Shower - self catering

Yeah just do a mix, like most people have and still do, of store bought and home made. The only reason I would never self cater a wedding is because the guest list is usually much larger. But showers, go ahead. They're usually smaller guest lists (20-40 is so manageable). There were 40 guests at my bridal shower. My dad made sandwiches for it as he has done for several other family members for several years. My whole family here and abroad cooks food for their guests, and we have huge parties. We also had cheese plates, crackers, fruit salads, punch, sangria, chips and dip, and mini quiches. And my grandma made the cake. Everyone ate everything.

People get so scared of something that's been happening for literally centuries and won't stop any time soon (i.e., cooking for guests). You can get food poisoning in a restaurant or in your own home. Eat homemade food at your discretion. But is it in any way "tacky" for someone to make food for their party for a manageable guest list? No, not really.

Also Olive Garden sucks.

I've never been to a professionally catered shower. I don't see a problem with self catering for a shower

I have been to both and have helped host both. I don't think that there is anything wrong with self catering as long as the situation calls for it. If it is a floating shower with finger foods, go for it. If it is a more formal shower, I would hire a caterer, just because it could be more of a headache than it is worth.

All of the showers I have been to were self-catered family get-togethers. It's unpopular opinion on here but I think it's fine. Don't over extend your self and be realistic about how much food you can make and keep at the proper temperature.

@Cait S. idk i get pretty angry when i get food poisoning because someone wanted to feel like chef for the day.

To be clear. We are not asking guests to bring anything. It's me, my mom and 2 other friends hosting. We are making all the food. Thanks for all the responses. I see that's it's a mixed response but we're going to move ahead with all of our precautions. We aren't doing cheese & crackers because of it being summer. Veggies and fruits for nibbles since people will let that stuff sit on their plates outside.

Most showers I've been to or hosted have been self catered. I think it's fine asblomg as there's not too many people and your not getting too extravagant with the food choices. I think what you have planned should be fine.

The party that my BMs are throwing for us will be self catered. They will have tacos, sides and desserts. I'm not sure of all the specifics but I know everyone involved has clean homes to cook in, they have proper serving trays to keep things hot and cold as needed and they are keeping it simple.

Most of the showers I've been to have been self catered, but lately I've been seeing a lot hosted at restaurants in party rooms. I think it depends on the number of guests you're having. Catering is just easier when you have a lot of guests. If anything do a mix of self catering and catering from something like a grocery store.

Hmmmm, every shower (bridal and baby), every funeral whether it was family or the church ladies, every backyard BBQ, every holiday dinner, every birthday celebration, baptism, you name it that I've been to at someone's home has been self catered.

I'm spoiled being from Florida because Publix (our supermarket chain) offers amazing and reasonably priced party platters for order online. For my BS, we just picked up a few party platters the night beforehand and stored them in the fridge until the next afternoon. Does your supermarket offer anything similar? There is no way we could've gotten the amount of food we did for cheaper had we made the food ourselves.

My mom catered my shower, but every other shower I've been to has been self catered because it's essentially just a family party with even less people than normal (because it's always been just ladies).

Do those who don't think self-catered showers okay ever have family parties? Are your parties/thanksgivings catered?

My mom's side is 40plus people and my dad's side is 40plus people and all of our holidays everyone makes and brings delicious food, sometimes from far away, and in my 28 years of life no one has ever died. I think I had less people at my shower than we normally would have had at any family party, so I don't see how it would have been a big deal.

@Jess - To repeat myself, there is a wide spectrum of "self-caterers". There are people who think that putting out deli meats and crock pot meatballs is "hosting" and there are people that have spent years and years and years developing recipes that can be made for large groups of people. Don't be judge-y over something just because you can't do it responsibly.

You also have a chance of getting food poisoning literally whenever you eat anything. I got food poisoning at a three Michelin star restaurant in New York City one time. I'm 90 percent sure that they weren't "pretending to be chef for a day".

^^ Yes @Cait to both comments!

My baby shower wasn't professionally catered, but nobody cooked either. The hostess went by Walmart and picked up some platters immediately beforehand and the community center where it was held had a kitchen. There were about 20 people in attendance. I wouldn't suggest allowing anyone to actually cook for your shower though. A platter from the grocery store? Fine. But I won't eat just anyone's cooking.

My shower was half and half-some things bought at Wegmans, some items made-there was around 22 guests, and my bridesmaids were on top of keeping cold items cold, and hot items hot. If my shower was any bigger, I would have excepted a catered event.(My bridesmaids kept me in the loop because the shower was held at my home because of my mom's mobility issues, we have an accessible home)

I actually never thought about this. All the showers I have been to have been self-catered (by the hostess). But, usually they aren't around meal time and its just snacks and appetizers. It honestly has never phased me, but I suppose there is the same health risks. I am not too concerned about it though.

Why are people bringing up potlucks? This thread isn't about potlucks. It is about a host preparing or purchasing food for a shower rather than hiring a caterer.

And Celia? The OP is not making food for her own shower. She is hosting a friend's shower. It says that in the very first sentence of her post.

I really think everyone's opinion on self-catering is influenced by the events they've attended. If every shower I attended had warm lunch meat and wonder bread sitting out on the table, I wouldn't be impressed either. That sounds disgusting. But that's just not usually the case in my experience. I've seen amazing, gourmet spreads of food prepared by hosts. Far better than ordering in pizzas.

In my area, it's very common to get restaurant or grocery store catering. In my circle, most events are around 20 guests or more, so no one wants to stress out over cooking a meal when other things like decor, rentals, etc. have to be planned. I personally think catering from a restaurant or grocery store just makes life so much easier as the host can actually enjoy the event versus stress over catering it.

I come from a big Italian family so cooking in bulk is normal. I make meatballs and sauce in large batches and freeze all the time. For things like this I make meatballs in 5 pound packages because that's all I can reasonably make in 1 night after work allowing them too cook all the way and cool down to put in bags to freeze. And I've also had catered meatballs that were pink inside and some questionable tuna from catered meals. And as some one wh also has allergies, things cooked by family tends to be right. And we can list our ingredients.

I am 100% behind what @Cait said. I grew up in a household where literally nothing was catered. Ever. But I come from a long line of people who knew how to cook and host food. I have never in my life had food poisoning.

I get a large group of friends together once a month to host dinner. My friends have never complained about the food or told me they got sick after eating my food. There are lots of people in the world who know and are able to host dinner parties, which is essentially what a shower or birthday party is.

I agree with Caity in that just becasue YOU cant doesnt mean NO ONE can.

BUT, I do agree with pp that if the party reaches a certain number you should probably look into catering or consider purchasing homemade apps. But depending on the size of the party it is totally doable and socially acceptable.

I personally take pride in being able to host and feed my friends and family for an event.