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

And honestly, if having 80 people there is the MOST important thing to you, that's fine, too.

Have a ceremony at 1:30, and then after serve cake and punch. Literally cake and punch. You don't need sandwiches. If you want something savory, you could get a party tray of veggies and dip or even just some bags of pretzels and nuts. People can have a slice of cake and visit with one another and have a perfectly lovely early afternoon.

Timing question- early morning and offer breakfast

honestly, there are 2 things wrong w this: you are old enough to have some savings and if you want to treat the guest properly, that will come at a cost. the second one is the amount of guest to the budget...that means the cost per guest is $7.50 without taking into consideration other expenses. I have no idea what to tell you!

Your only two options are to postpone or elope. Sorry.

I'm more worried about how you don't have savings in your 50s. I wouldn't worry about an unnecessary party if you can't afford it.

Oh hell no. I'm sorry, but if they want to see your father, let them do it on THEIR OWN DIME and on their own time. Not yours.

Weddings are not family reunions. I learned that on this forum early on. Keep repeating that to yourself.

"I am not asking people to help me feed people, I am asking to help us figure out a time frame to put on the handwritten invitations."

The title of your post starts with "Can't afford food"...

PP's are giving good advice.

I agree with @Bookcase's timing. Serve cake and punch. If you have some extra money after that and want to throw some savory things in, it doesn't have to be sandwiches. It could be cheese and crackers, a veggie tray, etc.

The only timing help you need it how fast to cancel. You get an officiant or go to court, take your parents out to lunch. Honestly, not to be mean, but I do not understand how you thought 600.00 would cover any variety of wedding. Not even punch and cake.

Move it to next year, cut all the guests (and no, you can't invite one representative from each couple) or elope. That's what you do on 600.00.

I mean, my budget is 9500 for 56 people.... So.

I second @PollyE

You can get really good prices on bulk food, catering, and cake from wholesale stores like Costco and Sam's Club. I'd say around 2 pm is best in terms of a non-meal time so you can stick to just finger foods, cake, and punch and ditch the sandwiches if you want. Or a morning wedding could be doable too. It would be helpful to try to save even just $100 more from now until then, if you can.

Is $600 your total budget, or your food budget? How much do you have left? If the cake is paid for, and the drinks are $80, you have quite enough to buy some finger sandwiches or veggie trays or something.

How does a person get that far in life (50's) and not make better financial decisions for themselves??? Courthouse wedding, dinner with nearest and dearest. Or like others have said, cake and punch.

Your situation sounds like someone with a size 12 foot trying to stuff themselves into a size 8 shoe. Impossible, you're going to cause yourself stress, and you're going to be quite uncomfortable.

Where are you located? Just curious.

Angela, get creative. Make labels and put them on your water bottles. If $600 is all she has, please cut her a break. Y'all kill me acting as if this your wedding. You don't know the depth of her circumstances. Do you have any restaurants around you ? Restaurants chick fil a and others can assist.

Carol H makes a good point. Try goingt to Sams club has really pretty sandwichwe. You can do that.

Lilly Bean, I think that is a bit unfair. You never know what life circumstances will hand you. She could have been widowed, lost a job, cleaned out in a divorce, had unexpected health issues, or any number of issues that caused her to be a financial strain.

Try to grow up a little. Shit happens. It's not always about bad choices.

Good lord people - she has a CAKE and she has PUNCH. That is called a cake and punch reception which WW suggests ALL the time for people who can't afford full meals. And she will have some money for other light finger foods since the cake is not part of the $600 budget. That is not "poor hosting" if she does this at an off meal time and it is short. OP, I still say 2:00 ceremony and have the reception wrapped up by 4:30.

Angela, your wedding should not carry the burden of also hosting 80 people for a family reunion. If people want to get together and have a family reunion, everyone can pitch in together to host. That burden should not fall on you and your wedding. I still stand by taking parents and grands to dinner.

And comments on her financial circumstances? Very unfair without knowing the full picture. I agree with Kelly T. Any number of things could have happened. Or she could have a healthy retirement savings but nothing extra for "frills". No one here knows.

You should start at 11am and wrap up no later than 2pm