Wedding Reception Forum

DIY food for reception, please help!

We have a limited budget because we are paying for everything so we are wanting to do all the food and dessert ourselves instead of getting a caterer. Any suggestions?

Re: DIY food for reception, please help!

  • I wouldn't do this.  It would be very stressful, plus you don't want to make any of your guests sick by accident.  Price out a few caterers and see how much it would be.  Then you can make an educated decision.  If food is really too expensive, some people just do cake/punch after their ceremony at a non-meal time.
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_diy-food-for-reception-please-help?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:5Discussion:808479ec-bf9c-493c-b806-a018a6b19df2Post:3ff46889-4521-4a3f-9e03-e6e578e893c3">Re: DIY food for reception, please help!</a>:
    [QUOTE]I wouldn't do this.  It would be very stressful, plus you don't want to make any of your guests sick by accident.  Price out a few caterers and see how much it would be.  Then you can make an educated decision.  If food is really too expensive, some people just do cake/punch after their ceremony at a non-meal time.
    Posted by MrsGandthebeag[/QUOTE]

    Thank you for the suggestion. We may do that instead of having to worry about food.
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_diy-food-for-reception-please-help?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:5Discussion:808479ec-bf9c-493c-b806-a018a6b19df2Post:a4fee75b-b929-4c19-ada8-93ce4d2718e6">DIY food for reception, please help!</a>:
    [QUOTE]We have a limited budget because we are paying for everything so we are wanting to do all the food and dessert ourselves instead of getting a caterer. Any suggestions?
    Posted by bjbarrick[/QUOTE]

    Consider pricing bbq restuarants. Many can cater a meal for about $10.00 per person.  For desserts, many cookies and cakes can be made ahead of time and frozen.  If you have the freezer space, you can certainly do that for your dessert bar.  Just make sure everything is wrapped very tightly, so nothing ends up with freezer burn.

    If you do decide to host just snacks and desserts, make sure you hold your wedding at a non-meal time. Your ceremony can be at 2pm, and the reception would be over at 5pm.  Or, you can hold an evening wedding. Ceremony at 8pm, reception over by 11 or 12.  I personally feel that non-meal receptions are better in the afternoon.  Evening receptions tend to be bigger "party" atmospheres and people tend to expect more food and cocktails.
  • Also maybe consider pizza places or italian food resturant. Many of them in my area will provide full pans (which will serve a lot) of pasta & salads & sometimes other food. Then all you have to do is have someone pick it up & put on on some holders w/burners underneath. So you're basically doing it yourself (set up & clean up) but you're not spending hours in the kitchen.

    It's worth it to at least get some prices to compare in the end what it would cost you to do it yourself versus doing something like that. If it's a small difference in cost, buy the food ready made.
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_diy-food-for-reception-please-help?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:808479ec-bf9c-493c-b806-a018a6b19df2Post:4e73e209-1248-4ab6-8240-a850d1d596fd">Re: DIY food for reception, please help!</a>:
    [QUOTE]In Response to DIY food for reception, please help! : Consider pricing bbq restuarants. Many can cater a meal for about $10.00 per person.
    Posted by cmgilpin[/QUOTE]

    That's brilliant! I hadn't thought of doing BBQ, but it would be a great way to save on the budget. I might just have to hijack the idea. Thanks.
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