Shower - self catering

I see no problem in self catering a 25 person event. We do it all the time for friends and family.

When I have hosted showers, they have usually been for 20-30 people. I usually get a sandwich platter from a grocery store to save time making them. But apps and dips and other things the hostesses have made.

Nothing wrong with a self-catered shower in my own opinion.

At my shower, my mom ordered catering from Wegmans but then made desserts. I think there are two things that determine whether or not self-catering is a bad idea for a shower: formality and size. If this is billed as something formal, probably not the best call. And if you're inviting 50-100 people to the shower (which I have seen in my experiences as a girlfriend/fiance in a large Italian family), self-catering is likely too much to take on and the food will suffer as a result. But since you said it was at a friend's house, I'm assuming it's smaller and a little more low-key. In my opinion, it's just fine -- most of the showers I've been to have been at least partially self-catered.

Just about every shower I've been to, both baby and bridal, has been catered. The catering has been casual, like sandwiches and salads, but the food has been brought in from a professional source.

Every shower I've ever been to has been self catered at someone's house. Unless it's an obscene amount of people, I think it's acceptable.

Self catered showers are fine. So are weddings if you really want all that stress in your life. Thanksgiving and Christmas for 20 is stressful enough for me but I don't get much help. If you have a lot of help, go for it. It is more intimate and will save money.

My daughter's was hosted at a restaurant in a separate party room. It was a champagne brunch. There were over 50 women.

I think it you are prepared and have enough storage to keep foods cold/hot until they are eaten then it's definitely fine for a host to cater their own event (for a reasonable number of guests... like 25 max).

I don't think it's tacky at all. Some of these comment are just crazy. You mean to tell me that on the holidays your really worried about food Contamination or people with pets in there home lol. If you know someone has a nasty house or a house full of cats and dogs. You have them bring drinks or paper products.

We nixed sandwich trays because lunch meat, even in AC gets questionable quickly plus I see they aren't stored very well before they are picked up so skipped that for crock pot type food that will be kept warm.

@Cait you do realize there is no right or wrong? I don't understand fighting over this. I'm saying I hate when people self-cater. I personally do not eat self-caterer food after my mom was hospitalized. My opinion on this is not less valid because you think you are an excellent cook. I just would rather, when people host large events, that they hire a caterer. In my mind, a professional is going to take a lot more care than a person who is hosting an event and also has to worry about greeting, getting everyone seated, answering questions, etc. I'm merely saying I'd rather not risk my health on someone not professionally trained.

Self-cater to your heart's little desire. I'm sure you are wonderful.

@Jess - you said you'd be "angry" if you attended a party that was self-catered. That reaction just doesn't make sense. What do you do during Christmas and Thanksgiving? Stink-eye Grandma over having the audacity to cook her own turkey?

Perfectly acceptable

To be perfectly honest, I've made myself sick with crockpot dinners before. Dinners that I've cooked for myself and would be mortified if anyone else had eaten them.

The only time I think this is acceptable is if it is all finger foods - we did a shower for my friend this summer at a winery and had cheese/crackers/olives/dips/veggies/fruit that all came from the grocery store. It was perfect for the 25 or so people that were there (short time frame). The only things that were homemade were cookies.

Holidays are different. In my family, the person hosting does all of the cooking (and has access to multiple ovens/refrigerators in their home). It helps that my mother is a professional chef and has a lot of help in her own kitchen (myself, grandma) the day of the event. It is a very different situation with far different expectations from a self-catered shower/wedding where you are inviting people over and asking them to give someone a gift.

That's fine. I've always made the good for showers I've hosted, with the exception of deli and veggie trays that were purchased out of convenience

No ones even gotten sick at my 50 person family Christmas dinners but my FH got sick at Ruth's Chris last month so...

Point taken, Emily. not enough caffeine.

I mean,probably no one will die, but honestly, for what it costs to make a lot of little sandwiches and salads, the hosts could probably cater it and save themselves a lot of work.

I cannot believe people are aghast about a shower being self catered. JFC.

Every shower I've ever seen has been self catered. So was mine. It's not a formal event. At least in my experience.

My own shower was the first catered shower I've ever been to. Even then, only the main dish (chicken salad) was catered. Everything else was made by the host. I don't see a problem with self-catering small events like baby or wedding showers. Just like other people said, what's the difference between self-catering a shower and cooking for Thanksgiving? There are more people at my Thanksgiving than there were at my shower.