Make your own sub station or sub platters

Honestly that's what I was originally planning to do but it's pretty decent. We were looking at like 700 for groceries in order to have enough food for 200 guests. I was told you should have at least 14 pounds of meat Just to be even close to having enough and it really just depends on your guest count and budget. You could do the pre-made subs but have toppings and condiments on the side for everyone to choose from. We ended up deciding to just cater for around 2000 dollars but still give people the choice to choose what they wanted.

How casual is your wedding/how many people are you feeding?

Its definitely not safe, not always smart, and not always cost effective to self cater.

I do not think of subs when I think wedding food but if you're getting married in a park with 20 people, to each his own. Subs are very casual and if I got all dressed up for a wedding and then was served subs I'd think you cheaped out. Deli meat isn't considered real dinner food, IMO. A lot of people don't even eat deli meat.

I'm always team "cater" over make your own. My local grocery stores and delis will make platters for parties and such. If you're set on the platter idea, your best to just get them pre-made so its no work for your family and they can enjoy your wedding day too. Make sure you have the proper storage to keep the subs chilled. What sides will you have?

Have you contacted any kind of caterer to see what your options could be?

My venue doesn't allow for safe catering, either.

Everybody likes make your own sub stations? At a wedding?

Most venues don't even allow you to self cater (for very good reason).

I would get pre-made. If people make their own, there may be sanitary issues if the people at the beginning touch the ingredients that other people will have to eat, or people may spill things, make a mess, etc. You could have several different varieties (including vegetarian) and have condiments on the side to give people options. If anyone is gluten-free, you may need to find a place that can accommodate that (gluten-free bread free of cross-contamination) or give them a different option like a salad.

I had originally planned on self-catering for the rehearsal but in the end decided it wasn't worth the hassle/stress/worry and I didn't want my family to have to "work" at the rehearsal dinner. Even though the rehearsal dinner is being held at a park pavilion, I still decided catering a taco bar would be better for everyone. You might want to at least speak to a caterer before you 100% make up your mind because the extra cost may be worth the stress it will relieve on you and your family.

How far are people traveling? I would honestly be put off if I wasn't prepared to eat sandwiches at the reception. I expect a meal and booze unless told otherwise.

This is fine for a smaller casual 2pm reception which is more of a cake and punch. But even at lunch time I would be upset I spent so much money to come and was fed a sub. Even locals may get a fresh dress and of course a card and maybe a baby sitter.

View Quoted Comment Yes,I just have a small budget and my aunt asked if she could do the food. The subs idea was hers and nobody in family would think I cheaped out.

This sounds pretty unsanitary. I would not want to make a sandwich after everyone else has been through the line and touched everything.

If you're adamant on not having a caterer, please buy the premade subs so your guests don't have to be exposed to other people's germs any more than they have to. But honestly, you can get food from Olive Garden pretty cheap, probably around the same cost of subs.

I'm not sure where you're located, but Publix does sub platters really cheap. Italian delis will do 6-foot subs. This is honestly so cheap to cater, there's no reason to do it yourself. And no, I don't want to make my own food at a wedding.

View Quoted Comment I will look into Publix sub platters,I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before,Because I work there 😂

I will definitely say catered sandwiches and a variety if you choose to do this and maybe something to go with the sandwiches to make it a more fulfilling meal. I did sub sandwiches, well catered by my venue, for a baby shower and the meat and all items could only be out for 1 1/2 hours for food safety. So i definitely wouldn't want to have this all sat out. But something that is pre-made by a food safe company being brought in is so much easier for yourself and safer for your guests. If they get sick its on the restaurant not you. Just make sure these sandwiches are brought in close to meal time or stored in a fridge. Deli meat and cheese (dairy) can be dangerous.

View Quoted Comment Pay,thank you for the advice,I will definitely keep that in mind!

My mom suggested we do this for our wedding. We did it for my 8 year old son's birthday party. Sorry, but that doesn't feel wedding-y to me at all.

We are in fact doing sandwiches. But we're doing fancy gourmet catered sandwiches on a variety of breads. We have 28 different kinds of premade sandwiches, along with other items. I'll have to upload the menu here once I get it finished.

But you do what works for you. As long as you're hosting your guests well then it's acceptable with etiquette.

The whole it’s not wedding food thing is kind of snobbish in my opinion. I’m really on the it’s easier to cater train, but if you do this just make sure you’re keeping cold food cold and hot food hot. Like I don’t think of fancy food at a wedding. I don’t care if it’s fancy, I care if it was tasty and I didn’t get sick from it. Self catering isn’t bad if you do it right.

View Quoted Comment Thank you so much for your support! I will definitely keep all of your advice in mind.

It's not snobbish. I eat sandwiches several days a week for lunch at work. The last thing I want is to go to a wedding and have ---------------------a sandwich.

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To me, it's less that it's not wedding food, and more that it's not dinner food. Sandwiches are weekday lunch food, not Saturday night dinner food.

What time is your reception, OP? I agree that it is way better to buy something pre-made.

View Quoted Comment I don’t know about you- but I enjoy myself a delicious sandwich for breakfast, lunch or dinner. So I just don’t get that it’s not “Saturday night dinner food.” If I’m hungry and it’s good- I’m —-eating it. I love me some subway for dinner. So another poster may feel that way- but I certainly wouldn’t. So this is sort of a know your crowd situation. Some people may love it and some people not so much.

My niece had trays of subs pre-made from Subway for her budget wedding. Everyone was happy with it, because we wouldn't want her to go into debt hosting something she could not afford. We all had plenty to eat (there were side salads, too) and a super-fun time at her wedding.

Not all weddings need to be the same. You do the best you can for your guests, and you do feed your guests. And don't invite more people than you can host.

View Quoted Comment Thank you so much for the support,I love me a good sandwich too! Most of it’s going to be family and I know that they wouldn’t mind having anything that I provided for them,they are pretty laid back.