Potluck/DIY wedding food vs. Catering

Perhaps you can do something like provide the main dish for your guests as well as drinks. Then ask your guests to bring a side dish. You could include an enclosure card with your invite asking them to bring a dish and then have a line on your RSVP card for which dish they would like to bring?

For that many people, spend the money and hire a caterer. Not only will you still have to provide dishes and silverware, but you will have to put people in charge of serving, you will have to set up, and you run the risk that someone will get sick from improperly cooked or stored food. Many venues won't even let you have food unless it's provided by a professional caterer. Shop around and see what you can find. I don't know much about your area, but you're not asking for something impossible if you'd be happy with a salad, pasta with a few different sauces, veggies and dessert.

You might find this article helpful in deciding whether a potluck wedding would work for you:

http://offbeatbride.com/2009/06/potluck-wedding-tacky

No to a potluck. Especially for that many people. You would end up running out of food and take great risks with food poisoning (improper handling of food).

Hire a caterer. You will be happy that you did.

I had to laugh at one of the comments in the article. It says "We are hosting a pot luck...".

Um, if its a pot luck, they aren't hosting. LOL!

While I think an all-out pot luck is a no-go (think of guest traveling an hour or more = feeling bad for not brining something or spoiled food!) I do think its okay to ask the certain people in your family who live close to help our as a wedding gift. I have certain aunts/uncles who ALWAYS want to cook for partys and get togethers. See if you can divide it up only amung those members.

Fireworks bride that was exactly what I was thinking. My mother in law and aunt both do all of the cooking for my church so they are very use to cooking for this amount of people and do it very well. I really like homemade food so im thinking it might be a doubtable thing. I also like the idea of ordering the main dish from a restaurant then doing potluck sides which we as a family can easily support.

Agree with Fireworks Bride. As a guest, I'd be flat out offended if I was invited to a reception and then asked to contribute food. I have never heard of nor seen this done.

Countrygirl - This is doable! I think ordering the main dish from a caterer or resturant is a great idea (what type of food were you thinking?)

Also if you have MIL and a couple aunts putting together side dishes, great! But just don't call that a potluck. Asking all guests to bring food is very different than a great group of ladies getting together in the kitchen

We went to a wedding where the couple requested their guest bring a side of their choice. FH and I brought mac & cheese, scalloped potatoes and cream corn. Of the 300 guests invited to the wedding, fewer than 20 brought a dish.

I personally would not have a potluck reception. Bite the bullet and hire a caterer. I am quite sure you can find one within your budget.

Famous Dave's

1206 SE Everett Mall Way, Everett, WA

http://www.famousdaves.com/catering

You have a Famous Daves about 10 miles for Bothell - They could supply meat options and you all could make sides - or their catering with sides is super affordable too!

My cousin had a pot luck it was amazing. Of course this is what they do in his wifes family all the time. The pot of food was their gift.

Would I trust my family to remember to bring food, nope...

I don't think potluck works for a wedding. Everyone shows up with 20 different dishes, it's cold by the time the ceremony is over.

What COULD work, if you really want to save the money, is ask your closest relatives to make a big batch of one dish. So have someone get some hams, slice those up, have your aunt make a few big party size trays of her famous make a cheese, your grandma can make her green bean casserole, you mom can make her rolls, etc. Then instead of a mismatch of food, It would still be like having a caterer, but your family is the caterer.

Honestly though, I would shop around and she what you can find before going this route. Catered doesn't mean it has to be fancy or expensive.

No potluck. If you're at a rented venue,they may require a certificate of insurance.

Cut the guest list and do a catered meal.

Fireworks bride I love that famous daves bbq I didn't even think about that. I will check into them because bbq is really what we wanted. also our venue will let us do what ever kind of food we want since its a weekday wedding.

Yay! If you need any help searching shoot me a message ( i work 6pm-6am on a computer with lots of downtime!) I think having someone supply like brisket and chopped pork for sandwhiches is a great idea Its easy for 4 or 5 family members to put together corn onthe cob and some potatoes for sides! Good luck!!

I wrote in your guest book I couldn't figure out how to pm u my email is ****************@*****.*** if you want to send anything u find to that email I will take a look at it

Trim your invites and have it catered. I will not want to cook for someone inviting me to a wedding. Or if its not formal, have a BBQ instead...

There are so many options if you think outside the box... Famous Daves is a great suggestion! Chipotle/Qdoba provide a great catering option. Here in Wisconsin we have many local farmers who offer the option of buying a pig or chickens and they have a business where they bring a big roaster on wheels right to your venue and offer sliced mean right from the roaster. It's amazingly delish! For our Christmas party at work each, year we have a local deli they provides lasagna, shrimp cocktail, prime rib for sandwiches, etc. Again, there are so many places to pick from that are affordable if you think outside the box and if your guests would be ok with a self-serve type of meal.

Us, like most venues, do need to follow health department regulations. That means no potluck style to feed that many people. It just doesn't work, and you guests will most likely expect more from you and be disappointed.