Help planning 60th birthday party for MIL

[Flumpydumps]

So me and DH have somehow ended up being in charge of throwing MIL a 60th party. It was initially going to be a meal for close family and friends (around 12-15 people) but now seems to have spiralled into about 60 people coming to a party.

I feel completely out of my depth! We’ve hired a local social club for a reasonable price with a bar which will be staffed and paid extra for access to the kitchen. We are going to do a buffet according to DH

What things do I need to consider? How much prep is this going to take?

MIL keeps inviting more and more people - she’s lovely but she’s always maintained she didn’t want a fuss but has now gotten entirely swept up in the event. Help please!

Slow cookers with chilli, curry, rice, breads, other accompaniments are always an easy one? No one really cares too much about the food to be fair, they are all usually too pished!

Or bacon/sausage rolls too seem popular up here in Scotland!

Also decorations - balloons, dj, cake

Probably costs about £500 for a decent do for around 70/80 people

i suspected this would be the case. DH seems to think we can do it for about £50 with a few balloons and some sandwiches 🤦🏼‍♀️

If dh has siblings get them all to bring a dish and donate towards decorations. If it's during August/ September l would do a cold buffet as its far less hassle. Cold meats, salads etc. Nice breads too. And cake for dessert.

Can you not set a limit on numbers? Have you checked the legal H&S capacity of the venue? Surely you'll need a professional caterer for that many people? Or could you pre-order large platters of food from a supermarket that you collect on the day?
What is £50 meant to cover? It might cover the soft drinks.

Have you Has DH thought about:
Music
Cake that serves 60
Candles
Bunting
Who is washing up?
Disposable plates, plastic cups (or environmentally friendly alternatives), paper napkins, table cloths.

Thankyou for all the suggestions, I’m adding them to my ever-growing list. its feeling like an impossible task, especially with an excited toddler in tow

I'd do a cold buffet. People don't want a bowl of chill and rice, plus it's too much hassle to serve it warm.

A cold buffet for 70 people is not that hard. Cheese board, french sticks cut up, cold meat, pickles, sausage rolls, a few quiches, crisps, no need to make sandwiches. Go to Aldi to save money.

Have a look at grazing boards, they are fairly simple really as everything is premade-cheeses, cold meats, breadsticks, crackers, dips etc etc

get a playlist over favourite era or age (ie teenage years) going and dim the lights ,make sure there’s plenty of seats too

Costco do some great platters and prepared food, perfect for a party.

Grazing boards look like a good shout! And definitely will go to Aldi for the majority of it.

Any ideas how to politely put a stop to the ever expanding guest list?

Costco is your friend! You might need to pre-order but they do amazing sandwich/wrap platters as well as giant bags of crisps/nibbles etc. They also do personalised cakes. We organised a christening earlier in the year and a plain white square sponge cake (which fed 48 people) with a personalised message was about £15. You can also get paper plates etc.

I don't work for them (honest!!!) but I am a bit of a fan.

In addition to that, you really just need some decs (balloons/banners) and the obligatory DJ. It might feel a bit overwhelming but it's really not too bad. Just find out what the room capacity is and then tell MIL that she has to stop inviting people. 😂