Shotgun wedding??

@Aubrie That is why you hire a professional bartender to prevent any "nightmare" situations. A bigger nightmare is improper hosting which, at best, can lead to cuddle parties with the porcelain thone and at worst a trip to the ER.

Consider reaching out to local restaurants who do catering. I had 3 apps, real catered food with attendants, servers, bussers, real bartenders, a catering coordinator, liability insurance, cake cutting all for 80 people with more than two weeks leftover extra professionally packed, frozen, stored, and shipped to our apartment back home for under $5k including taxes and tip. It can be done if you reach out and speak honestly about your budget.

ETA: I can't type for shit today

Guaranteed people will bring in their own alcohol and it'll be unmonitored. That sounds like a giant legal risk to me.

Yes, it's expensive to hire a bartender, but restaurants all have them! And food too!

So how about you go to a place where there is already a bartender and professionally cooked food? Like perhaps A RESTAURANT. Which is what people said pages and pages ago.

Yes bartenders are expensive, but lawsuits are way more than that.

Aubrie, this is why going o a restaurant or having a venue with certified and licensed caterers and bartenders is always an option. Bartenders know when to cut people off. Also, with the restaurant option your dinner will likely only be about 2 hours tops, give or take and most people will only drink 2, maybe 3 drinks during that time along with dinner. Definitely not enough time for most people to get completely trashed.

Please dont self cater. Its just a bad idea all around. Hire a bbq or italian place to bring the food in and serve it, even at your aunts or rent out a private room.

Unaware, that photo gave me gross thoughts of that kid's parent using that spoon to stir some crockpot weenies with, after thinking a quick washing would actually do something. Ew.

@OGK I laugh out loud every single time those weenies make an appearance!

@OP you don't want this to be like Thanksgiving in a ballgown. Just get catering, do beer & wine and let your guests be happy. You're clearly saving $$ on the venue, so don't cheap out on the food. People WILL talk and they'll talk for a long time. My FMIL was telling me the other day how gross her sister's wedding food was THIRTY YEARS AGO! Is that what you want?

Hire a BBQ place for catering, they're under $20pp and will ensure there's enough food and it's safe. Bartenders are (the max I've seen) $300 for the night. You can hire the bartender and hit up Costco for the booze

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Idk guys she isn't double rings though...

Your menu looks very similar to the menu of a party that H and I hosted 6 months ago with 30 guests where H and I made all the food (plus I made additional appetizers than what's on your menu). I was so busy throughout the party refilling dishes and drinks and making sure food remained at a safe temperature that I barely spent any time with our guests. My poor mom (who was just supposed to be a guest) ended up having to work as hard as I did. I was super organized and had prepped a ton in the days leading up to the party and still spent several hours the morning of the party (afternoon party) putting final touches on all the food (plus working through the party). Setting aside for a second the fact that it is a huge legal liability to self-cater your own wedding - do you want to be working like that or have your nearest and dearest working like that on your wedding day? Don't do that to yourself or your family and friends. ETA - just saw the NO ALCOHOL line. Yeah, we provided alcohol for our guests at our party, and we provide it for every get-together we host because that is just good manners.

ELOPE!!! I wish I could've talked FH into eloping, i'm so done planning and spending so much money. But this is also my 2nd wedding, so I already know it doesn't matter about anything except marrying the person you want to spend forever with. This is his 1st wedding and he just wants me to have the wedding I want since I didn't with the first, my mom planned the whole thing. But I'm almost there and cant wait to see what happens at the wedding. Also don't worry about if everything doesn't go as planned, all that matters is you're married at the end of the day. Good luck!

I feel as though I've fallen down the rabbit hole.

OP - do something special for your wedding. I've read *most* of the comments .... the minute you unplug your crockpot, your food starts to cool down away from safe temps. As for the alcohol thing, if it's a home reception... and if people know you're not supplying... they're just going to bring their own or go on a beer run.

So I repeat. Make this a special day for yourself. Don't repeat last Sunday's (alcohol free) football party for your wedding.

Lol at the little smokies and no alcohol haha I'm pretty sure she's trolling.

OP: "We thought that last time too, but it is also very expensive to hire a bartender"

Then maybe you should wait to have a proper reception with a caterer and bartender until you have the money? Just a thought.... continue though, I just heated up popcorn

Go to a restaurant after the wedding, and you can wear your dress still. Ta-dah

"Hiring a bartender is expensive"

Lol. Okay. So you'd rather have your family who ruined another wedding either A)Have a free for all on the booze or B) Punish everyone and not have alcohol at all.

Solid logic.

Back to your original posted question of how to cut time and costs? My advice still stands. ELOPE.

I should legit have a macro of this link at this point. Food poisoning kills.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/28/health/potatoes-to-blame-for-botulism/index.html

Take 10 or so of your nearest and dearest to a restaurant and treat them like gold. Besides after having to rent everything, tables, chairs, tents, nice portable toilets, linens, silverware, dishes, etc., you'll be paying more in the long run.

Edited to add, serve booze from a bartender. If not a flask will certainly be involved.

Clearly , Aubrie has not read one post here about self catering or dry weddings. I would recommend that OP.....

No one wants to bring food to your wedding, no one wants to eat nasty shit that came in cars with your guests and no one wants a brisk glass of lemonade.

Invite 20 people and treat them to dinner and a glass of wine or four.

Dinner at a nice restaurant let's you have a bartender to monitor everyone drinking, provides safe, hot food that neither you or your loved ones have to make that day! Win win win... Also, it will be either the same price or cheaper than doing it all yourself considering all the rentals, China, etc.

To be fair- it's her wedding. If she doesn't want to make it special- that's her. I read a blog the other day that said to save money- self cater your food, make your friends and family work. And I don't agree with that. I'm all for inexpensive but you can literally get centering for cheaper than you can buy food. Put it in someone else's hands - so you can enjoy your family and friends.