Instead of a food caterer i was thinking of doing a Potluck!

I think it really all depends on the size of the wedding. 40-60 max I think it would work. Larger group it might be a problem. Also you need to think about food safety! If someone makes something to serve at your wedding and guests get sick, that could turn into a larger problem then you'd hoped for. And you'd have to make sure the venue you choose allows you to bring outside food. Not all do. I would reconsider the catering. To reference your comment about "showing off" , I don't think catering a meal is about that at all. We have 225 people and by catering our event we are not showing off, just merely looking after our guests who would have already spent quite a bit in travel, clothes and accessories, and not to mention the gift. If your guest count is similar and you have a large group, I wouldn't be adding to that for your guests and having a potluck. I would get it catered. If budget friendly is what you are going after, I would find other ways to save money apart from your guests experience.

View quoted message That's a great idea!! That way you don't have to worry about not having enough/having too much!

I as well am doing this. It will save a lot of money in the end, plus you have food that you actually like and can enjoy

My aunt recently got married this September and we ended up trying this idea... was awesome, we had a crowd of about 40 -50 people , so definitely works for a smaller wedding

If you have a lot of people it may be more challenging though as you'd need more food.

Im guessing youre having a smaller guest list?

View quoted message You could always do the main course like, BBQ beef or chicken and have people bring the side dishes that way you would at least know there is enough main dish for everyone!

View quoted message My venue has access to out side plugs so if people have hot food that has been prepared in slowcookers then we would have no issue in keeping hot food.

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The out-of-towners were my first thought too, since we had quite a few of those.

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I agree. I'm not sure that it's a good idea with a large crowd. Potlucks are fun and everything, but I wouldn't want my guests to have to spend time prepping food before. They have to get ready too and some may have to travel. Out of town guests can't really cook something. Plus then you have to think about how to keep the food warm or cold. I'd rather leave that to the professionals.

That being said, if this is something that your family normally does, I'm sure everyone is used to it and knows how to cook for a crowd and keep things fresh.

If you are doing a potluck, I suggest letting people know the size of dish they should bring or the amount of guests so that you don't run out of food. That would be my only concern with a potluck. With a caterer they are used to dealing with big parties and can usually make a pretty good guess as to how much food is needed.

I would tend to agree with Bethany and say it depends on the guest count - i.e. the smaller the better. Personally, I think I would pass on a potluck wedding, it seems like a lot to put on guests for a formal occasion. But that's just me. Maybe there's a way to talk to people over the holidays and get their thoughts on whether they would enjoy the potluck style at the wedding?

View quoted message Well that's good!! Haha food of different kinds is always a bonus! Hope it all turns out! 😊

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Its actually going to be a quite larger wedding. I talked to my moms side and to my soon to be mother in law and shes like our sides of the families are known for potlucks! So I'm not too worried. But I definitely need some sort of back up plan like maybe pizza later on or something. But even if everyone brings something small i think it will be pretty great

I'd say it depends on the amount of people going! If it is a smaller group, I think it is more plausible. I definitely agree though this is a great idea!! I've heard of a couple of people doing this for their wedding, I haven't heard how it went but maybe look up reviews online to see if anyone has posted! Good luck with the wedding planning!!