Cooking for reception?

Everyone else pretty much covered it, but please don't do this. Hire a caterer. Shop around, they all have different menus and prices. Food poisoning is a BIG deal. I get sketched out at buffets because if the food isnt raised to a certain temp to kill anything that MAY have been born over two days and then kept at a certain temp to make sure nothing else is born in the chafing dishes over the hours it sits out, people will get sick.

I was at a wedding last weekend that was self-catered. All the aunts had to do that day was set up, argue with each other, boil the noodles, argue with each other, re-arrange the buffet line, argue, watch the ceremony, put out the salad for dinner during cocktail hour, make sure the food stayed warm during dinner, eat whatever was left, hug the bride, then clean up the entire area and leave.

Doesn't sound very fun.

ETA: oh yeah, this was a <50 person wedding. Triple it for yours.

I don't think it would work. That's really a lot of people to feed. At best I think you could get food from a restaurant/caterer and hire a few people to keep an eye on everything and serve. But really, at that point, you're better off finding a caterer who will do a bbq or picnic kind of menu for relatively low cost and provide servers.

Celia Milton: Do i need staff? Its buffet style even if we decide to find a reasonable catering service.

destiny: i was wondering if chips were a bad idea, nobody else noticed. whats wrong with deviled eggs? i thought that was common for weddings.

Emilyg: true the deviled eggs probably wouldn't be good after a day. someone has to work the buffet line? hmm. i went to a wedding where they had the food in the big silver pans and it was basically a when its gone, its gone thing. which i didn't care for but everybody did eat good.

Briana: i literally have question marks in the margins beside alot of guests in my notebook. it will probably be at least 100 or close to that show up tho. I'm in SC, Summerville, which is a town near Charleston. We'll be using paper plates(the good kind) and such so there won't be dishes or nothing.

Niki: i was hoping with warmers and such it would stay warm. every wedding i've been to the food was set out either by family or caterers and never got cold. the cost is the main reason i was considering besides wanting it to be exactly what I want. i figured food would be the area to be able to cut costs.

Why do you want your family to work your wedding instead of enjoying it and celebrating with you?

Food is one of the LAST places to cut costs. Trust me. Nix some lighting, cut back on flowers (silk bouquets or DIY), do beer and wine only bar, etc. There are much, much better places to cut back that wont have such potentially disastrous results.

With 140 people (or even 100) food trays will need to be set up, heated, refilled, someone will need to keep an eye on sternos and ice, thermometer tests to make sure everything is being kept to proper temps and adjusting as needed, and cleanup. Its simply not feasible or safe to just dump 140 plates worth of food in chafing dishes and not pay any further attention to it.

The food you want would run on the cheaper side of catering. It is worth it. Are your families paying? If not, you only invite who you want. Cutting that guest list will save the most. If you plan to serve alcohol, you'll need bartenders, too. Self serve bars are a huge liability.

Yes. you do. If you have 140 guests and you use disposable tableware you need at least three. Everything on the buffet line should be served (because if people serve themselves it takes forever and you have no portion control). And you need bartenders.

Here is the thing. And it's not just a thing for you, it's a Universal Wedding Truth.

You have xx amount of dollars. You can serve a small group nicely with little stress or you can serve a big group badly and be freaking out every day from now until the day.

It's your choice.

Everyone has been to a badly run, over populated event. Don't let it be yours, okay?

Bella, a caterer will make you the exact food you want. Trust, a mashed potato bar is not unique - they've done it before.

I received a quote for the EXACT list of food you posted. $3000 for 50 people, including staff and linens and all of that except tables and chairs. When you add it all up, including the time spent heating food and all that, it's really better to just pay someone to do it.

ETA: I was looking at quotes in DC, too, so probably higher pp than you would be quoted.

What's your budget, Bella? How much do you expect the food to cost?

@OP- She wasn't late to the venue, there was some mayhem going on with the food itself. Like it was taking longer to warm up than they thought.

First, create your budget. Use the WW budgeting tool to guide you a bit. Majority of your budget goes into food/drink, so please take that into consideration.

You will see many brides on here who have gotten decent prices on BBQ in their areas. Perhaps look into that. Consider a brunch style wedding or a cake/punch reception.

Ok bells I'm from sc as well. We are having BBQ from Hudson Catering. This is what we are doing : BBQ with all 3 sauces, roasted chicken, roasted potatoes, Southern green beans, veggies, coleslaw. All on buffet with servers in black outfits. Also will b doing two passed appetizers : deviled eggs, antipasto skewers. Plus a fruit and cheese station AND a shrimp and grits station l. Guest list is 136 and cost 3200

^ Yes, this, try cooking for 140 people for less than $3200. That's $22 a person, and I'm assuming includes the servers and all the necessary equipment.

OMG Alison that sounds so yummy! Your guests are going to LOVE that! (NC girl here loves some shrimp and grits!!)

I worked for my parents who own a catering business all through HS and some college. Buffet style food needs to be babied, for simple reasons of you will NOT get enough mac n cheese into 1 chaufer for 100 people. Someone has to watch and refill. Also, deviled eggs are a bad idea. You can call around and price out exactly what you want and see the cost. I've seen it said here before and I'm not being rude, if you can't host your guests on your budget, you should cut your guest list to the number of people you can actually afford to feed and give free booze to

Sarah Kat: i figured it wouldn't take long and it was my moms suggestion cause apparently people set up for her wedding.

Niki: we're doing alot of diy, christmas lights with fabric. flowers, we're doing some fake, some real. We're doing 1 or 2 kegs and some punches for alcohol.

Stephanie: I think my mom is paying for some of it, not all of it. We're doing kegs and punches and potentially a cash bar.

Celia Milton: I am slightly worried about the portion control because some of our friends would eat everything there. We're only doing kegs and punches and maybe a cash bar, which that would need a bartender.

FutureMrsR: I believe the venues we're looking at provide the tables and chairs. 3000 for 50 is alot but the rates are probably lower here.

Briana: I was originally hoping not to spend more then 2k on the food.

Nicole: oh wow! thats horrible..

S&J: Yes, I think photography and the food will be the most expensive.

Alison: Thats not too terrible, since you're having shrimp and two stations. I think you're upstate.

FutureMrsR: it would cost more to cook?? we were guessing around $900 if we cooked.

Bella, that much food will still be at least $10-12 per guest to eat if you bought it at the grocery store. That does not include drinks, renting warmers, the cost of dishes and serveware, etc. The food alone would still be probably $1500. Also, I'm of the mind that time does equal money, especially for something as big as a wedding for 140 people. It takes an hour to cook mashed potatoes, meat, and pasta for a family of 5. Imagine how long it would take to cook 140 servings. Not to mention, where would you be storing all this food until the day of? Unless you have a commercial size freezer in your basement, it makes the logistics very very difficult. Plus, caterers come with insurance. The cost of that insurance is also included in my assessment of it's really a better option, both financially and mentally, to pay for catering.

Also yes, DC is very expensive for weddings, which is why my quote is so high compared to Alison's.

Who cleans up? Your family?

Basically look at it this way. Is everyone on your guest list important enough to you that you would spend $20 to take them out to dinner? If yes, then $20 per person, which is approximately what $3200 would come out to, is a good price. If not, well I'd cut the guest list, because if someone isn't worth $20 to me then they aren't important enough to be at my wedding.

ETA: If you're looking at booking actual venues, most require a *licensed* caterer. Unless it's a church or park or something of that nature.

Of course you're thinking about a cash bar! OP, just charge a cover fee.....