We are having the main meal catered (BBQ) but I am doing the apps. My plan is to do 3 chip/dip combinations and 4 skewer combinations.

Chip/Dip

Hummus and pita chips
Salsa and tortilla chips
Spinach dip and cracker type chips

½ gallon of each dip and 8 pounds of each chip

Skewers (6 inch)

Fruit – pineapple, watermelon, grapes, cantaloupe, and mini marshmallows to hold them on
Vege – zucchini, summer squash, mushrooms, peppers tomatoes
Pasta – tortellini, tomatoes, snap peas, cukes
Antipasto – salami, cheese, olives, roasted peppers, (maybe something additional to lighten?)

I was thinking I would need 150 of each of the skewers, but when I looked around the site, it seemed that I might not need one of each skewer for each person. I’m also trying to figure out how much I need of each item to make the number of skewers I am looking for. Or maybe I’m going about this wrong? I wouldn’t have any trouble over doing it except that I am trying to keep the cost reasonable. So now I’m thinking 100 of each would be ok.

Nice selection, but for the sake of your time and sanity, I want to STRONGLY encourage you to do fruit trays and veggie trays rather than skewers; maybe just a few skewers for decoration. Hold better, look prettier, no empty skewers lying around to stick people, and the leftovers are more useful.

Fruit trays, do the deluxe fruit tray for 100 on the fruit tray page, plenty for appies for 150.
Veggie tray page, plan 4 bites per person with Ranch, using the counts on the veggie tray page.

Since you will have plates anyway, you could also do the antipasto and tortellini as salads/platters.

Antipasto platter discussed here:
www.ellenskitchen.com/bigpots/appetiz2.html
Bottom of the page. 2 Would be plenty.

The tortellini could be done as a salad, 3 gallons. Artichoke hearts are available in #10 cans at restaurant supply houses.

For the dips, you need 1 cup per 4-5 of each dip. A half gallon is less than than 1 tablespoon per person.
So for each, 30 cups= 7+ quarts. The salsa would probably be OK at 5-6 quarts. I usually figure at least 1 pound of chips/crackers/breads per quart; but you only need a total of about 2 ounces per person, or 4-5 pounds of each all together.

Thank you for your response, but unfortunately, you didn't answer my question. While I realize that your advice is to always do trays, I will be doing skewers. I've spent the last several months hand-making every detail of this wedding, so the skewers certainly won't challenge my sanity :)

Also, for the dips, I wouldn't think that each person would have each dip, but it looks like that's what your advice for for this is? The dips are inexpensive so ill probably go with the higher volumes.