes. We had a blast. Of course the officiant had to yell to DH that it was time cause he decided to surf while waiting for everyone. But I think your idea is the way to go. Why stress over it. Have fun.
 

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