Potluck wedding reception

Charity, you wrote (in defense of this awful idea: "I would say avoid asking guests to bring food or labeling the reception as a potluck", which was immediately followed by, "Talk to some family and friends you know and trust, see if they are willing to help prepare something or assign something from your list to anyone asking if they can be involved that way....

Umm, color me confused. I understand why you wouldn't want to label the wedding potluck (because it's embarrassing, cheap, and a sign that the couple over-invited and do not want to pay a professional caterer), but here's where you get me: you said you really should avoid asking guests to bring food to the wedding reception, yet you're simultaneously talking to family members and friends to see if they're willing to a accept a food assignment from your "list" or just asking them to prepare something for the wedding meal. You cannot have it both ways. You're potlucking them if you're asking about or assigning meal preparation.

I'll never be able to understand the overwhelming draw to keep things as cheap as possible. This is a wedding meal -- it's the highlight of a day marking the union of two people. Why is it so important to run around trying to do a dollar menu at the reception. Why not let the food define the occasion. If you can't afford to invite every aunt, uncle, or cousin and provide them with a restaurant quality dinner with adult beverages, why not scale the wedding way back and have your reception in a restaurant? This is something your guests will ask each other as someone is plugging in the parade of crockpots.

Charity, you wrote (in defense of this awful idea: "I would say avoid asking guests to bring food or labeling the reception as a potluck", which was immediately followed by, "Talk to some family and friends you know and trust, see if they are willing to help prepare something or assign something from your list to anyone asking if they can be involved that way....

Umm, color me confused. I understand why you wouldn't want to label the wedding potluck (because it's embarrassing, cheap, and a sign that the couple over-invited and do not want to pay a professional caterer), but here's where you get me: you said you really should avoid asking guests to bring food to the wedding reception, yet you're simultaneously talking to family members and friends to see if they're willing to a accept a food assignment from your "list" or just asking them to prepare something for the wedding meal. You cannot have it both ways. You're potlucking them if you're asking about or assigning meal preparation.

I'll never be able to understand the overwhelming draw to keep things as cheap as possible. This is a wedding meal -- it's the highlight of a day marking the union of two people. Why is it so important to run around trying to do a dollar menu at the reception. Why not let the food define the occasion. If you can't afford to invite every aunt, uncle, or cousin and provide them with a restaurant quality dinner with adult beverages, why not scale the wedding way back and have your reception in a restaurant? This is something your guests will ask each other as someone is plugging in the parade of crockpots.

Charity, you wrote (in defense of this awful idea: "I would say avoid asking guests to bring food or labeling the reception as a potluck", which was immediately followed by, "Talk to some family and friends you know and trust, see if they are willing to help prepare something or assign something from your list to anyone asking if they can be involved that way....

Umm, color me confused. I understand why you wouldn't want to label the wedding potluck (because it's embarrassing, cheap, and a sign that the couple over-invited and do not want to pay a professional caterer), but here's where you get me: you said you really should avoid asking guests to bring food to the wedding reception, yet you're simultaneously talking to family members and friends to see if they're willing to a accept a food assignment from your "list" or just asking them to prepare something for the wedding meal. You cannot have it both ways. You're potlucking them if you're asking about or assigning meal preparation.

I'll never be able to understand the overwhelming draw to keep things as cheap as possible. This is a wedding meal -- it's the highlight of a day marking the union of two people. Why is it so important to run around trying to do a dollar menu at the reception. Why not let the food define the occasion. If you can't afford to invite every aunt, uncle, or cousin and provide them with a restaurant quality dinner with adult beverages, why not scale the wedding way back and have your reception in a restaurant? This is something your guests will ask each other as someone is plugging in the parade of crockpots.

Is this real life?

Also, to speak on behalf of FH, he's really upset Vermont got referenced in a pro-potluck comment

@Elphaba, glad you got a chuckle!

@Charity, so you're pro-potluck, but not calling it a potluck? Why the secretive nature if you're so keen on asking relatives to help make your "big day" happen?

I think I already know the answer...

Where's OP?

@Richard - I had NOT noticed that. But now I can't stop laughing!

And @VC - OP is clearly never coming back. Sigh. At least she hasn't deleted the post yet, so maybe lurkers will learn.

Damnit! I saw this and got excited! OP will never come back. She took her crock pot weenies and went home.

We were thinking about doing that.. But we calculated it and saw it would cost just the same amount to have it at our reception as to have a potluck as well... so we decided on having it at our reception spot let them do the catering to cut back on stress off our backs

So many posts about potlucks, check the search.

That is taking on a lot of responsibility and there is the potential for many things to go wrong! Don't take on that liability.

@Richard Bahahahaha love it!

Uh oh....here we go

Kate's never coming back, right?

AGREE WITH ALL. Don't self-cater/do a potluck. Totally not worth it, and way more cons than pros.

I am just here because it is so entertaining. But honestly i do not think these questions are sincere. Everyone who spends just a day on WW knows the forums thoughts about pot luck receptions. Why do you all still bother to reply? One answer would be enough: Look up previous threads.