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Just Said Yes March 2019

diy Lasagna Catering

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Christal, on January 16, 2019 at 8:57 PM

Hey friends!

My name is Christal, im getting married on March 24th, annnd I’m a crazy DIY lady.

Im doing my wedding for 250 people and my budget is 10k (or less!!) , a major part of money saving for me is doing our own catering. We both love lasagna so we want to have a buffet style lasagna dinner.

We are going to have family and the bridal party bring two or so lasagnas, as well as make some ourselves so we can get enough for 250 people. We will also have sides and such.

I am a little nervous for how this will work out, so I was wondering if anyone had any tips for doing our own catering? Are there details I might be over looking? Are there things I should be aware of? I wanna know all the things!

Our venue does have a full service kitchen, so we will bring all the food the day before and heat it up the day of.

Thanks guys!!

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47 Comments

Beginner November 2025
Jessica · on March 21, 2019 at 1:24 PM
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I understand a large wedding on a budget and almost went this route (not lasagna but having a lot of people pitching in) and my budget is only $7k, but I found a small catering business that's just starting up and willing to do enough food for 200 people for about $750. It may take some research or calling in favors, but I can guarantee you that someone you know KNOWS someone that can help you have an affordable meal. If that's not an option for you, I agree with the comment above of a a "cooking day" and have everyone pitch in in advance and freeze all the lasagna's so there's less fuss close to the wedding. You don't want to stress your family out and want it to be an enjoyable day for all.
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September 2019
Lorri · on March 21, 2019 at 10:13 PM
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Ughhh for your sanity and safety dont do it. I almost called off the wedding to my first husband the day of, because I was so stressed making all the pasta. It was mostly cooked ahead of time and frozen then put in the fridge to thaw a couple days before. Most of it was still frozen and I was STRESSED to the max. And I only had 100 people. Not to mention I was an hour late to my own wedding, and i was so rushed my hair looked like awful, which in turn made my pics look like garbage. DONT DO IT. I should also mention I used to work for a caterer, and knew how to do huge events.
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Just Said Yes October 2025
Jamie · on March 26, 2019 at 8:11 AM
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Maybe it where I live or something, but I don't think I have ever been to a wedding reception that wasn't pot-luck. I have a huge family, and between my 1st husbands family and my own we had about 150 people. It is always just a normal thing for family members to ask what the menu plan is, and what they should bring. Everything is just put on large tables and you serve yourself. Most foods are in crock pots, except for cold foods which are put out right before the meal is served. Lasagna sounds amazing, but I can see it being a good bit of work. I was thinking about doing Baked Ziti myself and one of my main meals.
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Devoted September 2019
Mo · on March 26, 2019 at 2:20 PM
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I helped out at a friend of a friends wedding who did a lasagna buffet with salad and rolls. Everyone enjoyed it! They didn’t make it themselves though, so i don’t have any feedback on that process but they did have different types of lasagna! A butternut squash lasagna for vegans, traditional lasagna, and a cheese lasagna for vegetarians.
I would suggest pre-cutting the slices to make it easier and to keep a count of how many people you’ll be able to serve per lasagna.
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Dedicated October 2019
October2019 · on March 30, 2019 at 3:56 PM
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Sounds yummy. Just get insurance, and have fun!
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Dedicated June 2020
Anastasia · on March 31, 2019 at 9:59 AM
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I commend you for your DIY spirit and ability to work on a tight budget. However, I would really reconsider this simply for the liability and stress of it all. It may not end up saving you that much money and it likely won't be worth the anxiety it causes.
1) You will require more than the normal $1mil event insurance to cover liabilities if anyone gets sick. You are also going to have a toss up of different flavors, etc doing a pot luck.
2) Who will be managing the heating up and staying warm of the lasagnas? I would say that is definitely a paid job just so the person stays on top of it because this is a huge health risk. Potluck weddings are great in theory but again, a huge liability because of food safety standards. This is why most venues require caterers with licenses and the one that do allow home cooking require outside event insurance.
3) Have you considered other options? I know that there are a lot of italian restaurants that cater who will bring proper chafing dishes and the recipe will be consistent throughout. Also, BBQ is a surprisingly affordable option for guests and can easily be under $15/pp. Totally different vibe and I'm sorry if these aren't helpful. But you have options!
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Dedicated June 2020
Anastasia · on March 31, 2019 at 10:05 AM
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OH! I didn't see how old this post was- you already got married! BEST WISHES!! Did it turn out okay?
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