Inexpensive Reception Food

Lasagne, ceasar salad, baguettes

We're probably doing a pasta buffet: chicken and broccoli alfredo, vodka penne with italian sausage, eggplant parmiagana with spaghetti, etc. Nothing overly expensive, but it's not "cheap" either.

3 words - Bar-b-Que (ok so that's not really three words LOL). At my niece's reception several years ago a family member cooked chicken, brats and beef skirt on the grill and also did some grilled veggies - other family members made past salad, macaroni salad, regular salad. We had a ball and everyone had plenty to eat.

My friend is in the same boat you are. We decided to do food for what our area is famous for. Maybe you can do that too? Depending on where you are located. It's fun out of town guest get to experience something new and locals get to enjoy what they love! Good luck

I am doing bbq my family is helping cook(and by helping i mean offered to do it all) my uncle is making brisket, smoked turkeys and honey bbq chicken and all the sides. He loves to cook, and did my cousins wedding and the food was AHHHHMAZING.

That is alot of people to be cooking for..if you have never cooked for that many people before let me tell ya its alot of work and alot of planning..just trying to figure out how much to make can be a headache..you could end up with not enough or way too much...then trying to keep it all at the right temperature could be a nightmare..it can be done for sure but do you really want to stress that much on your wedding day?..If it was me i would cut the guest list back so you can afford a caterer...but if you are determined to do it i would probably go with Italian..chicken alfredo,meatballs,baked ziti with sausage. shrimp scampi over linguine.antipsata for apps along with fruit and veggie trays...good luck with whatever you choose!

Mmm bbq... I'd love to do that if it can be done in budget. I'm torn between the idea of looking around for someone who can cater for under $40 a head or having family help out with cooking.... I have a few out of state people coming though.

We are considering having the restaurant my Fh work for cater our wedding. They would give us a great deal since he works there, but even without a deal their prices are super compared to most restaurants. Its an asian grill that specialized in Chinese,Japanese and Thai cuisine. We would only have to hire in a few people to help serve the food and going this route is really budget friendly. Also I though about not being able to hire a caterer but I did find a smaller one who is half the price of the bigger companies in their area. We went to a tasting and they were excellent and have great reviews. I have friends that made food for their own wedding and they really regretted...her husband was a cook and they grilled out basically. They just said it was much to big of a hassle and they were up all the night before cooking.

I would definitely be thinking pastas if you are DIYing. cheaper but if you dress them up nicely they can be fabulous.

That being said i am going to reiterate the idea of looking elsewhere. We are having a technical collage do our catering and it is $10.50 a person, plus another 100ish in server fees. They bring all the plates and silverware (the fancy plastic stuff) and their food is actually really really good.

We are doing pulled pork and beef. You can watch for sales and freeze it until you need it. Since my Mom has connections, she is asking some friends to make pasta salads and small dishes to go with it. I found friends who will be my act as caterers during our reception. We chose wines (red & white) several box varieties, beer (it's a Wisconsin wedding) and punch for the kids. Keep it simple, it is your day to enjoy. Good Luck.

Just remember, that you need to keep hot food hot, and cold food cold, or you run the risk of poisoning your guests! The danger zone is 40 to 140 degrees f. You don't want your food between that temperature.

I'd recommend drop-off catering from a Mexican or Italian place or bbq place, and if you need to, rent chafers and sterno (the flame underneath) to keep it hot. Don't serve anything with mayo.

I've had several clients DIY their food; one had friends bbq, the other had drop off catering from the local bbq place. For 100-150 people, I'd recommend hiring at least 2 or 3 people to help refresh dishes, make sure that they're hot (or cold), put out beverages, and to help clean up at the end. You might check with the Masons (especially Jobs Daughters, Rainbow Girls, or Eastern Star - these ladies have LOTS of experience with serving food for a crowd, and often), Lions, Elk, etc service orgs and make a donation to their org.

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As someone who used to cook for 100-150 people, serve, refresh the food, and clean up, it is a LOT of HARD work (and sweaty work, too). I just want you to be aware that you really don't want your parents or guests doing that for you...they will feel like the hired help, their makeup will melt, etc. I really suggest hiring a few workers.

I won't say anything that's already been said- All I want to contribute is to MAKE SURE YOU TASTE THE FOOD! Especially if you do decide to cater. A friend of mine had her wedding a couple of years ago and decided to go with a cheap caterer, and the food was so absolutely bland (and they didn't even offer us salt or pepper) that no one finished their plates, so most of the food got thrown away. It was a total waste of money. Just remember, whether you're paying $5 or $5000, make sure it's worth spending anything on!

I got my idea from a friends wedding. We are roasting a pig, and then providing many condiments to go with the meat (BBQ sauce, etc.) We are going to have salad, rolls and some kind of potato to go along with it. Our budget for our food will be about $500!

I am also cooking for my wedding to keep the cost down. This is what we are having: Baked Ziti with sausage, meatballs, B &B chicken wings, pulled pork, pasta salad, Veggie stir fry, rolls, meat platter, and a few other things.. I did my future in-laws 50th wedding anniversary party and it came out wonderful. I had a few offers of catering. LOL... Meatballs, B&B chicken wings, pulled pork, can be made a week before the wedding and frozen, this is what I did for the 50th party I did. Everything else was made that morning, and went very smooth, and I was very happy everything turned out perfect....

I understand the saving money thing...I don't understand why you would want to add that extra stress on your day. I'm not cooking for my guests and I already feel like I'll be insane with stress! Airplane bottles of liquor are already on my bridal emergency packing list! LOL! I can't even imagine adding on cooking for 80 people on top of that!

My mother and I will be doing the same thing for about 75 people. I also started learning how to do cake decorating so I will be saving a substantial amount of money on the cake alone (cheapness runs in my blood). My fiancee decided that he wanted deli meats and cheeses along with crackers and doing it buffet style (I told him that he was in charge of food and music choices).

Check out WW's Catering Guide for menu ideas and cost-cutting tips!

WeddingWire Catering Guide

We are opting for diy wedding reception foods as well. My mother is doing all the cooking which isn't a lot. We are sticking to pulled BBQ pork sandwiches on sweet rolls 4 sides including a basic salad with toppings such as small tomatoes shredded cheese red onions bacon bits and a few dressings the sides are Mac and cheese homestyle BBQ beans potato salad macaroni salad and for entrees besides the pulled pork sandwiches we are also offering hawaiin chicken. Appetizers are smoked sausages BBQ meatballs ham pinwheels chips and a meat and cheese with vegetable and fruit tray. We plan on serving 80 people within a $300 budget and we have money left over. Serving it buffet style and paid my son $50 as incentive (he is 16) to pick up after anyone and help serve out cake. Hope this helps. Always keep in mind what the bride and groom likes. They will be the ones needing to eat and enjoy their evening. Best of luck and congratulations!

View Quoted Comment What a shame that your mother is going to spend your wedding day preparing food and not enjoying herself as an honored guest. I would never allow my own parents to do this. You are taking a big risk. It’s challenging to keep food at the correct temperatures and make sure everything is prepared safely. If someone gets sick, you are on the hook for their medical bills. Not to mention how embarrassing it would be if your guests got food posioning. There is a reason people use licensed caterers for big events with a lot of guests. This isn’t worth the money you are saving.