Outdoor Weddings

not hiring caterer?!

I'm not hiring a caterer for our outdoor wedding in Oct. A friend of the family is bbq'ing and different people are making diffent items such as punch, cake, dips, beans, potato salad etc.
Just wondering how you were going to go about having
the food setup when there arent any caterers there.... hire "day of" servers? The reception is going to be outside and the reception space is visible from the ceremony. It would be wierd to have the food out before the ceremony and I do not want my family having to rush to the reception and get eveything ready while everyone is viewing the reception space.....thought about havinga  mini "cocktail hour" (without cocktails), just punch and appetizers. This would give the family time to get the reception area ready.... but then I would worry about seating for the "cocktail hour"......HELP
Just let the guest wait after the ceremony till the food is set out and ready? any suggestions?
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Re: not hiring caterer?!

  • I would definitely consider hiring someone to set up and serve the food.  They can refill anything if necessary so it does not all have to sit out at once and it will allow your family and friends to enjoy the day without having to worry about the food.
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  • Yes, hire one or two people. I have a similar set up and will hire a friend of mine whose daughter is a waitress and plan on finding another helper. For me, it's worth it to not have my family or me worrying that the potato dish needs to be refilled. Then, they can start setting up while your ceremony is happening.
  • I think you guys are right about not having family worry about the food setup.... if I were to hire 1 or 2 girls to help set up and keep everything full, how much would you suggest is a fair rate to pay for their services for probably 2 hours?
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  • Assuming they aren't having to travel and it is only 2 hours total I would pay them $50 each.  I have no experience with this but if I were in your shoes that's what I would give.  Or pay $20 an hour each and then tip at the end.
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  • Ditto PP - I am planning about $20 per hour and including a tip

  • We are looking into hiring a couple of local college students who are part of the hospitality major.  We'll provide them with $50 each as well as a letter of commendation for a job well done and a few photos of them working for their portfolio. 
  • Our "DIY" appetizers ended up costing as much as a caterer because of the people we had to hire to coordinate.  They weren't expensive, but $15 an hour adds up really quickly.  I would look into what a caterer would cost, just to make sure you're not giving yourself unnecessary headaches to save $100.
    Learning to live and work from home: My blog
  • We will have our food set out before the ceremony. Ours will be less than 1/2 hour though.
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