diy Catering

It really depends on the guests. Only you know what type of guests you have and if this would be frowned upon. I personally would not like the DIY catering but I would not think any less of the bride and groom if they chose to. I just feel that it is hard having to depend on others to help you on your wedding day because although people have good intentions, your day could be ruined bc something was not done properly by one of your family members.

I am having my reception in a pavilion at a beautiful park. It will not be a traditional wedding reception whatsoever, (and not my dream scenario), but our budget is very small. We are still having alcohol, and I hope to have fun things like a diy photobooth and yard games. I am planning catering the main course from a Mediterranean restaurant. For about 70 people it will cost around $700. However, we plan on making appetizers and salads on our own. Mostly cold and room temperature items that will be easy to prepare. For the kids, we were thinking about just ordering a couple of pizzas. A lot of people on this thread seem to have a lot of mean-spirted opinions, and I definitely am having disheartening feelings about not being able to have the lavish, traditional wedding that I always dreamed about. But, what I keep trying to remind myself, is that it's just a party. As long as there is good food, good drinks, and good people, people will have fun. I have even thought about putting a disclaimer in my invitation that it will not be a normal reception, that way people can decide if they want to make the trip or not. It's one day, and what is really the most important is the rest of our lives. I say, if you can find a situation that works for you, then anything is possible.

I think it really depends on what kind of feel you're going for with your wedding. I had some friends whose reception was basically just a huge BBQ-style get together, and they made tacos for everyone. About half of the people who were invited showed up early to help in one way or another. And everyone was willing and offered to help, no one was forced into it. Actually we all offered to help because we thought they were crazy for cooking their own food. But that's the kind of people they are, they regularly have a large group of people at their house who they cook for, so that's what they like to do.

Anyway, point being if you're going for a super laid back kind of reception, go for it. If you're trying to have a more "typical" wedding and reception, I think it's a lot of work to take on. Obviously it all comes down to what you want.

We were going to do a DIY buffet, and decided to get rid of the idea all together because I started stretching myself too thin with other things I have to do the morning of our big day! Maybe have Only meat catered and do all the sides your self or have family help with the sides!

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I agree Allie- definitely not a kind or true thing to say that a home-cooked meal is necessarily poor hosting. Some of my favorite weddings were more personal and what people really liked to eat, with handmade food items.

View Quoted Comment A good "home cooked" wedding landed my mom in the hospital for a month so I respectfully disagree.

My FH first suggested this but we wanted everyone (ourselves included) to enjoy the day instead of trying cook, So we found a local Italian restaurant that has reasonable prices for their catering menu. We can order from that restaurant and have it delivered for less than $500 for 80 guest. So maybe try looking at some local restaurants, you would be surprised at what you could find.

I personally think it will be a great idea. Not only cheaper. But it will be fun and a deeper meaning. We are doing catering our selves. Mainly a little potluck. We are going to rent out an Airbnb so everyone can cook all in the same place and transport all the food from the house to the venue the next morning. We don't have a lot of guests (only 34) but I think you guys can pull it off. If you guys cook yourselves -I would do just about everything is a crockpot and see if you have friends and family that have one and that will help you guys out and as for bread Walmart has garlic bread that's $1 each and all you all have you do is bake it.

FH and I are doing this with picnic foods (hamburgers, hot dogs, baked beans, pasta salad, etc.) for an estimated guest count of 50. It's brought our final costs down exponentially, and the families on both sides have offered to help us prepare the food and transport it. We've figured out that we'll have spent right around $300 at discount and buy-in-bulk stores, compared to a few thousand having it catered.

My brother also had a buffet-style reception with mainly finger foods, and that was awesome, too! Being on a diet, I didn't feel pressured or ostracized to announce my specific eating needs, I just grabbed what was appropriate for me at the time and sat down with it-no fuss.

It also seems to me to give it a much more casual feel, which is exactly what FH and I are aiming for. It may help your guests to feel more comfortable with the half of the guests they may not know.

DIY catering is an inexpensive option that will work well for a couple on a tight budget as long as they are able to strictly adhere to food safety laws and regulations. Ensuring compliance with licensures and insurances to protect you and your venue from liability may be an added stress and cost, however. I encourage you to research closely all that would be required of you and your partner if you choose to select this form of food service so you may enjoy a happy and stress-free wedding day! Happy planning!

Instead of a cater my fh and I are throwing a bbq reception. Our families are cooking. There will still the dances, cake, etc just less expensive

I helped recently with a spaghetti dinner for a large even (~200 people) - and I can definitively say you don't want to do this!! It was SO much work, I spent the entire time in the kitchen and 2 hours after the event cleaning up. I understand you have a small budget, but it would be HIGHLY preferable to have an outside company come in to bring spaghetti, BBQ, Mexican, or a similar type of cuisine and shouldn't break the bank if you keep your guest list reasonable. You don't want the added stress on your wedding day and you definitely don't want to put your friends and family to work slaving over huge pots of sauce, worrying about refilling buffet stations, keeping everything hot/cold, clearing tables, and scrubbing dishes when you should be mingling, partying, picture-taking, or saying your vows! In addition, you would likely need hundreds of dollars worth of catering equipment to pull this off, and have to worry about plates, cutlery, etc. And think about the potential for tragedy if you or others dressed in wedding attire have to be handling a huge vat of sauce! I don't know what the situation with your friend was, and I know it is technically possible, but it's just not a good idea all around if you want to enjoy your own wedding and let your loved ones enjoy it as well.

No matter what your budget is, I would suggest cutting your guest list way down and providing professional services over trying to DIY. There are many other cost-cutting DIYs you can use that would be much less stressful, like flowers and other decor, DJ'ing (I considered doing the Ipod route and decided that would be too much stress but it would be much easier than handling the food), stocking the bar yourselves (make sure the venue allows this), heck even make your own cake rather than cater.

And as I'm reading the first post now, she suggests microwave and crockpot for reheating - trust me, your guests do NOT want to come to a wedding to be served reheated pasta and alfredo sauce.

Allie,
I come from a large family where helping each other out in the kitchen is the norm for every social event, wedding included. Can't speak for everyone, but my aunts love to be included in helping the bride with her wedding in any way they can. I think feeding your guests yourself is a nice and personal touch. The idea of getting a second job or breaking budget just to impress snobs (those who would be offended by you cooking a meal for them) with expensive food is ridiculous. No guests on your special day should care whether or not you got a caterer or made it yourself. Just make sure everyone you are asking for help is happy to, and keep the food sanitary and safe, and it will be good. Best wishes to you.
Lydia

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This! Plus a microwave heats things up unevenly and you can only fit so much. When you add in the costs of all the equipment you will need plus cutlery etc you are going to be spending more.