Potluck wedding reception

One person not knowing how to properly cook chicken can ruin a good several days, including your wedding day, for everyone you invite. Isn't that enough reason to hire a professional?

Also, please no cash bars, honey funds, or any other topic mentioned in the sticky.

Pro: you will have less people to host because they will decline this etiquette disaster.

Con: see above

You cannot be serious about this? Your wedding isn't a family bbq, it's a formal affair. If you want to cut costs, cut your guest list and host fewer people. Or elope.

Rather cut your guest list to an amount that you can properly cater for. If that is 20 guests, then so be it.

There are lots of places where you can cut costs in order to afford a proper caterer.

ETA: spelling

Uhoh...

@dawnandmike nailed it. She's speaking from recent personal experience. Please please please take her advice seriously

I think all the cons have been covered and the only pro is that you make your guests, who YOU should be hosting, bring food, which is logistically unfeasible for anyone but the most local guests and rude to everyone.

"Bring a dish to share" works for 10 people at your house who will arrive, put said dishes in the oven or the fridge and eat an hour later. It doesn't work for a big group of people, traveling from all over, all dressed up with the crock pot meatballs on their lap on the car ride. And then having to put the finishing touches on that bag of salad or green been dish.

I think of every church potluck I've been to and mostly, dinner consists of unidentifiable casseroles , ugly salads and store bought rolls. Is that really how you want to celebrate what is, in theory, one of the most important day of your lives and (even more importantly on the hosting front) your families' lives? God, I really hope not.

It is a far better plan to invite a small group of people and treat them well. If you have no budget, that's the way to go. You'll be just as married and no one will have the runs for three days.

Don't do this. It is rude to expect family/friends to cook for your wedding. Preparing that much food is a lot of work. You can get inexpensive catered food if isn't full service (they just provide the food and you are responsible for set up and serving).

Oh girl, no!

Someone I know is having a wedding this weekend that is potluck and BYOA. I'm not going because that's gross and tacky, and the potential of food poisoning is strong. So I think some of YOUR guests might feel the same way I do, and not have the guts to tell you to your face.

Oh god ........

We've self-catered in my family for a long time... my wedding sis self-catered. We are Jamaicans and have lots of cooks in the family.

When self-catering you need a designated cooking/kitchen staff. Just find some people that don't mind cooking for your wedding.

@nicole to top off the whole situation. The groom even paid the MOH $5000 for the self catered food. I told him he could have gotten pros for that price but it was to late by the time he shared with us. All FH could say the whole reception was "if our wedding is like this.. We are going to give up and try again a year later".

The fact that the OP has 3 stars you would think she knows this already. Hmmmmm

No. You're not hosting if you're making your guests cook. There are other ways to cut costs.

It saves you money because everyone else has to cover the cost of the food you're making them make.

I knew the comments would be good on this one as soon as I saw it.

I have musicians, chefs, and a dentist in my family. None of them would be asked to work at my wedding, just like none of them have asked me to work at theirs (I'm a chef by trade....)

PPs have covered it. I still can't get over the fact that you think this is an acceptable "low budget" option. It's low budget because you're passing along the cost to your guests who YOU should be hosting. BBQ and Italian are inexpensive options.

I'm just waiting for OP to come back and say we're all meanies....

More than likely, I would not attend a potluck wedding. If I did, I would probably bring you $20 in a card or some really terrible gift I picked up at a secondhand store. And I wouldn't feel bad about it. Why, because anyone who asks guests to bring food to their wedding does not actually care about their guests, so why should I extend the courtesy to you? Potlucks are rude, gross, and a logistical nightmare. If you're worried about money, cut your guest list and find a local BBQ or Italian restaurant. These places will often cater for under $20 a person.