No cater for wedding reception?

So your ceremony starts at 7? I would be starving as a guest because I wouldn't be able to eat dinner beforehand...I'd be getting ready and getting there...It's ok to not serve a MEAL, but cake and punch and candy isn't going to get very far. Can you serve appetizers or something with more substance? 10-15 per head for a meal is really cheap...so if you got quoted that price, than something lighter would be even less expensive.

Cake and punch at that time is not enough IMO. If you can't change the time then I would suggest a meal...or heavy apps which can cause as much as a meal.

That was small sandwhiches, fruit trays, that kind of stuff, which i'm fine with. FH parents were thinking meals. Which was quite a bit more exspensive. I did call and quote for small trays of finger foods and they said 10-15 depending on all the small deals if i wanted this or that or those with them. So do ya'll think the trays of finger foods would be fine?

I think it would be depending on what's on the trays and how many choices people have. I am a picky eater and have some food allergies, so when the options are limited, I sometimes go hungry. How many different items would you have? And is it a mixture of meats, fruits, veggies, and breads? Mixture of hot and cold?

I think the sandwiches & fruit trays, etc. is fine AS LONG AS you indicate such on your invites... "please join us for cake and light hors d'oeuvres immediately following the ceremony".

I once went to a wedding that had a 2 hour cocktail hour with only a few fruit & cheese/cracker trays. The food ran out fast, the guests got hungry & grumpy quick. There were a lot of mistakes made while planning that mess of a wedding, but having guests hungry & grumpy meant 0 dancing and some even left early.

What about some heavy apps? Cocktail meatballs, pasta sides? Or, if you want to look for an inexpensive meal how about a BBQ? (Hamburgers, Hotdogs, Beans, Corn, Mac&cheese, ETC). Our last big BBQ was just about $500 for 100ppl. We had it catered by a local BBQ restaurant. We had Baked beans, chicken, ribs, hamburgers, corn, colesaw, fruit, mac & cheese and desserts. That also included sweet tea.

A few sandwhiches & fruit trays will be nice as long as you indicate a full meal will not be served like Tammy stated. Unfortunatly with a wedding around dinner time most of your guests will be expecting to be fed.

My family and friends will be helping cook. Around dinner time people will be ready for dinner.

I think you have to serve a proper meal at an evening wedding, it's close to dinner time and guests will expect it. If you change your time to the mid afternoon though a cake/punch reception or hors devors reception would be lovely.

What is indicated on your invitations - as they would have already gone out, you might be in a spot... honestly, for an evening wedding you should truly feed people. you also need to figure in to the cost taxes, tip, labor and bar.

You should look into where else you are cutting from your budget before eliminating a proper meal. For example guest would be offended if you had an expensive dress, decorations ect and then no meals. 7pm is an evening wedding and people will come hoping to eat dinner. Beforehand they are getting ready ect so they probably only had a lunch and maybe a quick snack if that. Guest will prob leave early IMO. If you want to do what you are looking at doing perhaps you should change your event time to an afternoon wedding?

I agree with Kimi! I think the BBQ will be less expensive and would be heavier than cake and punch. A 7pm wedding, everyone will be expecting to be fed.

Don't know what your budget is but try an italian place like Carino's. Usually pasta is cheaper.

I agree that you really need to look into a dinner. The finger food and fruit tray would be a great option IF you were doing an early afternoon wedding so that your guests can still go out and eat before it gets late. You also have to consider whether the 15 pp is really worth it. Honestly if all you have are fingerfoods and appetizers your guests are going to be eating a lot of them in order to feel full. They aren't just going to take 2 appetizers and fruit in place of a meal. The few fingerfoods that are put out will be gone fast and some people may not even get any. I would see about doing a light meal on your budget, a salad an entree and 2 sides. In the end, it would be more economical to pay a little more $ for something decent than for your guests to be left hungry. We ALL understand budget, but you have to do it right or not at all. Another thought -maybe do a honeymoon fund and use some of the $ to pay back wedding bills.

Man I just noticed how soon your wedding is...I'm with the other girls - Haven't you already sent your invitations? Why don't you have food plans set yet?

You may not be interested in this at all, but I know for a fact Moes can cater an event for $7 a person. If you dress up the food in cool bowls or silver serving pieces, you can make something simple into something awesome.

If your reception is at 7pm, & you only planning on serving cake & punch, as a guest I would be really pissed off/annoyed in a way... its dinner time & most of the people will be expecting dinner. If you can not afford all out dinner, then some kind of light sandwiches would be OK, but definitely put it in your invitation light dinner or something like that ...

OP, I know you are in Oklahoma but where are you having your reception? maybe I can do some looking since I'm a local.

Look into display plates each wont serve all your guests but if you get a bunch of them then you have variety it looks more like a buffet and you have a lot of food for less than hors d'oeuvres would usually cost

It's a Wednesday night... please feed people =).

1. Your wedding ur money--- should not be asking anyone to "chip" in

2. Feed your guests appriately. Ur ceremony is at dinner time then most guest would expect that. If u don't want to do that then do an earlier timeframe n make sure u let ur guests know.

3. If u can't afford it--- then wait, save up for it. Or u can go to a jop for now n have a reception at a later date when u have the money.