Wedding Pie Display – anyone done one?

[runwestierun]

I'm doing a wedding pie display this August for about 200 ppl. The bride wants pie, not cake. It's outdoors in August so it'll be hot hot hot and I am worried about my good friends egg and cream. I've never done pie for a wedding before. Anyone have any suggestions? The wedding's kinda artsy/rustic.

[Chris Hennes]

Are you doing fruit pies, or what?

[JeanneCake]

I've done wedding cake/pastries often at a local farm that has a tent set up next to the pond (it's lovely); and on many occasions, we use a regular 6' banquet table, covered in a burlap-kind of linen with cake stands and platters on risers.

See if the venue will refrigerate the pies (there's going to be at least 20 of them, and I'm guessing you're doing 9" size?) until they're brought out for display; if they won't, you can put them in 10x10x3 inch boxes, and those into coolers with ice packs/dry ice. If it's being catered, my experience is that many caterers do not have refrigerated trucks onsite and if they do, they're tight on space because they're keeping their own food cool. Is the bride and groom having a sweetheart table for their own pie, and doing a pie-cutting/serving? (that's one pie that shouldn't be juicy or messy - you don't want them wearing a reminder of the pie for the rest of the night!)

[janeer]

that is what I would want, too; always had pie for my birthday. You are right to be concerned about eggs and cream, and I would say more for appearance than safety, as once they are cooked, they will actually do fairly well safety-wise. I would avoid cream pies (coconut cream, chocolate cream, key lime) sad to say unless you can bring them out at the LAST minute and then serve them right away, or cover them in a swiss meringue instead of whipped cream. Custards (including cheesecake pies) are a little more sturdy, but still... I would focus on fruit pies and, for variety/interest, galettes and little tarts. You do not say where you are, but if it is not only hot but humid you have to be concerned about your crusts as well. I would suggest butter and lard for the fruit, butter to make it a little harder, lard for the proper fruit-pie flavor. Graham or cookie crusts for the cream pies. August, if you were in New England, would suggest peach pies, early apples, and, if you get a second season, raspberry, which can be combined with other fruit very nicely. Some sturdy pies are old fashioned things like shoofly, vinegar pie, raisin pie, Shaker lemon, pecan and other nut pies. You can serve plain custard pies with fruit sauces like this. Knowing you will be doing this, you could freeze blueberries, currants, and sour cherries (if you can find them) as they come into season and really give people a treat.

[mgaretz]

At my second wedding my wife I wanted pie instead of cake. The caterer made a huge cherry pie in the shape of heart. There was no top crust so it was big red heart - served about 50 people.

[runwestierun]

We're on the north Pacific coast, so humidity isn't anything like the interior of the continent, but it'll be hot. Yes, I'm making 9" pies, but also mini heart pies, hand pies, pies in a jar and fruit and chocolate tarts. She wants pie pops, too, but I am worried that they would fall off their sticks in the heat. I'd thought about heat and humidity for the fillings, but not the crust, so thank you for bringing that to my attention. Also, thank you for recommending a "clean" pie for the bride and groom. They aren't very concerned what flavor the pies are so long as there is a large assortment that includes cherry.

I do have limited refrigeration. It would work to bring the cream and custard pies out at the last moment, thank you.

I have some whipped cream stabilizer. I've only ever used it indoors. Anyone have experience with it out in the heat? I'd sure like to be able to use some. I have bowls with frozen gel inside of them. I could put the whipped cream in one of those by the ice cream server, that might work.

[janeer]

I haven't used commercial stabilizer, but have made my own stabilized whipped cream and it is fine. I should think your gel bowls might work. Little heart pies sound sweet. Pie pops are silly--just have hand pies (and yes, they might fall off).