Refreshments for 4pm Reception?

JessicaJupiter

My wedding is about a precise year from now (holding it on a Wednesday afternoon) and we have a pretty low budget of $2000 for every last detail. One thing that has bothered me a lot is food. I ran some numbers with my mother and even by cutting my guest list in half (to 30 people) the food expense is just too big a chunk of the budget. Everything else would be cut down so much that'd the food would be the only highlight of the day.

The ceremony is going to be held anywhere from 3pm to 4pm (expected to be only a half hour) which means our reception would be expected to start anywhere from 3:30 to 4:30. 

I have been told by some that this is prime supper time so I HAVE to feed every guest a full plate of supper. But in my eyes it does seem a tad early to be feeding people a full supper (I normally eat around 6pm). My idea was to have a lot of small food instead (sandwich trays, cheese and meats, desserts, cupcake tower, variety of beverages). To me it just seems that it needs to be enough to hold them over until they get home to eat supper. I also plan on having a short and sweet reception (I am not one to draw things out for hours) so I would expect everyone would be home by 5:30 at the latest. 

I would much rather sacrifice the amount of food instead of having the bare necessities for the ceremony and reception just so people can get a full meal in when we can't afford it.

I'd assume that putting "Light refreshments will be served following the ceremony" on the invitations would indicate that people shouldn't expect to by full when they leave. 

I am just looking for some feedback on this as I don't know what to expect from guests or what is really expected from me.

grumbledore

IMO, if your party is over around 5, you don't have to serve dinner.

Blue_Bird

JessicaJupiter said:

My wedding is about a precise year from now (holding it on a Wednesday afternoon) and we have a pretty low budget of $2000 for every last detail. One thing that has bothered me a lot is food. I ran some numbers with my mother and even by cutting my guest list in half (to 30 people) the food expense is just too big a chunk of the budget. Everything else would be cut down so much that'd the food would be the only highlight of the day.

The ceremony is going to be held anywhere from 3pm to 4pm (expected to be only a half hour) which means our reception would be expected to start anywhere from 3:30 to 4:30. 

I have been told by some that this is prime supper time so I HAVE to feed every guest a full plate of supper. But in my eyes it does seem a tad early to be feeding people a full supper (I normally eat around 6pm). My idea was to have a lot of small food instead (sandwich trays, cheese and meats, desserts, cupcake tower, variety of beverages). To me it just seems that it needs to be enough to hold them over until they get home to eat supper. I also plan on having a short and sweet reception (I am not one to draw things out for hours) so I would expect everyone would be home by 5:30 at the latest. 

I would much rather sacrifice the amount of food instead of having the bare necessities for the ceremony and reception just so people can get a full meal in when we can't afford it.

I'd assume that putting "Light refreshments will be served following the ceremony" on the invitations would indicate that people shouldn't expect to by full when they leave. 

I am just looking for some feedback on this as I don't know what to expect from guests or what is really expected from me.

Stuck in box. While that's cutting it close to dinner time, I'd say that id your reception starts at 3:30 and only lasts about 2 hours, light refreshments are fine. 4:30 is too close to dinner in m opinion. You'd have to have very heavy appetizers, enough to make a meal.

huskypuppy14

If your ceremony starts at 4pm, that's cutting it close for your reception to be during dinner.  Unless your reception is just going to be an hour. Is it possible to have your ceremony a little earlier, like 2:30.  Reception starts at 3, done by 5?

JessicaJupiter

Here is the issue. It then becomes even more inconvenient for my guests to attend my wedding since many can only leave work so early. The ceremony is unlikely to start at 4 but that is the latest I am willing to have it. 

Ideally the schedule would be: Ceremony from 3:00 - 3:30 reception from 3:30 to 5:00

Also, in terms of length of the reception 2 hours is very long... I was thinking more like an hour as we will not be having dancing or a sit down meal. In my mind it would be more like a chance for guests to grab some food, socialize with other guests, have a word with us and then be on their merry way. 

I also of course wouldn't mind at all for guests to leave earlier in the reception if they wanted to get going so they could start supper.

Viczaesar

Why are you having a Wednesday afternoon wedding? 

manateehugger

Yeah, to me, choosing a Wednesday afternoon isn't a good reason to not feed your guests. 

Your ceremony needs to start earlier in the day - at least 3 - or you need to pick a different day. By 4:30-5:00, I'm starting to expect more than cake and punch. 

And even if you don't do a meal, please have enough seating for everyone. 

artbyallie

Lots of small food can get pricier than a meal. Have you looked into local restaurants for catering? They can be quite affordable, especially if you go for something cheap but good like barbecue or Italian pasta or pizza.

doeydo

I think it might be wise to have your wedding earlier in the day so you don't cut it so close to dinner hour or later at night, eg. the ceremony starts after 7:30.  As for appetizers/refreshments, there is nothing wrong with having cake, fruit, veggies and dip, punch, water, and/or pop.  The only thing is that if the wedding will be during a time that people might want to eat dinner, then you have to have enough food for a dinner. 

JoanE2012

JessicaJupiter said:

Here is the issue. It then becomes even more inconvenient for my guests to attend my wedding since many can only leave work so early. The ceremony is unlikely to start at 4 but that is the latest I am willing to have it. 

Ideally the schedule would be: Ceremony from 3:00 - 3:30 reception from 3:30 to 5:00

Also, in terms of length of the reception 2 hours is very long... I was thinking more like an hour as we will not be having dancing or a sit down meal. In my mind it would be more like a chance for guests to grab some food, socialize with other guests, have a word with us and then be on their merry way. 

I also of course wouldn't mind at all for guests to leave earlier in the reception if they wanted to get going so they could start supper.

As a guest, I would be a bit ticked off if I took off time from work so I could make it to your ceremony and I didn't even get a meal.  If you're going to inconvenience your guests, the least you can do is feed them a meal.  Otherwise, why not have it on a weekend afternoon?

LondonLisa

I also agree with Joan. I would feel a bit ticked off too if I took time off of work and all the guests got was small sandwiches and it was done in an hour. You are asking a lot of your guests to use their vacation days so the least you can do is serve dinner. As suggested above, look into BBQ or pasta.  Have you already finalised your venue? Sunday afternoon weddings can be rather reasonable and you could have a light meal like you already have planned without the need for your guests to take a day off of work.

misssunshine17

You lost me at Wednesday afternoon. 

OliveOilsMom

I agree with Joan.  If you are having a Wednesday wedding, I would probably work through lunch to minimize the amount of time off I need to request.  And I will be hungry throughout your ceremony and be a bit pissed at the amount of food at the reception, if it couldn't add up to a whole meal.  Also, with a Wednesday wedding, I would expect a high decline rate.

Are there no restaurants in the area that can offer a meal at $10-15 pp?  That would only be about $300 to 450 for food (usually includes all non-alcoholic drinks too).  Even with tax and gratuity, on the high end, it would be $500 for the entire meal for 30 people.  You would still have $1500 to spend on the rest of your wedding.

aurorajanette

I am also with Joan. You are asking guests to take off at least a few hours from work to attend your Wednesday wedding... you need to feed them. If I took off work to attend your wedding, and you didn't provide a meal at a meal-time reception (regardless of what you feel, 4:30 is a time when some people eat dinner), I would be pissed. Doesn't have to be fancy. Order some pizzas and salad, or get some things catered from a local inexpensive eatery (chicken fingers, fries, etc can be pretty inexpensive).

Food is an essential part of any party, so you need to host properly or move your reception up a few hours.

Liatris2010

Your ceremony is Wednesday at 3pm? Expect a lot of declines, and then take the people who show out to a restaurant, and feed them there. Your budget is $2000 for everything, what is the breakdown? You should spend at least 50% of your budget on food, but you can use more if you forgo decorations and the like, so let's say $1500, which is $50 per person on food. At a not too fancy Italian restaurant, you should be able to buy everyone an entree and a glass of wine and still be in budget.

mysticl

If you were doing this on a weekend your time frame would be fine to only serve light refreshments because people would be able to eat prior to your wedding.  In fact they might even choose to have a later lunch that day because of your wedding.  Having it on a Wednesday changes everything.  As other's have mentioned some of your guests may opt to skip their lunch break that day so they can flex their time instead of taking vacation.  Also, some jobs do not allow employees to adjust their lunch break or if they do they have to swap breaks with another person so that the job is "covered".  So if you have a person who normally eats lunch at 11 and can't find anyone to swap they are going to be pretty hungry by the time your reception roles around.  

Have you thought what the day is going to look like for your guests?  They are going to have to leave work early.  Some are going to want to change clothes so that means changing at work or a mad dash home.  Some are going to have to work out logistics of meeting up with their SO. Some may have to get kids from daycare.  So they put all this time and effort into going to your wedding and they still have to go home and figure out dinner?  They aren't going to be impressed with the things that you spent money on at the ceremony and reception, they aren't even going to notice because they are going to be so annoyed that you didn't feed them and made them feel like you wanted them to leave asap.  

SP29

I would be fine with a 3pm ceremony, but I agree about feeding your guests. By that time, I would expect a meal. I also agree that although 3pm is towards the end of the day, guests may need to go home from work first to change, meet up with their SO, pick up kids, etc, so they are probably leaving work by 1-2 pm. 

It does not have to be a fancy plated meal, but enough food to make up a meal. Sandwiches are OK, but add in a couple different salads (lettuce based, macaroni, potato), and fruit and veggie trays. Consider things like lasagna, meat balls and pasta, which are cheap. You could either get pasta or lasagna catered, or even buy the pre-made lasagnas from the grocery store and make your own pasta (same with meat balls). Add in some garlic bread, and in addition to your salad, you have a full meal. 

PrettyGirlLost

JessicaJupiter said:

My wedding is about a precise year from now (holding it on a Wednesday afternoon) and we have a pretty low budget of $2000 for every last detail. One thing that has bothered me a lot is food. I ran some numbers with my mother and even by cutting my guest list in half (to 30 people) the food expense is just too big a chunk of the budget. Everything else would be cut down so much that'd the food would be the only highlight of the day.

The ceremony is going to be held anywhere from 3pm to 4pm (expected to be only a half hour) which means our reception would be expected to start anywhere from 3:30 to 4:30. 

I have been told by some that this is prime supper time so I HAVE to feed every guest a full plate of supper. But in my eyes it does seem a tad early to be feeding people a full supper (I normally eat around 6pm). My idea was to have a lot of small food instead (sandwich trays, cheese and meats, desserts, cupcake tower, variety of beverages). To me it just seems that it needs to be enough to hold them over until they get home to eat supper. I also plan on having a short and sweet reception (I am not one to draw things out for hours) so I would expect everyone would be home by 5:30 at the latest. 

I would much rather sacrifice the amount of food instead of having the bare necessities for the ceremony and reception just so people can get a full meal in when we can't afford it.

I'd assume that putting "Light refreshments will be served following the ceremony" on the invitations would indicate that people shouldn't expect to by full when they leave. 

I am just looking for some feedback on this as I don't know what to expect from guests or what is really expected from me.

Food and alcohol are going to be around 50% of your total wedding budget, no matter how much you have budgeted.   If you look at a variety of budget calculators, most suggest 39%-55% of your total budget should be your reception (food, alcohol, rentals).

I hate to say it, but around 5pm I'd be expecting a full meal.  Can you have your ceremony and reception earlier in the day?

cowgirl8238

My suggestion is this,  if you want to have your wedding on a Wednesday then hold it later in the evening.  At 7:30-8PM.  This way everyone can still work their normal jobs (at least for the most part), go home, eat a quick dinner, and then come to watch you get married.  As a guest there is no way I would go to a wedding at 3PM on a weekday...I don't care if you were the queen, I would decline.  But thats just me.

If you are set on the day/time, then I don't see why you can't go to a nice resturant and treat everyone to dinner there.  It sounds like you don't want to have a DJ and all that stuff anyway.  Plus at a resturant you can still bring some easy to place centerpieces and get a private room within your budget.  Also another thing to consider is where you hold your ceremony, if you can save some budget there you can spend it on the food.

JessicaJupiter

When I say I cannot afford this in my wedding I am serious. I don't know who would be happy coming to a wedding where everything looked like dollar store decor on the tables but had a half decent meal. I am not willing to cheap out on our wedding bands and getting a matching set for $50 on eBay just so my guests can eat. Even my mother agrees with me that it is a better idea to invest in the other aspects of the wedding that will be more memorable for everyone.

I have priced local caterers and since I live in a very small town they have little competition so the prices are pretty steep (even steeper per person when they see it isn't a large wedding). I have priced these smaller foods and they do seem reasonable cheaper that plating a meal. I don't know if there is confusion over how much food people will get so let me put it this way: If they had a plate and put a little bit of everything on that plate, each guest would probably have at least a plate and a half of food. Alcohol is also completely out of the question here, not just for budget reasons but we have a good percentage of guests who would ruin it.

I know this is a sticky issue. But if I have my ceremony too early in the day then everyone gets mad at me for asking them to leave work too early, if I hold it too late then it'd be very dark and I wouldn't get any quality pictures and many guests would still complain it is too late. 

JessicaJupiter

@PrettyGirlLost I do understand that typically a large chunk comes out. But with a budget of $2000 I cannot have such a large chunk. This is because there are a number of other important components that cannot be as easily cut and sacrificed. Heck, it is $140 alone for the marriage licence and an extra $250 just for an officiant... if I didn't have high percentage costs like this I would be able to throw that money into my guests but I cannot.

This of course is why I am aiming to have the ceremony start at 3:00, this way everyone will be gone by 5:00 and can eat supper at home.

@mysticl I can understand how it can look to a guest. But as mentioned above a lot of my costs are non-negotiable and relatively high compared to my budget already. As a guest who is close to the couple would you not prefer for them to do what they could and allow you to go home in time to eat a supper after something to hold you over? Would you expect them to sacrifice things like rings that they are supposed to have for the rest of their lives just so the guests can have a full meal?

I will certainly make sure all guests understand what will be provided for food before the day of the wedding. Heck, if they want to skip their lunches and rush in I would even allow them to grab a small bite to eat before the ceremony started.

MrsLillyG

Can you just make it a later wedding, ceremony at 8?

ETA: I just read y you didn't want to do it later.

doeydo

JessicaJupiter said:

When I say I cannot afford this in my wedding I am serious. I don't know who would be happy coming to a wedding where everything looked like dollar store decor on the tables but had a half decent meal. I am not willing to cheap out on our wedding bands and getting a matching set for $50 on eBay just so my guests can eat. Even my mother agrees with me that it is a better idea to invest in the other aspects of the wedding that will be more memorable for everyone.  Seriously?  Being served food and being properly hosted is more important to guests than how "pretty" the decor is.  If I showed up at your wedding, which was pretty, but I was starving, I would be pissed off because your priorities are in the wrong place.

I have priced local caterers and since I live in a very small town they have little competition so the prices are pretty steep (even steeper per person when they see it isn't a large wedding). I have priced these smaller foods and they do seem reasonable cheaper that plating a meal. I don't know if there is confusion over how much food people will get so let me put it this way: If they had a plate and put a little bit of everything on that plate, each guest would probably have at least a plate and a half of food. Alcohol is also completely out of the question here, not just for budget reasons but we have a good percentage of guests who would ruin it.

I know this is a sticky issue. But if I have my ceremony too early in the day then everyone gets mad at me for asking them to leave work too early,  You are still asking them to leave early... if I hold it too late then it'd be very dark and I wouldn't get any quality pictures and many guests would still complain it is too late. No, having a ceremony that starts at 7:30 won't have anyone complaining about it being too late.  As for the picture thing, wow, it makes you sounds really selfish, IMO.  Plus, there are such things as lights, nice cameras, and even indoors, where the time of day doesn't matter.  

aurianna

JessicaJupiter said:

When I say I cannot afford this in my wedding I am serious. I don't know who would be happy coming to a wedding where everything looked like dollar store decor on the tables but had a half decent meal. I am not willing to cheap out on our wedding bands and getting a matching set for $50 on eBay just so my guests can eat. Even my mother agrees with me that it is a better idea to invest in the other aspects of the wedding that will be more memorable for everyone.

I have priced local caterers and since I live in a very small town they have little competition so the prices are pretty steep (even steeper per person when they see it isn't a large wedding). I have priced these smaller foods and they do seem reasonable cheaper that plating a meal. I don't know if there is confusion over how much food people will get so let me put it this way: If they had a plate and put a little bit of everything on that plate, each guest would probably have at least a plate and a half of food. Alcohol is also completely out of the question here, not just for budget reasons but we have a good percentage of guests who would ruin it.

I know this is a sticky issue. But if I have my ceremony too early in the day then everyone gets mad at me for asking them to leave work too early, if I hold it too late then it'd be very dark and I wouldn't get any quality pictures and many guests would still complain it is too late. 

Oh I would guess the majority of guests care waaaaaaaaaay more about the food than the decorations.
Actually I've been to a couple of weddings that had absolutely beautiful decor... and then they had cash bars. I was way irked that they dumped so much money in the decor but not in properly hosting us.

Personally, if I take off work to go to a Wednesday afternoon wedding, and if I'm still sitting at that wedding reception at 5 o'clock, I'm starting to get hungry. I don't give a darn about the decorations on the table, and I don't give a darn about the band. I want to be fed. I strongly, strongly doubt that I am in the minority here.

You don't need a band. You could borrow/rent some speakers and just do an ipod playlist.

If you're only having 30 guests then you don't have that many tables to decorate.
Silk flowers aren't that expensive. You could probably make your own flower arrangements if that floats your boat.

Candles are also cheap if you buy them in bulk. Those look cool on tables. Marbles in a bowl... wild flowers... bowls of cool rocks and seashells and sea glass or whatever else you might be able to find in your area...

I know I made my own invites to my SIL's baby shower. $10 to print 30 of them at Office Depot and they were hella-cute. I imagine you can find pre-printed ones or make your own for around that too.

You can do budget on almost everything else and still have plenty for a meal.

While you are totally entitled to choose whichever day you want for your wedding, I'm sure you understand that a Wednesday afternoon is inconvenient for almost everyone, and even more so if you have any out of town guests. As a reception is a thank you to your guests for attending your ceremony, I think you should give them extra thanks considering the inconvenience, and give them a meal.


ETA:
As for pictures... have First Look pictures. Take them before the wedding so that you can do them in the day time.

I would MUCH rather go to a 7:30 wedding than a 3pm one, because then I wouldn't have to take off work. Please consider this.

ETA:
So part of this is because of the ring cost? Ummm...
Is it possible you guys WAIT to get married until you can save more money?
Or do cheap rings, and then on your first anniversary give each other new ones that you've had the year to save for? Put the originals in a keep sake box or frame them or make an ornament out of the originals or whatever.

aurianna

dp

MrsLillyG

I'm curious as to how you are breaking down your budget.

Viczaesar

JessicaJupiter said:

When I say I cannot afford this in my wedding I am serious. I don't know who would be happy coming to a wedding where everything looked like dollar store decor on the tables but had a half decent meal. I am not willing to cheap out on our wedding bands and getting a matching set for $50 on eBay just so my guests can eat. Even my mother agrees with me that it is a better idea to invest in the other aspects of the wedding that will be more memorable for everyone.

I have priced local caterers and since I live in a very small town they have little competition so the prices are pretty steep (even steeper per person when they see it isn't a large wedding). I have priced these smaller foods and they do seem reasonable cheaper that plating a meal. I don't know if there is confusion over how much food people will get so let me put it this way: If they had a plate and put a little bit of everything on that plate, each guest would probably have at least a plate and a half of food. Alcohol is also completely out of the question here, not just for budget reasons but we have a good percentage of guests who would ruin it.

I know this is a sticky issue. But if I have my ceremony too early in the day then everyone gets mad at me for asking them to leave work too early, if I hold it too late then it'd be very dark and I wouldn't get any quality pictures and many guests would still complain it is too late. 

You have this whole thing backwards.  Your guests don't care about your decor.  They care about how well you host them, i.e., what food you serve them.  It's an absolutely terrible idea to cheap out on the food in order to splurge on the decorations. 

Again, why are you doing this on a Wednesday?

Rebl90

I am a budget bride also, and while I get that food can be expensive (yes, it can end up becoming a good percentage of your budget), I also agree with the majority. If you are hosting them on the middle of a weekday afternoon, then you need to serve food. Some people will be making considerable sacrifices because they love you and won't let work get in the way of sharing the day with you.

If you haven't officially set the venue/day, then I would reconsider the weekend. Its much easier to do a mid-day "cake and punch" reception (2/3pm) on a Saturday or Sunday, than it is to do a light meal on a weeknight. If that's out, then you have to work with what you've got. I can't make suggestions on what to cut and what to keep because you haven't listed a break down of your budget. If you were to do that then you would receive a lot of really helpful advice from some awesome people on here. 

JoanE2012

I would be completely fine with a mid day ceremony and light snacks if it were on a weekend.  But to have it on a Wednesday(?!?!) where I have to take time off from work and then send me home to without dinner seems pretty rotten.

Why are you having it on a Wednesday and not a weekend?  I pray it's not because the date has some special significance.

And, OP, people care way more about the food than decorations.  I could not tell you a single thing about the decor of any of the weddings I've been to, but I sure as hell can tell you which ones had kick ass food and which ones I stopped at a convenience store on the way home because it sucked or was enough.  Be remembered for the right reasons, not the awful ones.

ETA:  Oh god, I knew it.  I just looked at your post history and the reason why you want that Wednesday is because it's your dating anniversary?!?!  That's a pretty crappy reason to inconvenience your guests.

Also, from your other posts, it sounds like you're awfully young and have a lot going on.  I'd strongly suggest you postpone the wedding.  This way, you'll be able to save more.  What's the hurry?

mysticl

aurianna said:

JessicaJupiter said:

When I say I cannot afford this in my wedding I am serious. I don't know who would be happy coming to a wedding where everything looked like dollar store decor on the tables but had a half decent meal. I am not willing to cheap out on our wedding bands and getting a matching set for $50 on eBay just so my guests can eat. Even my mother agrees with me that it is a better idea to invest in the other aspects of the wedding that will be more memorable for everyone.

I have priced local caterers and since I live in a very small town they have little competition so the prices are pretty steep (even steeper per person when they see it isn't a large wedding). I have priced these smaller foods and they do seem reasonable cheaper that plating a meal. I don't know if there is confusion over how much food people will get so let me put it this way: If they had a plate and put a little bit of everything on that plate, each guest would probably have at least a plate and a half of food. Alcohol is also completely out of the question here, not just for budget reasons but we have a good percentage of guests who would ruin it.

I know this is a sticky issue. But if I have my ceremony too early in the day then everyone gets mad at me for asking them to leave work too early, if I hold it too late then it'd be very dark and I wouldn't get any quality pictures and many guests would still complain it is too late. 

Oh I would guess the majority of guests care waaaaaaaaaay more about the food than the decorations.
Actually I've been to a couple of weddings that had absolutely beautiful decor... and then they had cash bars. I was way irked that they dumped so much money in the decor but not in properly hosting us.

Personally, if I take off work to go to a Wednesday afternoon wedding, and if I'm still sitting at that wedding reception at 5 o'clock, I'm starting to get hungry. I don't give a darn about the decorations on the table, and I don't give a darn about the band. I want to be fed. I strongly, strongly doubt that I am in the minority here.

You don't need a band. You could borrow/rent some speakers and just do an ipod playlist.

If you're only having 30 guests then you don't have that many tables to decorate.
Silk flowers aren't that expensive. You could probably make your own flower arrangements if that floats your boat.

Candles are also cheap if you buy them in bulk. Those look cool on tables. Marbles in a bowl... wild flowers... bowls of cool rocks and seashells and sea glass or whatever else you might be able to find in your area...

I know I made my own invites to my SIL's baby shower. $10 to print 30 of them at Office Depot and they were hella-cute. I imagine you can find pre-printed ones or make your own for around that too.

You can do budget on almost everything else and still have plenty for a meal.

While you are totally entitled to choose whichever day you want for your wedding, I'm sure you understand that a Wednesday afternoon is inconvenient for almost everyone, and even more so if you have any out of town guests. As a reception is a thank you to your guests for attending your ceremony, I think you should give them extra thanks considering the inconvenience, and give them a meal.


ETA:
As for pictures... have First Look pictures. Take them before the wedding so that you can do them in the day time.

I would MUCH rather go to a 7:30 wedding than a 3pm one, because then I wouldn't have to take off work. Please consider this.

ETA:
So part of this is because of the ring cost? Ummm...
Is it possible you guys WAIT to get married until you can save more money?
Or do cheap rings, and then on your first anniversary give each other new ones that you've had the year to save for? Put the originals in a keep sake box or frame them or make an ornament out of the originals or whatever.

I think she means wedding bands as in rings not the kind that plays music.   

With that being said the ring is just a symbol.  While you should like your ring it does not have to be fancy or expensive.  As for the decorations being the more memorable part of the wedding than the food you and your mother are dead wrong.  No one is going to remember your decor unless it is something amazing, you aren't going to do amazing for $2000.  The only table decorations I remember from all the weddings I've been to are my own and my best friend's because I helped make them.  That's it.  What people will remember is the food or lack thereof and the feeling of being rushed.  Honestly it sounds like you cannot afford a wedding.  The two of you should just get married.  Don't invite anyone except immediate family and then the following Friday get your friends together for happy hour and tell them the first round is on you in honor of your recent marriage.  

aurorajanette

JessicaJupiter said:

When I say I cannot afford this in my wedding I am serious. I don't know who would be happy coming to a wedding where everything looked like dollar store decor on the tables but had a half decent meal. I am not willing to cheap out on our wedding bands and getting a matching set for $50 on eBay just so my guests can eat. Even my mother agrees with me that it is a better idea to invest in the other aspects of the wedding that will be more memorable for everyone.

I have priced local caterers and since I live in a very small town they have little competition so the prices are pretty steep (even steeper per person when they see it isn't a large wedding). I have priced these smaller foods and they do seem reasonable cheaper that plating a meal. I don't know if there is confusion over how much food people will get so let me put it this way: If they had a plate and put a little bit of everything on that plate, each guest would probably have at least a plate and a half of food. Alcohol is also completely out of the question here, not just for budget reasons but we have a good percentage of guests who would ruin it.

I know this is a sticky issue. But if I have my ceremony too early in the day then everyone gets mad at me for asking them to leave work too early, if I hold it too late then it'd be very dark and I wouldn't get any quality pictures and many guests would still complain it is too late. 

I have been to MANY weddings. I don't remember the decore at 90% of them, but I remember what I ate at every single one.

If these people are important enough to you that you want them to attend the ceremony, you need to feed them, not decorate for them. Otherwise, have a private ceremony, don't invite anyone, and get it over with.

If you can't afford a reception then fine! Don't have one.