caterer question

Amy0817

This may be an obvious question...but I just want to know what you girls think. I am on a fairly tight budget and am trying to figure out cheap ways to cater the reception. Will a barbeque meal be cheaper than a formal meal? Should I just ask the caterers if they can do a barbeque style meal or do I have to find a specific caterer for this type of meal? TIA. 

Lasairiona

Serve whatever you like that you can afford. What foods do your guests like? Most people actually don't like formal food. BBQ is usually cheaper but no matter what, you have to shop around locally. Check out your local board if you haven't already. Call up your favorite restaurants since many do full catering cheaper than wedding caterers. If you want bbq, call up a local bbq restaurant. They will be more likely to not only serve that type of food, but it will be cooked to taste how it should.

Cass987

Ahh - yummy BBQ!!!!!!!!! when I was looking into caterers for my brothers wedding we called our local all-time fav BBQ place and they have full catering - they even have people come out, set up, tear down and serve the meal (buffet style)! Total cost - less than $10pp (50 person min) for their most "inclusive" dinner with sides, deserts and tea/lemonade with plates, plasticware, cups & ice. (NOTE: this was in western Kansas so YMMV). For the SAME type food from a local hotel venue, the cheapest I was quoted over $40pp.

(FSIL totally blows at planning ANYTHING and I'm familiar because I'm planning my wedding - although mine is a DW)

Another girl on my monthly board did her food from a local mexican place - save HUGE amounts over what a "wedding" caterer tried to charge so the savings seems to be similar. NOTE: depending on how formal you are, you still might want to rent real dinnerware or upgrade your "plasticware" and plates to the nice stuff from Sam's/Costco for a minimal cost.

Sue-n-Kevin

One of the things I've found by accident is that many gourmet style stores that have deli stuff and do food baskets also do catering. One near us does "themes" like BBQ, Italian, etc. Try that in your local area as well.

Good luck.