Honest advice needed here...

cakegirl.73

Hello ladies! 

Second bride time bride and groom here and this time around we are doing what we want...meaning a very small wedding, 30 guests. No wedding party,basically very little traditional details will happen. Now family is volunteering to do all the food etc.. for the wedding, the flowers etc.  We are having a backyard wedding, very simple.  Do I let them do what they want and are really good at- since they want to be involved somehow..or is it just too much and hire a caterer?

Marrin713

We did both.  My best friend is very artsy craftsy and she went nuts with the centerpieces and the guest book.  My mom did alot of baking.  The reception itself was at a local golf course and they provided the catering/bar.

I'd get their ideas and see which ones fit with your plans.  30 people would be doable if family members wanted to provide the food.  Maybe you could hire out the serving/bar portion so those who cook aren't also doing the set up and tear down.  But just remember - what they promise now might not be feasible at the time of the wedding.

sof0830

I am also doing a backyard wedding at our home.... About 67 people coming and the wedding is this saturday..We thought ALOT about not using a caterer..but, in the end..I wanted less hassle because we were doing so many DIY projects. We decided to look for catering companies that were interested in doing desserts and appetizers all night. No sit down, no formal dinner.
Worked out well for us (or we hope it will since wedding is this saturday)...lol
The fee was soooo much cheaper per head and no need to have anyone do the cooking. We also hired a server to serve drinks and we bought all our own wine/beer/soda/ice-tea/lemondae

ichellemay1

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_second-weddings_honest-advice-needed-here?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:35Discussion:726d1dee-1ca0-4f7d-a11c-fe9951fd6cf1Post:21f6df6d-7d4a-4700-9f89-1c650cc9be45">Re: Honest advice needed here...</a>:
[QUOTE]We did both.  My best friend is very artsy craftsy and she went nuts with the centerpieces and the guest book.  My mom did alot of baking.  The reception itself was at a local golf course and they provided the catering/bar. I'd get their ideas and see which ones fit with your plans.  30 people would be doable if family members wanted to provide the food.  Maybe you could hire out the serving/bar portion so those who cook aren't also doing the set up and tear down.  But just remember - what they promise now might not be feasible at the time of the wedding.
Posted by Marrin713[/QUOTE]

Definitely agree here.  Make sure everyone is on the same page.<img src="http://cdn.cl9.vanillaforums.com/downloaded/ver1.0/content/scripts/tinymce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-wink.gif" border="0" alt="Wink" title="Wink" />

Sue-n-Kevin

Welcome cakegirl!

I guess it depends on whether you want your family burdened with things like this on your wedding day or not, and whether they will supply you with good food you want your guests to eat. It's a hassle to keep warm foods warm, cold foods cold, and involves special containers and TIME.

An inexpensive option I'd recommend is to find a gourmet grocery store in your area that maybe has catering also. We have narrowed our caterers down to two that do this, their prices are reasonable, presentation lovely, and they do all the work! You can also consider a restaurant in your area that does outside catering as well. Both should deliver food to you in appropriate containers, and your friends and family get to feel as pampered as you do.

FYI: It's not wise to use your email address as your pseudonym. A lot of vendors peruse the board, and you can get spammed to death, plus you lose a lot of privacy that way.

Lisa50

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_second-weddings_honest-advice-needed-here?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:35Discussion:726d1dee-1ca0-4f7d-a11c-fe9951fd6cf1Post:2272bd03-058c-469d-b828-2af8c0e2b3ba">Honest advice needed here...</a>:
[QUOTE]  <strong>Do I let them do what they want and are really good at- </strong>since they want to be involved somehow..or is it just too much and hire a caterer?
Posted by cakegirl.73@gmail.com[/QUOTE]

Hmm ... if they are truly really good at food prep, cooking, serving, etc., then it's tempting to let them loose.  It is so nice that they want to be involved!   

Maybe the gourmet grocery store/catering option is a happy medium, though.    Heck, I don't know.  I agree with the PPs ... make sure everyone knows who is doing what, when and how.

cakegirl.73

Thanks ladies. I'd heading over to visit with Mom and FMIL to discuss some options. FI is fine with whatever..of course. I'm sure I'll have some more questions as things move along.

deb84

I would vote no but really it is up to you and THEM.  My FMIL does catering but doesn't have a lot of people who work for her, I very politely told her that I would be hiring another caterer for our wedding  and asked if she had any recommendations and if she wanted to attend tastings with FI & I.  She seemed releaved that I didn't expect her to caterer for her son's wedding.  She should be able to enjoy the day not be cooking and the worrying about the food.  She should be able to relax and enjoy the day with her family.  BUT our wedding is 350 ppl which is a big difference from your 30.    Go with what you feel but make sure everyone is on the same page and that they think about all the time that will have to go into it and that they will have to keep an eye on things to make sure nothing runs out and they will have to set up and take down.  Sounds like a lot of work for people who should be enjoying your wedding day and viisting with family.  Just my opinion.
FMIL more than likely will caterer the rehersal dinner and I am ok with that.