Dinner after elopement

View Quoted Comment That seems interesting! We are going to be at a hotel so maybe having someone come and cater to the hotel conference rooms... 🤔🤔🤔. Thanks for the idea!!

View Quoted Comment Or bbq! My fiancé and I love bbq! So I just found a place I am really interested to the menu looks affordable. I sent them an event request quote for the upstairs room, with Mountain View. I am thinking a $800 budget would suffice? For 18 people tops including 2 kids IF everyone goes who was invited. Thoughts?

View Quoted Comment We're thinking about doing bbq. We found it's about $30 ish per person on the high end with delivery and set-up. Bbq is common for a Texas wedding.

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That's awesome!

Yea and don't be afraid to ask (even if it might sound like a stupid question) if there's any kind of discounts/deals for event reservations, especially for a large one. You never know!

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Try giving the restaurant the budget you're working with and they should be able to help craft a menu that fits that budget (assuming it's reasonable for their prices). If it's a casual BBQ spot, I'm guessing $40 pp could be fine. You may have to do limited bar like beer and wine only vs. full open bar, but talk to them and see what they can do for you.

100% have to feed people for really anything you invite them to that says “dinner to follow” or even if you really have an event you invite people
to around dinner time unless specified. Im sure people are there to see you get married and don’t care about having a 4 course dinner, but even just a local pizza joint or something less pricey if that would be better for you guys.

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I was going to say there's TONS of places in the Boulder area for dinner. You could also go to a Brewery or winery and see if you could get a food truck to show up (how very Colorado it would be!) (I'm thinking Avery Brewing)

Some other restaurant ideas:

Jax Fish House - private room, their appetizers are to die for and they have a 4-6pm happy hour you can't beat...

The Kitchen (or the Kitchen Next Door)

Good luck!

Yes...your invitation locked you in to providing dinner unfortunately.
Just do something simple , doesnt have to be fancy.
Good luck!

I'd be bummed if I was going to an elopement, then was told to do my own thing. ESPECIALLY if the invites said "dinner to follow". That is implying the dinner is hosted.

View Quoted Comment Thank you so much! I’m goinng to look into these.

Oh yes...... I’m so sorry! If you added “dinner to follow” it really looks like they are an invited dinner guest, ie you are footing the bill.

You absolutely 100% have to do something for your guests after. It could be tea and cake, or finger sandwiches (if it's a non-meal time). If it's even close to a meal time you need to provide dinner for these people who traveled. They should not have to pay for their own dinner.

I agree with all the posters, you're definitely locked into providing dinner. But that doesn't mean you have to provide alcohol, which is usually the most expensive part of thr bill. Ask a local restaurant if they do large catering trays you can have out, which will limit the amount of servers you'll have to tip. If you can only find a place that requires sit down meals, I'd go for a vegetarian pasta. Typically the least expensive and it will be sufficient. I'm sure the dinner together with all of your loved ones will be worth every penny! Even if it wasnt in your original budget, I dont think you'll regret it. We can always make more money, right?

Contact some BYOB restaurants. Most restaurants can put a menu together that’s priced per person. Maybe family style apps, a couple options for entree and family style desserts or cake.

Buy some wine from costco or some place cheap. this way you don’t have to worry about someone running up a liquor tab or someone ordering unnecessarily large amounts of food. Depending where you are, I would say Italian restaurants would work best - they can be inexpensive and many seem to have BYOB options.

You should pay for the dinner. You will still be saving a ton of money because you didn’t have a traditional wedding.

View Quoted Comment I agree, but have to say you MUST have dinner since that is the wording on your invitation, not just finger sandwiches or tea and cake. I can GUARANTEE people will wait to eat until after the ceremony.

Like everyone is saying you should feed them since it now causes confusion but with that said you don’t have to feed them something expensive. Maybe you can ask your family to help pay for the food and add as much as they can? If that’s not possible find a decent restaurant and order a head of time so your guests don’t order the most expensive thing they have. Hope things work out it sucks when there’s a confusion.

View Quoted Comment So true, it doesn't have to be expensive. It can be tacos, rice, and beans at a Mexican restaurant. Who doesn't love tacos?

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You are so right, I didn't notice the "dinner to follow" on the invite!!!