How many people don't have catering at their wedding?

We didn't since our venue offered sit down service.

Thanks, great idea. Agreed, can get messy if no food with drinks

View quoted message What about doing a cocktail style? Pick a handful of appetizers that can be made in large quantities and have them brought out in stages throughout the receptions. Another alternative is to have one or two food stations (not a main dish but something slightly more substantial than finger food) and then your finger food and apps separately.

Not all weddings need a big dinner and you can let guests know ahead of time it will be a cocktail reception so they wont show up expecting a full meal. But if there's going to be drinking you want food otherwise things can get very messy very quickly.

There not bulling me. They just don't see the point in spending all of that extra money when you don't have to (what they think due to their way of doing weddings). He compromises a lot for me and has done more then I can ever say. This is just something that he really wants and I have pretty much gotten my way with everything else. So if anyone should compromise it would be me. Just trying to find alternatives.

View quoted message Well this would be a good time for the 2 of you to learn to compromise. If you want food at the wedding then you should have food at the wedding. And you as the bride should not be making food on your wedding day. Also many venues have restrictions on outside food.

Tell him him what’s important to you. Remind him it’s your day too. Either side (bride or groom) being so demanding with what is being done is not a good way to start a life together. It sounds like him and his family are trying to bully you into doing what they want.

I may try to figure out how to maybe make the food ourselves within the family. Maybe save us some money, but still have nice food.

That sounds similar to how my fiancés brother did his wedding. They had a large church ceremony, followed by and intimate dinner with a small group of people, then had the big dance reception with the large group again (250-300) with the usual dances, cake cutting, late night snack.

This was a long time ago but they were still very young and in university so they didn't have a lot of money. To my knowledge no complaints about it. It is done just not a common.

That is a very good point. Thanks. His family is very stubborn in there ways and think i'm crazy that people have food at receptions. I don't know what kind of weddings they do, but i've never heard of it. I dont want to be on the outs with my soon to be in-laws but finance already told me he wasn't forking over money to feed everyone and if I wanted to then I have to come up with the money. He is french and I am English so our traditions and ways are a little different.

It sounds like you guys are having more of a cocktail reception. But every cocktail reception I have heard of if usually after an evening ceremony. And you still need to have lots of food. Those small finger foods add up.

We considered doing an evening ceremony and cocktail reception. It would end up costing us almost as much as a dinner.

I think if you are having an open bar and make sure there is plenty of finger foods (drinks and no food is a recipie for disaster) you are fine. But I wouldn’t do a big party with a cash bar and just a few snacks. People may think they were just invited for the gifts.

Yeah I always wanted a small wedding. With my friends and family i have approx 50 people and that is if all of them came from across the country, but i'm not the only one getting married lol

That’s interesting...and maybe a good idea.
I’d rather have a small wedding then try to feed 200+ people, but sometimes with family, that’s not an option.