The question

A couple is hosting a 60-person DIY wedding at an inn-turned-Airbnb. Pros handle the big meals, but two breakfasts and a lunch fall to them and their friends.

“While we regularly host groups of 20ish at our apartment, 60 people feels like an entirely different beast.”

Delegate, then delegate more

Nominating friends to prep and serve is the single best decision here. Feeding 60 is not a one-person job, and you are the one getting married.

“Delegation is of the utmost importance.”

Bagels and fixings win

The foolproof crowd breakfast is not a recipe at all. Buy bagels, whipped cream cheese, lox, tomato, onion, capers and pickles, then let people build their own.

“Now is the time to buy and assemble.”

Do the bagel math

1¼ bagels per person means 75 bagels, plus 90 oz of cream cheese, 7½ lb of lox, 20 tomatoes and 10 onions. Costco carries the salmon cost.

Bake it the night before

A ham-and-cheese croissant bake gets assembled a day ahead and baked in disposable aluminum pans. Serve with bagged greens and a quick vinaigrette.

Scaling the bake

Times eight feeds 64: 80 cheap supermarket croissants, 3 lb Gruyère, 3 lb ham, 40 eggs, 8 pints cream. Mix the custard in two huge bowls.

Salt brand is not a detail

Use Diamond Crystal or adjust the amount for whatever you have. Grain size swings the seasoning hard once you multiply a recipe by eight.

“The type of salt always matters, but especially so in large batches.”

Skip the olive bar

For pasta salad, that bar gets expensive fast at volume. Raid Trader Joe's or Costco for shelf-stable artichokes, roasted peppers, olives and white beans instead.

“The beauty of this pasta salad is its flexibility.”

Canned beans, unashamed

Marinated mixed beans assemble days early and anchor a spread of crusty bread, a few cheeses, soft-boiled eggs, olives and charcuterie. Thirty cans, bride picks the beans.

“They are delicious and cheap, can be assembled days in advance.”

Drinks, handled

Order travel boxes of coffee from a nearby shop for breakfast. For lunch, a vermouth-spritz bar with seltzer, ice and citrus keeps things festive without wrecking the afternoon.

“Celebratory but won't have everyone sloshed in the middle of the day.”