Can't afford food, need to figure out reception time

Can you postpone and reschedule for a later date so you can save a little more? Even if you do ceremony at 1:30, cake and punch 2-3:30 I'm not sure if $600 is enough for that many people

Have you already invited this many people?

If you really want to have a wedding and reception, I would recommend waiting for a year to save more money. Is there a reason you have to do it in September?

Skip the sandwiches and just do cake and punch. That will be fine if it is not during a meal time. It can still be casual with 80 people.

Could you do a morning wedding and do donuts bagels and coffee?? Short and sweet and u have the whole day to enjoy your new hubby

Postpone and save more. Or cut the guest list a lot. You have time since invitations didn't go (or shouldn't have gone) out yet. If you can't afford food (or cake, punch, and drinks) for guests, you should not be getting married, or at least not having a reception-type event afterwards (as opposed to courthouse and nice dinner for you guys and immediate family). Focus on your finances and budgeting before making the huge step of getting married.

If you can postpone, do. If not, just do desserts from Sams or Costco and soda/water/punch and nix the sandwiches.

Add some appetizers

I think you're being extremely unrealistic. No, a $600 budget is not reasonable for 80 people. Not at all.

This cannot be a real post.

Who on earth thinks that $600 is a realistic budget for a wedding?

You haven't invited people yet, for a September wedding. So just don't. Done.

His father is doing really poorly as is my Grandmother. They will be healthy enough to come in Sept but we really can't hold it off. His mom and dad are not local and the drive will be hard on them, but everyone else is local to this area.

Full disclosure, we are both 50-52. This list is 99 percent family. My mom had seven siblings. Dad had three. I have lived close to my family. None of them have cash to spend either.

The cake is paid for outside the budget. We don't want a fancy ceremony. Just family together. It will be his parents 61st wedding anniversary on the same day. Probably their last. His mom was so happy with the date.

So the $600 is for the food besides the cake?

Skip all the aunts and uncles. Just do your parents, grandparents and siblings. These people will be in their 70s and they'll understand budget.

Oh, and there's no such thing as an open water bar, That's called a tap.

So have just your parents/grandparents/siblings. You don't need cousins and aunts and uncles and friends.

Does your $600 budget include the marriage license fee and officiant cost?

Even cake and punch might be hard for 600. Your budget is not realistic for 80 people

The two of you are both 50-52, and you haven't learned the art of saying no?

Honestly, I'd take yourselves, parents, grandparents, yours and his siblings (if any) and kids (if any) to dinner and call it a day. I don't think you should stress so much about trying to feed 80 people with $600. Take 15-20 out to dinner afterward and spend time together with your immediate family.

People tend to treat weddings as a family reunion (I know my H and FIL wanted that) but at the end of the day it is your budget and your wedding. Only invite who you can afford.

For the food, cake, flowers that will be purchased and done by a Aunt who designs flowers.

Sorry you folks are horrified, but yeah real people really do have these budgets. I am sorry I posted. I was trying to find timing ideas.

If the cake is paid for outside of the budget then you only have to spend $1 per person on the beverages that's $80. What else do you need to get out of the $600? $600 can accommodate cake and punch for 80 people.