We decided to host all our out of town guests and the wedding party for the rehearsal dinner. This ended up being approximately 80 people. We figured we could save some money (ha-ha) and have a more intimate evening (check) if we hosted it in the backyard of our rental home.
It ended up being an absolutely amazing night that I wish lasted longer. We enlisted the help of family friend and San Diego Chef Jeffrey Strauss. He helped us create a menu within our budget that suited our tastes and style: A Desserts First Backyard Party with a Slider Station.
The Bite Sized Desserts: Peanut Butter BRownie Bites, Lemon Raspberry Tartlets, Pig and Horse Cookies
The Slider Menu: Kobe Beef Sliders with Truffle Cheese
Turkey Burgers with
Portobella Sliders with Red Pepper and FOntina
Before you decide you go this route-
check with the rental people. Not all houses are approved to have events in the yard. And they are restricted to a few / month so as not to piss of the neighbors. (who complained about noise on saturday even though we were all at the wedding)
Get ready for the good an bad news
The bad - Having the party at your house will likely incur an event fee. (from $10-$50 per person, depending on a number of factors) Keep this in mind as you budget.
The good- Said rental fee entitles you to some tabels and chairs, help with setup and breakdown, and possibly even a parking attendant.
You'll probably have to get linens on your own. We used Abbey APrty rentals. They were familiar with the house, and dropped off and picked up everything. They even knew where the linen closet was.
Catering and Booze -
