Opinions wanted: brunch wedding menu (buffet)

Passed hors' d oeuvres 

Sausage bites

Gazpacho shooters

Mini quiches-spinach/cheese and ham/cheese

Brunch

Shrimp and grits-grits with a variety of toppings-shrimp, bacon bits, mushrooms, green onions, feta cheese, cheddar cheese 

Chicken and waffles

Mushroom and cheese strata

Fresh fruit salad with mint

Assorted roasted veggie platter

FH loves the idea of chicken and waffles (I'm concerned about how well waffles will do made en masse for a buffet), and I really like the idea of a grits bar where guests can choose what toppings they want, but both of those are very Southern meal choices and if our OOT family comes, they might not be expecting that.

If you were a guest, what am I missing? What should I replace?

FH and I talked about having something sweet/ fruity in the appetizers, by either adding one or replacing the gazpacho.

I think most of that sounds great, but not for a buffet. I would heavily suggest traditional breakfast things like eggs, potatoes, bacon, and maybe an omelette station.

Jessica, I was definitely thinking some kinds of little muffins as an appetizer.

Breakfast enchiladas sounds like it could be a good idea.

Strata is basically a breakfast casserole\ egg bake with bread. I had to google for the name, but the actual food is familiar lol

AL, I think the sTrata is equivalent to a cheese/mushroom omelette, so I think it should work

I like it, a lot of choices for vegetarians.

What are you doing for alchohol?

Oh, OK. I posted here about mushrooms a few weeks ago though, and got tons of pushback, so I would avoid mushrooms.

If I saw brunch buffet on an invite and was served shrimp and grits I'd be kinda pissed. Can you do a build your own breakfast burrito or omelet station instead? French toast with various toppings?

French toast sounds like a good option, maybe instead of grits... I love grits, and they're a staple down here. I can't remember the last time I went a breakfast buffet that didn't have them... But I don't want to be too regional, because I'm inviting OOT guests.

Take my opinion with a grain of salt I live in the Midwest

Shrimp and grits are a very popular brunch item in some areas of the South. I don't eat grits very often, but I'd much rather have that option than have both French toast and waffles as options. Not every item is going to appeal to every guest, and that's okay. The only thing on your menu that I know I would not be interested in is the gazpacho shooters, and that's just a personal preference.

I'm having a brunch wedding as well and my thoughts for the menu are , passed apps:

Chicken & waffle bites

Mini quiches

Shrimp and grits cup

Then we will have a station with fruit parfaits in champagne glasses, bagels and pastries.

The reception will be more lunch items with the exception of a bacon bar ( 3 different types of bacon). We will have a jack Daniels chicken dish, Mac and cheese bar, salad, top round carving station and perhaps a veggie... still sorting out details.

What percentage of your guest list is OOT?

@Lucio the majority (80%?) of our guests are OOT, but about over are half of that are within a few of hours so it won't be a culture shock lol. ETA: looked at the guest list

We are doing brunch - for breakfast we have a waffle & omelette station, bacon & sausage, hash browns, scrambled eggs also an assortment of fruit trays, muffins, doughnuts, bagels, breads

for the lunch we have salads, ham & roast sirloin of beef, penne paste with marinara, veggie medley

this also inculdes a bar package - we are also having champagne mimosa punch bowls, chilled juice, coffe, water, tea

Shrimp and grits would actually be the highlight for me but I also think this is a know your crowd thing too. Shrimp and grits can be considered more of a popular southern fare or soul food.

Are you located in a coastal area? Honestly, if I was traveling to a coastal area for a wedding and there was no seafood option at all on the menu, I would be a little disappointed. When I travel, I love to try things that are popular in the local area instead of sticking with what I can easily get at home.

We currently live about an hours drive from the beach (which is as landlocked as possible in Florida) but both FH and I are from Gulf Coast beach towns with a huge seafood culture, most of our guests are coming from his hometown or mine lol

I just updates the OP, because I want opinions on the time of day. The wedding is going to be around 11 am, so the meal won't be served until 12:30-1pm. I think I personally would still go to brunch at that time, but do you think it's okay or that I should choose some more "lunch" options instead?

I would assume if the wedding is at 11 that the majority of guests would've eaten breakfast between 8 and 10am. Lunch options are a good idea once you get past the noon mark but it's really your personal preference. I just like food so it wouldn't matter to me!

We're having a twist on "breakfast for dinner" for our wedding. One thing about omelet stations that my caterer advised me against is that depending on the the number of people and the number of stations, they can cause a lot of back up in wait time and lines. I do like your menu, but would add a salad, possibly bacon or sausage, and some kind of breakfast potato to round out the meal and make it more of a brunch feel.