Anonymous wrote:Start with a longish cocktail hour that includes plenty of delicious passed hors d’oeuvres and great drink options.
Make sure you choose a venue that has got an adequate kitchen for serving dinner to 180.
Hire a caterer that has experience doing excellent plated dinners for that number of people.
Make sure to have a huge number of servers, at least one per table.

why the emphasis on cocktail hour? It's easier to make great appetizers?

Best wedding food I ever had did an extra long cocktail hour with heavy apps, a wood fired pizza station- you ordered and they delivered to your table, and a dessert buffet. It was great because if someone got wasted you’d just order them a pizza.

Start with a longish cocktail hour that includes plenty of delicious passed hors d’oeuvres and great drink options.
Make sure you choose a venue that has got an adequate kitchen for serving dinner to 180.
Hire a caterer that has experience doing excellent plated dinners for that number of people.
Make sure to have a huge number of servers, at least one per table.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Find a hotel with a Michelin-starred restaurant attached to it

does this exist in the area?

Park Hyatt's Blue Duck Tavern. The pastry chef made pur wedding cake too.

I'm not sure if it still has its Michelin star(s), but we recently went back for our anniversary, and the food was still excellent

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe check out Joe's Seafood. They handle a lot of volume with excellent results in their daily business.

I've been so disappointed with Joe's DC location recently.

That's too bad. Was it the ingredients or the preparation?

I'm not a fan of Joe's in DC mostly because it acts like a NYC restaurant- tables way too small and too close together. It's just something you expect in NY and don't need in DC. Honestly can't remember the food.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe check out Joe's Seafood. They handle a lot of volume with excellent results in their daily business.

I've been so disappointed with Joe's DC location recently.

That's too bad. Was it the ingredients or the preparation?

Anonymous wrote:Maybe check out Joe's Seafood. They handle a lot of volume with excellent results in their daily business.

I've been so disappointed with Joe's DC location recently.

Maybe check out Joe's Seafood. They handle a lot of volume with excellent results in their daily business.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We bought out the restaurant of a James Beard award winning chef for Saturday lunch, dinner and Sunday Brunch. Had them prep at venue saturday starting at 9:30, 10 course seated, his and her dish for 90 starting at 7pm.

I believe it the buyout was 15 or 20k per service and meal was $250-300 per head. This was 17 years ago though.

I love this. Any ideas of places within an hour or so of the Beltway that would do something like this?

PP here, don't know we didn't get married in this area. I assume if you pay enough plenty of places will do it. Probably easier to do in the DC area, a lot of chefs have a team that could probably support this without buying out a whole restaurant. The chef we wanted had a small staff and the buy out was the only way to make it work.

Anonymous wrote:We bought out the restaurant of a James Beard award winning chef for Saturday lunch, dinner and Sunday Brunch. Had them prep at venue saturday starting at 9:30, 10 course seated, his and her dish for 90 starting at 7pm.

I believe it the buyout was 15 or 20k per service and meal was $250-300 per head. This was 17 years ago though.

I love this. Any ideas of places within an hour or so of the Beltway that would do something like this?

We bought out the restaurant of a James Beard award winning chef for Saturday lunch, dinner and Sunday Brunch. Had them prep at venue saturday starting at 9:30, 10 course seated, his and her dish for 90 starting at 7pm.

I believe it the buyout was 15 or 20k per service and meal was $250-300 per head. This was 17 years ago though.

Short ribs are not festive occasion appropriate nor for foodies. I know they were popular 10 years ago but that’s because hotels and caterers pushed them because they’re cheap and easy to do

For plated meals you really have to choose the right entree that is going to taste good when prepared en masse. Something like a chicken breast will not be the best chicken the guests have ever had - there’s just no way. But something like short rib is going to work fine in a catering scenario. Ask the caterer what they think is their best dish for a true foodie. They will steer you right (if they are good)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:18:05 again. Agree with the Susan Gage recommendation and also Occasions.

Is Occasions still as good as they were under original management?
I used to love them back in the day.

I just looked at their website and they seem really corporate top heavy - 10 Account Executives and they come after at least 5 other big name corporate types and the also source their own artwork? Seems like you're paying for a lot of fat. Or is it just a huge operation?

Anonymous wrote:18:05 again. Agree with the Susan Gage recommendation and also Occasions.

Is Occasions still as good as they were under original management?
I used to love them back in the day.