Would it be crazy to cater for the wedding myself?

[ButterpieBride]

It's just they are charging £5 a head for what sounds like a not very inspiring menu. I'm not thinking of anything fancy, but surely we can do a cold buffet for 100 or so for much less than that?

For the two days beforehand, we have me, DP, 2 DDs (ok, they aren't much use), 2 parents in law, my parents, my nana, my 2 sisters, any of DPs relatives that can be pressganged into helping, my range oven, ILs normal oven, 3 freezers, 3 fridges, 4 makro cards and 3 cars. Surely we can do something with that lot?

DP says that he is worried that we'll end up looking like Kerry Katona with a load of Iceland stuff, but I reckon a bit of judicious mixing of posh and budget and locally sourced, and we'll have a much better spread.

Am I now officially mad?

you can get big foil platters to serve on so they can be binned too. And supermarkets do dirt cheep tongs etc (we still have a silly number of serving spoons).

We found clearing up the food easy, people looked after it, as you say it's just a bin bag job. The prep is where the work is tbh.
If you decorate the room etc yourself bare in mind that this will need taking down.

:D Decoration wise, it is the theatre where DPs parents volunteer, so we are going in the day before to sort it all out, and going back the day after to remove it all. Shouldn't take too long as the decorations are mainly things that 3yo DD1 has made We have a load of those wooden roses, and I'm thinking of offering them to the theatre when we have finished with them, they might want to use them as props. Likewise with my dress and other such things that are not really day to day. (Although I am tempted to dye it and use it as a ballgown. But then I would have to start going to balls...)

I'm kind of hoping that everyone will pitch in a bit in keeping it all relatively tidy, there are enough of us to manage it i'm sure! The only non disposable things I'm planning on using are my cake tower thingy and maybe a couple of my smaller cake stands.

Hi ButterpieBride I think it is totally doable...its all in the planning. Me and my sister have just catered for 60 for a christening. We had a brilliant spread put on and it was much better than what was catered for by a company she used for a christening last year, and definately cost much less too. Think I know the little theatre and the park your talking about in Gateshead its right beside where my MIL lives (well I think it is). For what its worth we run a taste test prior to the christening on sausage rolls from a bakery and from the supermarkets all different ranges and out of the 12 adults and 3 children every one chose Tesco value range heated in the oven....honestly this was a classy do but we cut corners where it was not noticeable. Hope that helps

SOunds like you have it all worked out Butterpie ! I'm sure you can do it, good luck!

Totally doable do you want the menu I used when catering weddings?
Def use foil disposable platters and nice bowls
I did this all done day before and stored in fridge covered in loads of cling wrap

Stuffed Turkey Crown
Honey Glazed Ham
Fillet of Beef
Fish Platter Smked Salmon, Fresh Salmon,

Prawns, Trout, Lemon and Sauce

Cold
Tossed Green Salad
Colslaw
Potato Salad
Red Onion, Feta and Watermelon
Beetroot Salad
Asian Noodle Salad
Roasted Med Veg Salad
CousCous
Breads
Cheese Platter
Your Local Deli might even cook your meat for you at a reasonable price

Hot
Duchesses Potato
Rice
Beef Strognoff [can be made and frozen]
Lamb Tagine [is ok to be frozen]
Parma Ham wrapped stuffed chicken

Pudding/Dessert

Fruit Pavlova [the most popular]
White Choc and Raspberry Trifle
Choc cake
Cheesecake [Toblerone, Lemon, Baileys,

Strawberry, Crunchie are popular
in that order]
Banoffee Pie
Cheese and fruit plate

We also do finger food that can be made and frozen if you are interested.

Have a wonderful day

We are catering our own wedding. It is a very informal reception in a field with a big old fashioned marquee for 80 adults and 40 children. We are keeping it very simple and are having things like big hams, joints of beef, whole salmon, quiches, pies lots of salads, cheese boards and different types of bread. We are having a cake stall as our theme is sort of village fete and for dessert people will be able to choose from homemade mini tarts, mini pavalovas, brownies, fairy cakes and lots of cake. It will all be homemade and locally sourced. We are hiring a chiller trailer and smaller catering tent to store it all in and then are hiring five students to set up and clear away etc. All this still works out slightly cheaper then the caterers and it will be so much nicer and better quality.

We're thinking:

Loads of cupcakes
Spring rolls and other chinese nibbly bits
Crudites (apparently this is what we call sticks of veg now)
Dips
Ham and pease pudding stotties
Cheese and tomato sandwiches
Sausage Rolls
A big Nice Ham
Whole Salmon
Posh crisps
Retro sweets
Chocolate lollies
Veg tarts
Black pudding on thingies (DP is doing that one, so I have forgotten what he is doing)
Bowl of leafy salad from our garden
Bowl of pasta salad
Bowl of potato salad
Cheese board (including Lancashire crumbly from the cheese shop near Preston market)
Nuts
Bread
Fruit

That should be enough I think. Combination of Approved Food, local artisan types and the chinese supermarket.

Are we missing a major thing?

sounds lovely!

Some pictures now on my profile of wedding related stuff :D

Any of the family got a Costco card? They normally have some super buffet type food, including the rolls of table cloth, plates, cultery and very cheap fresh flowers for tables etc.