Any brides cooking for their wedding?

Not cooking dinner, no. However I am baking all the cookies and mini cupcakes for the reception.

I almost cooked though, could still be an option if we can't figure out how to pull the catering money out of our butts.

We are cooking somethings like staple and since our reception is more like a backyard BBQ friends and family have said they will bring dishes to. We are having a cake made but food will all be homemade. We are also on a tight budget since I will just be finishing school a few weeks before the W-Day.

Lol Ariel....we have considered every possible option. I love to cook also so it won't be to bad. Its really tight with money right now. But we'll manage. Ours will be a wedding but be like a holiday. Nothing extravagant it'll be just like a big tamily dinner. We can't break ourselves we just can't.

Monique,

hats off to you!

how many guests are you having??

Lol funny that you asked our guest list is 90 people haven't sent invitations yet. Hopefully only 75 people show up. We have about 17 kids included in the 90.

I did, but I was a professional chef and caterer at the time. I wouldn't do it again, seriously. I would add up all your expenses; it might be pretty close to a budget caterer.

Ms celia....we added up all expenses and its cheaper to cook. I want to have my own restaurant and catering business so its practice. Yes I'm might be crazy but its just what we have to do.

I was going to cook my own dinner, but then I thought about what I want to be doing my wedding... slaving over a hot stove, not one of them!

Also, what are guests going to be doing when you cook?

Are you serving the food?

Are you cleaning up all the food?

Just think of ALL the logistics...

We ended up finding a caterer who is amazing and does $13 a plate, for 2 meats, 2 sides, salad and bread.

They will do all the serving, and clean up, so I can just relax!

Its your big day, you should be treated as such. If nothing else, just do a champagne/cake wedding. That way no cooking, and no catering costs.

We are! We are having a backyard bbq type thing as well. Pulled pork and chicken sliders, coleslaw, famous daves mac & cheese and some other things as well.

We are making the food(as much in advance as we can) then we have hired people to mind it/serve it that day.

Oh, hell no! Nor am I cooking for the rehearsal dinner.

I do not know how you are going to be able to cook for that many people on your wedding! I was thinking more like 25 - 30 people like ours will be. We are just inviting close friends and family since we have been together for so long.

My family is cooking for mine (I fail miserably in the kitchen) We do it for most of our weddings though. The cleanup is never fun, but it's good time bonding and doing things as a family. It's also good to look into what can be made ahead of time ^^

@marilynn~weve thought about it all n like I said before we cannot afford it at all. When I say all options I mean all options...lol I won't be slaving on a hot stove on my wedding day we will prep food the night before. Cook what we can the night before n then early the next morning start everything and let whoever willing to help finish. We have a kitchen @ my church n a lot of hands to help :-)

Oh jackie I can do it n I will do it. Lol. I wish we did had help financially but we don't so we have to be adults n suck it up n do what we can...lol...

Did you ask for any quotes from caterers?

Why not have a cocktail party reception?? or cake/dessert and punch reception?

or be like the movies and just drive away in a cool car with cans clanging at the bottom, tell them no gifts, and then send thank you cards??

There's more than one way to thank guests for coming without busting up the budget and still achieving the main point of a wedding...which is to get married

You can do it Monique! The secret will be to have lots of hands to take care of warming the food up, setting it out and keeping an eye to see whatever needs to be refilled is.

Things to think about:

Do you need chafing dishes or are you going to use crock pots?

Are you doing china or paper? You can get paper plates that look really nice and if you buy in bulk at a Sam's Club or Costco it is fairly inexpensive.

Also make sure you have a cleanup crew so as soon as dinner is over they can take over. That way all will be done by the time the party is over!

I am baking for my wedding Lol we are having a dessert buffet and hot chocolate bar reception and I am sure between me and my 3 sisters and mother, this will be no issue.

If you are not a pro, you do not want to cook for your wedding. It's the surest way to not enjoy the entire day.

I am cooking for my wedding, we are having about 40 people. Plus making the cake and cupcakes. I love to cook and cant wait to get it done. I will do all the preparing the day before with the salads and such . Will be making stuff in crockpots, I will also have my brother and sil to fill the dishes and keep it tidied up.