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Tip: Remember to ask for Leftovers

posted 2 years ago in Food
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    1.
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    Worker bee
    archibee    10/09/09   los angeles

    Here's a tip I wish I had thought of before: Ask your caterer for leftovers!

    I wish I had remembered to ask for something, anything! We loved our wedding, but we paid a ton for hors d'oeuvres and I only got to eat one crab cake. I wish they had saved me a plate with one of every item on it. So, while they're at it, I think they should have boxed up everything. We paid for it, why not. Hors d'oeuvres are the best part! If we don't snack on it over the weekend, then I would feel better if I am the one throwing it all out. Same goes for dinner. Two extra plates delivered to our hotel room at the very least. We had a buffet and I barely ate. boohoo.

    At the end of the night, they did deliver an extra plate of cake, so that was a relief since I hadn't thought to ask.

    Loved the wedding, loved the venue and caterer, but yeah, my only regret was not asking for everything boxed up.

     
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    Honey bee
    krissycake    November 21, 2009   orlando,fl

    Good tip!  I hadn't even thought of that =)

     
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    Busy bee
    Mrs. Dee to Bee    January 30, 2010   Louisville, KY (Wedding in TX)

    Ooooh. I'll remember that. Especially since we're big on eating leftovers for breakfast. What a fun way to remember the night! lol.

     
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    MissAsB    June 6, 2009   Married in CO, Living in AL

    I wish I would have too!  We barely got to eat most of the food because we didn't go back for seconds.  Before I even knew it the food was completely gone, I guess for the staff to eat the remainders?  Wish I would have asked for them!

     
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    Buzzing bee
    cinemaparadiso    July 16, 2015  

    Here's something my parents caterer did and something they do for a lot of the weddings they've been to:

    Pack up a picnic basket full of food! They usually give the basket to the caterers and ask them to give it to the couple, and tuck a card inside. Their caterer gave them a basket on their way out and they were forever grateful! Some caterers do this, but I think all of them should.

     
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    Buzzing bee
    arizonabride    June 2, 2010   Tucson, AZ

    So true! I learned this the first time around. We paid for all this amazing food and I didn't get to eat any of it! I had one bite of sushi and one bite of cake and that's all I remember:( Then for the next six months people were telling us "That was the best food we've had since we left New York!" and I was thinking "Thanks! I'm so glad I was ordering Dominos at 1am!" Very sad. It will be different this time, fo sure! BIG to-go box for us!!!

     
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    Jessie516    May 16, 2009   Ann Arbor, MI

    I never thought of this.  Would have been great because we were starving after the wedding!  Also, make sure you ask to have ALL the cake leftovers kept, not just the top layer.  I know we had more leftover than what we got back.  We had cake for 100 and we had 86 people--all we got back was the top tier.  I imagine that all the waitstaff was enjoying it back in the kitchen.  If I had it to do over, I'd ask to have ALL the leftover cake, especially because I didn't have any at the wedding.

     
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    Bumble bee
    Br1tSh1n1ngStar    10/17/09   New Jersey

    We asked for leftovers, they packed us a really nice doggie bag, and I gave it to my FIL to take to the hotel and he never brought it.. I'm still a little annoyed over that

     
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    Honey bee
    caszos    June 2010   Florida

    Great tip thanks! Just got to make sure it gets delivered!

     
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    Helper bee
    FallFlowers      

    Also. ask someone to save some of your leftover cake!!!  We had a delicious cake of which I got... exactly one bite (for the cameras)!  I was way to focused on all of our guests to really eat at all.  However, on our honeymoon, we both thought "Dang, that was good cake!  Wish we had actually had some!"  There ended up being a LOT of cake leftover and when they were sending it home with people (after we had left) my awesome MOH wrapped a very large chunk and gave it to my mom to put in the freezer.  We totally enjoyed that the night we got home from our honeymoon.  I was so glad to actually enjoy our cake!  (The way our baker works is instead of saving the top layer, they send you a coupon for a free small cake decorated identical to your wedding cake for your first year anniversary.)

     
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    Sugar bee
    pmerr    August 14, 2010   Rochester, NY

    Great tip!! Thanks! I'll have to see if we can do that!! :)

     
    12.
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    Bumble bee
    iswimibikeirun    May 15, 2010   Houston

    I think it depends on who does the reception.  I know that for liability purposes, my venue will not do doggie bags.  Many hotels will not either.

     
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    Helper bee
    AliOopsieDaisy    July 2010  

    Great tip! Our caterer said it was common for the bride and groom to miss out on dinner, so she said they put together a "late plate" for us to take back to our hotel. How cute!

     
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    Bumble bee
    Gilneas    October 10, 2010   NJ

    I have to remember to talk to my catering manager about this.  I am an INCREDIBLY slow eater (for medical reasons.. if I eat too fast, I get kind of sick, not what I want to do on my wedding!), so I doubt I'll get to eat anything at all at the reception.  Kind of bummed :(

     
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    Worker bee
    Mz. Puppie    November 28, 2009   Austin, TX

    Thanks for this thread! Because of you I emailed my caterer, and she's going to bring boxes for the leftovers for us!

     
    16.
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    Sugar bee
    Blueshoes2    June 2010   PA

    We totally plan on doing this :)  Our venue used to not allow the bride/groom/anyone to take home leftovers because of food poisoning issues (i.e. somone leaves chicken in the car for 5 hours, then eats it anyway).  They adjusted their rules, so we just have to sign a waiver and all the leftovers are ours!

     
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    Helper bee
    ProudPeacockBride    August 13, 2011   Washington

    Good tip! Thanks!

    It's these kinds of things that I LOVE hearing about on WB!

     
    18.
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    Buzzing bee
    MsHymanRoth    October 24, 2009   Boston

    Good one!!! Another great thing to do is what our wedding planner had done! She had a few plates of food for us to nibble on when we got to our suite in between when I freshened after the ceremony and went to the reception!

    I wish I would have asked for any leftovers. Especially cake. We didn't get any leftover cake! 

     
    19.
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    Buzzing bee
    texasmeredith    July 2010  

    Good idea!  I'm really afraid we won't get to eat much.  And I really don't want to miss the cake.  

     
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    Bee Keeper
    RecessionistaBride    January 28, 2012  

    My venue won't let you take leftovers home for insurance purposes. However, we are allowed to bring the cake home with us! Yum.

    I already plan on eating my wedding cake for breakfast lol

     
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    crebre80    November 20, 2010   Baton Rouge, LA

    Interesting, every caterer down here automatically packs the food up!! cake and all!! 

     
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    Helper bee
    Amanda_B       Bay Area

    That's so weird.     At most of the wedding I shoot,     they do box up items for the couple.       I've seen families taking boxes of food.      I just thought all caterers did that.

     
    23.
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    Bumble bee
    stlginkgo    3/20/10  

    Love the idea of a picnic basket! Putting that down on my awesome idea page (allong with putting tupperware in there too!)

     
    24.
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    Sugar bee
    naangel55    June 20, 2009   Long Beach, CA

    I work for a catering company and like some people said, for liability reasons we are not allowed to make doggie bags for people.  We serve alot of seafood also so to give it to someone to take home and inproperly reheat it would not be a good thing!  It does make me sad telling people they cant take home food they paid for though...

     
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    Honey bee
    Ember78    December 15, 2012  

    Great idea if you're able to do it. However more and more states and counties don't allow you to take home any leftovers because if someone gets sick, then the catering company is automatically blamed. 

     
    26.
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    Busy bee
    jocelyn3476       New Jersey

    My place actually did that for us.  They sent us home with one of each of the meals.  We didn't even have to ask.

     
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    Sugar bee
    BayStateBride    September 1, 2012   Massachusetts

    What a great idea!

     

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