Potluck/DIY wedding food vs. Catering

We are considering DIY (only b/c our guest list is so small, 30 ppl at the most) We are having a BBQ themed menu & for the Main Course we'll be using a smoker, our side & appetizer's will be grilled w/some store bought veggie/fruit & cheese platter's just rearranged on fancier serving trays served buffet style. We're also having a DIY self serve bar, again not a lot of ppl & not too many drinker's & it will be in a backyard setting. Oh & we will have someone that can actually cook (for crowds) helping w/the catering. I hope this helps give you some idea of what direction you'd like to go in, good luck & happy planning!

I would be really annoyed if, as a guest, I was asked to bring food to a reception. My FMIL was asked to make a dessert for a wedding once and felt like she had no choice despite being very busy at work and with a husband with terminal cancer. She didn't mind helping the bride and groom, but she would have preferred to bring a gift than bake...and I'm certain that she gave a gift regardless.

When we told her that we weren't asking any of our guests to have any jobs at the weddng, she was relieved.

Please consider cutting down the guest list or cutting corners in other ways rather than asking people to cater your wedding for free (which is essentially what you're doing).

We are on a tight budget as well, 1500 for about 125 guests. We found an awesome bbq man who is doing 3 meats, 3 sides, sweet tea, unsweet tea, and a punch for 1200. It took some research, but local small businesses usually willing to work with you. Were having a rustic fall wedding and bbq was a perfect choice.

Going to a potluck as a guest, it doesn't work well... Travelling far away with food in the car limits the choices. We were told no hot OR cold food. So crackers? I understand cutting costs, but if you do have even a few hundred dollars, you can definitely cater. Do not mention its a wedding. People cater business functions, birthday parties, football games. Try restaurants vs. companies that will charge you an arm and leg for serving it. Have a buffet style, set up by a local restaurant. I went to an event recently at my college catered by an Indian restaurant in town. It was a few hundred dollars, fed all 60+ people there 3 times over, plus leftovers and the food was set up with warmers, utensils, everything you needed!

I forgot i even posted this thread so long ago we are going to end up having my aunt cater it with her ladies from the church which do all of the cooking for our church meals which mostley is the same number of people that we have going to attend depending on final guest list we might just cater we still have time and options