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Samantha
Savvy November 2020

Pizza for the Reception Dinner??

Samantha, on March 7, 2019 at 1:11 PM

Posted in Wedding Reception 39

Our wedding isn't until Nov of 2020, so we have plenty of time to either elaborate on this idea or to scrap it and think of another, but here it is: We're having an informal outdoor wedding with a reception (6-9pm) at the same venue. We're anticipating between 75-100 guests. We want to skip serving...
Our wedding isn't until Nov of 2020, so we have plenty of time to either elaborate on this idea or to scrap it and think of another, but here it is:

We're having an informal outdoor wedding with a reception (6-9pm) at the same venue. We're anticipating between 75-100 guests. We want to skip serving plated meals as this can get pretty pricey and we do not have a huge budget, so we've decided that serve-yourself/buffet style is the way to go. BUT, even hiring a caterer to provide and staff a serve yourself buffet is going to run us well over $1k! I know that this is about average, but I'm wanting to explore even cheaper options (if those exist).

Thats where my (possibly amazing, possibly horrible) idea comes in: pizza, wings, breadsticks, and a snack bar as our reception food. As in, we order a TON of pizza and sides from a local Pizza Hut and pay the delivery drivers handsomely to help us set it all out just before the reception. Also, we would have a huge snack bar with chips and such to the side, beside the drink buckets.

I priced it all out and after paying for the food, delivery fee, plates and napkins, and matching the cost of the aforementioned items in tips for delivery drivers, we would only be spending around $800 total.

Is this a trashy idea??? Or kinda fun? How could i improve the implementation of this idea? Please help me decide!

I should also mention that there will be a smores and hot chocolate bar as well for after dinner, so guests will have more to graze on than just pizza and sides.
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39 Comments

  • Samantha
    Savvy November 2020
    Samantha ·
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    How funny! I'm in the Pinehurst area. Where are you?
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  • M
    VIP December 2019
    Michelle ·
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    Not too far from you. I'm in Winston Salem. Try Roaming Hunger(I think that's the site and you can look at the different food trucks and the menu's. You can also get quotes online. Just be sure to put in you will provide your own drinks/desserts for the best price. Hopefully there are trucks in your area

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  • Samantha
    Savvy November 2020
    Samantha ·
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    How neat that we live so close. Thanks for the recommendation. I'm looking it up now Smiley smile
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  • A
    Savvy October 2020
    Aleah ·
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    This is exactly what I wanted to do! Catering is way too expensive and it's your wedding so if you want it I'd say to go for it. What I might do is poll my friends and family that are invited to see what they think about it and if they criticize me for it then they don't get an invitation Smiley smile
    Another cool idea is to take the pizzas out of the box (If there's time) and set them up nicely on stands so you have a cool pizza buffet

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  • Lashell
    Dedicated May 2019
    Lashell ·
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    I say it's your wedding you are planning and paying. I say go with what works for you. You can have servers with a five course meal and someone will have something negative to say. I say go with what will say you money amd whatever you really want.
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  • Courtney
    Super September 2019
    Courtney ·
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    This is a really good point. If you think about it as going out to eat, you’re probably not going to spend less than $10 on dinner per a person. It’s sticker shock to look at the total but $1k isn’t bad for 100 people. I think Olive Garden or BBQ could make the most sense so you aren’t relying on pizza delivery people to set up your buffet. And sadly, pizza will get cold before everyone gets a chance to get a slice if you’re serving 100 people pizza that isn’t straight from the oven. Pizza trucks sound fun too but I would think they aren’t the absolute most affordable option if that’s what you’re looking for.
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  • Samantha
    Savvy November 2020
    Samantha ·
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    Update: We just booked a highly recommended DJ for a ridiculously low rate ($200 for 8 hours!!!!), so we are going to use the money we saved on this to pay a little more for better catering.

    Thanks for all your responses! Smiley smile
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  • Gen
    Champion June 2019
    Gen ·
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    Just make sure you have a plan for guests with food allergies who may not be able to eat pizza!
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  • Expert May 2021
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    I just saw this on four weddings and it went horribly wrong. The pizza was all cold and everyone was pretty turned off by it. I think pizza is one of those things that unless you get it as soon as it gets there it gets pretty cold and soggy fast. Have you looked into buffet style caterers? They also have plates at sams club that are really cheap and actually look like plates. I wanted a grilled cheese station at mine and thankfully my caterer had a lot of experience and shut that down fast. He told me he didn’t want me spending my money on “cafeteria style cold grilled cheese” or making my 100-130 guests all wait 8 minutes for 4 grilled cheese. Lol. I’m getting married in November 2020 as well! Good luck with planning and I hope your food works out at your reception no matter what you decide.
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  • K
    Savvy August 2019
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    I am having pulled pork at my wedding! Its all what you like and how much you want to spend! My cousin recently got married and she had simple food! Cheese and crackers, veggies and dip, drinks and cake! I thought it was perfect!
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  • Tracey & Dr. Julian
    Devoted August 2019
    Tracey & Dr. Julian ·
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    I Agree only if it’s a food truck. You want to feel like it’s your wedding and not a birthday party. Can you bring food in and have family members cook.
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  • Gabriella
    Dedicated October 2019
    Gabriella ·
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    I'd have to agree with others of hiring an on-site pizza cater otherwise the pizza will get soggy and cold. Doing the same thing for my own reception so I may be bias.
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  • Keiwana
    Devoted June 2019
    Keiwana ·
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    I’m glad youre able to put more money towards the food.

    I think your original idea of pizza wasn’t a good idea.
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  • K
    Devoted August 2019
    Kelsie ·
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    We wanted to do pizza as our main food item, but talking through the logistics at our venue, it just wasn't doable. We are going through a caterer my venue hires frequently to do a few options of pasta and salad, and then we are going to order a few pizzas from a local restaurant as a secondary option meal option. My venue doesn't have a kitchen, but she has some hot boxes that will keep the pizza warm for a few hours, that way they can be replenished on the buffet nice and warm.

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  • idosoon
    Devoted February 2020
    idosoon ·
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    I say go for it! as long as you have a plan to keep it warm and fresh for guest why not?

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  • R
    Dedicated October 2017
    Rachael ·
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    I think you also need to consider that chain places like Pizza Hut won't even accept orders that big. For them to fulfill an order that big it would require them to basically shut down operations until your order is fulfilled. It would also require them to have multiple delivery people focus only on delivering your order. Most chain places aren't willing to do that unless it's scheduled way in advance because it hurts them more (your one order versus multiple customers who can't place orders). They also probably couldn't guarantee that an order that big would all arrive equally warm because the business isn't made to handle big orders like that.

    My friend's wedding was catered by Chik Fil A and Chipolte. I think the combination of a small wedding and two chain places catering made it easier. They were still responsible with pickup and setup (which the bridal party and family of the bride/groom handled). The menu was limited but everything was good warm/room temperature so there was no worry about food getting soggy or gross.


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  • Nemo
    Master August 2018
    Nemo ·
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    Guests should never pay for their own meal (or anything else) at a wedding. This is something that is up to you, as the host, to cover.
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  • Keiwana
    Devoted June 2019
    Keiwana ·
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    Super trashy. The pizza will be gross and cold. Look into chain restaurants that cater.
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  • Jessica
    Savvy June 2019
    Jessica ·
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    We are doing this (a pizza food truck) for our wedding in two weeks, message me and I'll let you know how it goes!

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