BYO Food in Fredericksburg, VA

Fredericksburg is awesome. Virginia is an awesome (the best!!) state.

When I got food poisoning, I finished my sandwhich at 11am, and had vomit coming out my nose at 2pm. I couldn't even stand up without puking. So three hours. x200. Better budget for a mop.

Glad I' m not invited to this wedding, I only know hot cook for a family of 4.

I also wouldn't be bringing a gift and food, so OP if you're expecting gifts from all your guests, cus lets face it; with 200 gues this December, that's what you're really expecting.

It's ok to wait to host properly until next December. I'll be engaged 2 years by the time my wedding day comes around.

I don't care, we are paying for it ourselves, have a child to feed, and will have open bar for guests and lots of food and a live dj, not uncle bob's pandora list with commercials!

FFS. If a caterer is outside of your budget, then you can't afford a wedding. Push back your date and save money so that you can properly host your guests.

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Just stopping by to say, if you are having trouble finding a venue that will allow outside food, *there is a reason*

If multiple strangers are giving you the same advice, often based off of their own prior experience, *there is a reason*

I had a post in here the other day about potluck and how much they suck. I had to make enough chili for 200 servings. I lost half a days work. Ended up being almost 200 in groceries because I didn't originally have enough. I was tired and super ass grumpy by the time I got there. Sitting at a table with a couple other moms out general opinion of this was "fuck this". In a catholic school gym. Is this is what you want for your wedding?

A whole bunch of stressed out people saying "fuck this"? Guessing you want the 200 people for the gifts. Probably not going to get much of you out that pressure on your guests.

There are cheap alternatives to catering it yourself. BBQ or Italian, or even most grocery delis can put together a package pretty cheap. One of the BBQ places I checked out was only $9 pp. Or try having it at a non-meal time and just do cake and punch reception. Good luck!

Postpone the date, pick up a part time job, and save for a properly hosted wedding. Please.

For those of you who say to wait. No. I'm 21 and have the one I am going to spend the rest of my life and we are planning a year out in order to have all of our family and friends there. The guest list is 200 people because I have a HUGE tight knit family and so does he. I don't care about the presents I just want to celebrate with those I am closest to. By potluck I wasn't very clear. I have a set of 15 friends (who have already offered) to make a large tray of a dishes. We are going to have pasta, veggies, and mashed potatoes and rolls. I am looking for a venue/hall/center that has a kitchen to store the food and heat it up when it's ready. So no one will be getting sick. The reason that I am asking for help even though I have had a couple friends who BTW have had BEAUTIFUL weddings where everyone had so much fun and no one got sick, is because I am looking for other options to the 3 possible venues I already have scheduled tours for. My budget for venue is $1000, my budget for food beverages is $500 because I plan on helping those friends pay for the ingredients for the dishes. We will not be serving alcohol as much as I would like to not because I am "cheap" but because the majority of both our families do not drink. Now other than telling me I can't do it does anyone have any advice for where I could pull this off? The suggestions like the community halls and the V__?? Were very helpful. If you would like to tell me I can't and I am not being realistic go ahead I can't stop you and you are not upsetting me. I will scan over your comments and look for the helpful pieces of advice.

If your budget is 1000 for the space and 500 for food, then are you not having a dj, photographer, cake, decorations, etc?

$500 is not going to feed 200 people. Even with this terrible self-catering.

Kristen, you can't afford this wedding. It is - no joke - missing a zero as in $15,000 is more accurate. Wait a few years, save up, and host properly.

Don't let your friends and family work, they're there to celebrate with you.

Don't punish your guests who do like an occasional drink because most of your family doesn't.

OP: "I'm going to stick a pin in that little kid!"

Forum: "Don't do that. It's shitty behavior."

OP: "I'm doing it anyway and you can't stop me! It will be great, you'll see, you big meanies! Who can help me pick the right kind of pin?"

Forum: ...........,,,

If you really can't wait, go to the courthouse and take your parents to a nice dinner and call it a day.

.

The longer you wait, the more money you save, and planning this will be easier for you.

ETA: you're being completely unrealistic.

Most people don't die from contaminated food at potlucks. But some do. Just because your friends did it and no one got sick doesn't automatically mean you'll have the same luck.

Why do you even WANT to do this? Live with your FH, be together, learn to share space and share lives. Then, one you have some money saved up, have a proper wedding, where you can indulge yourself and treat your guests like royalty, one that doesn't depend on feeding people $2.50 dinners and hoping for the best.

It's a special day. Save up for it.