Food... DIY or caterer?

Caterer, even if it's just a simple menu.

There are all sorts of regulations, and you don't want people getting food poisoning either. Leave it to the pros.

I don't think $15pp sounds horrible. Weddings do cost money.

I wanted to elope, so I hear you there.

I agree with Paris--unless you have a background in catering or food service, it can get complicated. Plus, by the time you add up the costs of everything (buying the food, buying any serving dishes and warmers/coolers and serving utensils, buying plates, napkins, utensils, potentially hiring people to deal with the food on the buffet), it can be more expensive than catering.

I know some ladies on here have done or are doing their own food, so maybe they could help you out with that.

Thanks ladies

What do you think about doing our own snacks for the cocktail hr? i.e.: cookies, veggie trays, etc

Caterer or have someone close to do it it be way to much stress to do it yourself. If you do it yourself think about doing buffet style. Food can be kept out for 3 hours if cooked to temperature and the chaffing (not sure if that is spelt right) will keep the food hot as long as the lids are on and it will look like you didn't cheap out as buffets tend to cost more. I would think about doing dood you can prepare and heat the day of like pasta

Have an afternoon wedding and serve just cake and punch. Not serving a meal will save you a ton.

As long as people know not to expect a meal, it's fine. There are ways to word this.

You can also choose an off-time to get married as well. To me an 7 or 8pm wedding sounds nice, and you could get away with just hors de ouves and snacks. People have the whole day for their own lives, and can look forward to a fun night out.

You can't really do a value meal at a fast food restaurant for less than $7.50, so $15/pp for a wedding isn't ridiculous (and the food is guaranteed to trump McD's).

Check with your venue about the food. If you're doing it on private property, you can treat it like any other party. I have no idea what your guest count is, but you can have a local deli or costco type place do meat/cheese/veggie trays. They don't cost a ton of money. Just be sure to let your guests know that an "appetizer reception" will follow.

One of the biggest problems is our venue, they only allow from after 3pm until 10pm. So we planned on a 4:30 ceremony, food, hanging out (our crowd doesn't dance) and then out by 10pm.

Ad the snacks at the cocktail hr would kind of be an extra, in lieu of ordering the platters through the caterer (also the venue has an additional $100 charge if we don't use her preferred caterer for dinner).

Our guests will be 100-150

$15/pp is an awesome price! My appetizers are that price at my venue! I'm paying $25/pp for food and even that's good. I would leave it to the pros like Paris said. You don't want to get that deep into anything. And not trying to come off rude but if you cannot afford that much then maybe push the date back or elope like you really want to do anyways.

Maybe we can cut down our guest list... I don't really want to wait any longer than we have to, I am already hoping my grandmother can come, she's terminal and honestly fading fast.

FH is wanting to cut costs but its adding up soooo fast.

I say do the math.

Figure out how much it will cost in groceries and accessories to provide your own food and pay the $100 fee.

If it's more than the $1500 + tax to cater then go with catering.

if it's less, then you know what you should do.

My mother catered her own wedding and we are catering our own. That being said my mother had an insane amount of help in the form of like 3-4 of my aunts who all cook and my fiance used to run a restaurant and has catered tons of weddings before. In both circumstances what you need to do is pick a menu that can be made fairly far in advance and easily heated and a wait staff to deal with all the serving and cleanup.

@Riki, math sounds like a FH task lol thanks for the idea.

@Nancy, thank you. Something to consider.

100-150 people.. you should cater it.. maybe you can find a restuarant that is kind of cheap.. I did.