Food Dilemma

tiffanyohio1228

Please tell me what you think of this idea and any suggestions would be great! Thinking of having an early fall (probably beginning of October but most likely sometime in October) and having the reception in a laid back venue/rustic looking venue (our "theme" is pretty rustic/country) probably at a local park somewhere... We are on a pretty tight budget and we are doing our own food for the reception instead of using a caterer... I was thinking about doing a Chili Bar for the reception and having a bunch of different toppings (veggies,cheese, sour cream, etc) and probably a couple different kinds of chili (regular, white chicken, maybe venison) and then serving corn bread muffins and maybe another bread option... But I am not sure if that will be enough for dinner??? What else would we serve with it that would not break the bank? We might do some finger foods during the cocktail hour while we take pictures too... really just depends on the budget and how much we put into everything else (still in beginning planning stages)...

 

Thoughts?

Jessica41381

I would just be cautious of temperatures. Keeping the hot stuff hot and cold stuff cold. It could turn into a nightmare if not.

ElcaB

Honestly, I completely love this idea. I've previously thought of doing something similar because FI loves chili, and it's perfect for fall (our date is in Oct., too), but I decided to go a different route.

My suggestion would be instead of limiting yourself to chili (some people don't like it), why don't you expand on that and do a soup-salad-bread type thing? Offer maybe three types of soup (i.e., chili, salmon chowder, and a vegetarian option), a variety of breads, and a salad bar. I know this is typically a lunch thing, but we do it often for dinners. It's cheap, easy, and IMO, satisfying. 

Jen4948

How will the food be prepared and served at your reception if you're not using hired help?

It's not okay to "expect" your friends and family to volunteer to do it, and I wouldn't think they'd appreciate being asked to work your wedding rather than just enjoy themselves.  And if you do it yourself, consider that you'll be responsible for setup, cooking, serving, and cleanup in their entirety, and it could be time-consuming and messy.  I myself wouldn't want to spend my own wedding like that.

So, this is not something I myself would do.  I'd look for an inexpensive restaurant or people who can be hired at prices within a tight budget, but I would not "do my own food" in lieu of hired assistance.  I'm sorry if this isn't what you asked or what you want to hear, but I think you should give these issues some attention before you make up your mind to do the food yourself.

NOLAbridealmost

If you're trying to serve a full dinner I'd possibly add baked potatoes to that mix; a lot of the chili toppings would go great on potatoes as well and they'd be easy enough to prepare and would be very filling.  I'd also offer a green salad.

However, I think this sort of self-catered event would be better suited for an afternoon reception than dinner:

1) If it's in October the temperature at a park is going to drop really low in the evening in most geographic areas....you don't want guests to be freezing. 

 2) If you're trying to do the catering yourself something light like chili and some snack platters from Costco would be more than enough for a mid-afternoon reception, but wouldn't be enough for a full dinner.  It's a lot to take on preparation of a full dinner for your own wedding.  Trust us, you're going to be busy enough just being the bride. 

Good luck.