What is the standard? I am thinking of making some menu/programs but to do one for each person (200 people) seems a little hectic for a DIY project! Is there a standard? Does it matter if each person gets one, or can I have one for each table? Each of our tables seats 10 people.
I've seen some people do one per person, but that didn't seem like good use of my limited funds, so I'm doing one per table. I'm using heavy cardstock to make three sided stand (someone did a post on this a while ago, can't remember who...) and putting: menu on one side, table number on second, and disposable/digital camera scavenger hunt on the third. They look pretty nice so far, won't clutter up the table, and have been much cheaper than trying to do all three separately.
menus and programs aren't necessary, you can leave them out ocmpletely and no one will know you were thinking of doing it in the first place. Depending on your ceremony, programs may be more important (for example a catholic mass when over 50% of the guests are non catholic)
Some ideas for menus I have heard were to have a chalkboard at the entrance of the reception with menu.. kind of "bistro style"
Or have the waiters explain what is being served
Or if you're doing a buffet make pretty item cards to place in front of each dish.
We're doing 1 program per couple/family. We're also doing menus for everyone, but no one knows what the exact dishes are since we used icons on the RSVP cards.
I am doing one menu per person, but we're only having about 65 people. I wsa going to do one per table but I don't want a lot of stuff on the tables. We're haing cameras/cards too. I used heavy card stock, used the landspape setting on my page set up so that way I print 3 per sheet of paper. I am going to cut them on a paper cutter and they will be narrow enough to inset into the folded napkins. If you create the menu using tables when setting up your page, you will be able to create them evenly
I'm planning to do 2 menu cards per table, 8 people per table. I figure that people can just pass them around. I think it would be fine to do one per table too. We're having a chinese family style 8 course dinner served to the table, and want people to know what is coming out when, so they don't gorge on the first few courses and not eat the later ones. Also, our menu cards aren't anything particularly fancy, since they're probably just going to get dirty on the table anyway. A quarter sheet of cardstock with the list of food and a pretty border. With our 200 guests, that's 50 cards, 13 sheets of paper. Simple and easy.
I've never heard of anyone keeping the menus, so whatever you do should be fine. I think in the end most people will somehow discard them so 1 per table is fine, and what Tallbride said with the chalkboard, is actually a great idea... you can make it look more elegant by using a big gold frame you can buy cheaply at any Michael's store instead of a chalk board. THis would minimize your need to do a lot of DIY projects.
I did one per person, but we only had 36 people and we had a seated dinner. I do save things like that and my bridesmaids took theirs, but no one else took them as far as I know. I certainly don't see anything wrong with just a couple per table in the middle of the table.
I did one per person but we let people select the meal that night so I didn't want to waste a lot of time having the waiters explain the options to everyone. And I got someone on Etsy to do it for a super reasonable price (we had 150) - I also wanted to add some color to the tables, and the menus were so pretty it really added a nice touch.
I also did 1 program per, but programs are totally not necessary. (The same Etsy vendor did these, also super reasonable). I thought they looked great on the chairs, held down by river stones!
I did one per person, but then again, we only had 50 guests. It was an easy DIY project for me, hardly incurred any costs. I liked it that the menus added a splash of color to the tables.
What is the standard? I am thinking of making some menu/programs but to do one for each person (200 people) seems a little hectic for a DIY project! Is there a standard? Does it matter if each person gets one, or can I have one for each table? Each of our tables seats 10 people.
Suggestions? Thanks!
posted by pinkbride3 6 posts 5 months agoI've seen some people do one per person, but that didn't seem like good use of my limited funds, so I'm doing one per table. I'm using heavy cardstock to make three sided stand (someone did a post on this a while ago, can't remember who...) and putting: menu on one side, table number on second, and disposable/digital camera scavenger hunt on the third. They look pretty nice so far, won't clutter up the table, and have been much cheaper than trying to do all three separately.
posted by jlsween 44 posts 5 months agomenus and programs aren't necessary, you can leave them out ocmpletely and no one will know you were thinking of doing it in the first place. Depending on your ceremony, programs may be more important (for example a catholic mass when over 50% of the guests are non catholic)
Some ideas for menus I have heard were to have a chalkboard at the entrance of the reception with menu.. kind of "bistro style"
Or have the waiters explain what is being served
Or if you're doing a buffet make pretty item cards to place in front of each dish.
posted by TallBride 582 posts 5 months agoWe're doing a buffet and doing what TallBride suggested above - the placards in front of the item
posted by jma19 364 posts 5 months agoWe're doing 1 program per couple/family. We're also doing menus for everyone, but no one knows what the exact dishes are since we used icons on the RSVP cards.
posted by rebecca 989 posts 5 months agoI am doing one menu per person, but we're only having about 65 people. I wsa going to do one per table but I don't want a lot of stuff on the tables. We're haing cameras/cards too. I used heavy card stock, used the landspape setting on my page set up so that way I print 3 per sheet of paper. I am going to cut them on a paper cutter and they will be narrow enough to inset into the folded napkins. If you create the menu using tables when setting up your page, you will be able to create them evenly
posted by litsecretary 76 posts 5 months agoI'm planning to do 2 menu cards per table, 8 people per table. I figure that people can just pass them around. I think it would be fine to do one per table too. We're having a chinese family style 8 course dinner served to the table, and want people to know what is coming out when, so they don't gorge on the first few courses and not eat the later ones. Also, our menu cards aren't anything particularly fancy, since they're probably just going to get dirty on the table anyway. A quarter sheet of cardstock with the list of food and a pretty border. With our 200 guests, that's 50 cards, 13 sheets of paper. Simple and easy.
posted by MerryC 20 posts 5 months agoI've never heard of anyone keeping the menus, so whatever you do should be fine. I think in the end most people will somehow discard them so 1 per table is fine, and what Tallbride said with the chalkboard, is actually a great idea... you can make it look more elegant by using a big gold frame you can buy cheaply at any Michael's store instead of a chalk board. THis would minimize your need to do a lot of DIY projects.
posted by mamamiya 140 posts 5 months agoThanks so much everyone! I think I will stick with 1-2 menu/programs per table. It is way too much work to do 150 individual ones! :)
posted by pinkbride3 6 posts 5 months agoI did one per person, but we only had 36 people and we had a seated dinner. I do save things like that and my bridesmaids took theirs, but no one else took them as far as I know. I certainly don't see anything wrong with just a couple per table in the middle of the table.
posted by VegasBride 32 posts 5 months agoI did one per person but we let people select the meal that night so I didn't want to waste a lot of time having the waiters explain the options to everyone. And I got someone on Etsy to do it for a super reasonable price (we had 150) - I also wanted to add some color to the tables, and the menus were so pretty it really added a nice touch.
I also did 1 program per, but programs are totally not necessary. (The same Etsy vendor did these, also super reasonable). I thought they looked great on the chairs, held down by river stones!
posted by Janna19 343 posts 5 months agoI did one per person, but then again, we only had 50 guests. It was an easy DIY project for me, hardly incurred any costs. I liked it that the menus added a splash of color to the tables.
posted by sugarlens 5 posts 5 months ago