Post # 1
Member
209 posts
Helper bee
Hey ladies!! So I’m a senior in college this year, and two weeks after I got engaged my parents went ahead and by impulse bought a restaurant. They’re now really tight on all payments and it’s only been a headache. Like I said, I’m still a college student but I have some savings. We would like to make it a small wedding, but his family alone has about 92 members. Anyway, we’re trying to count on getting nothing from my parents.
Here are some of my ideas- tell me what you think!
1. His church has a circle of woman that will volunteer to cook/bake and accept donations that go towards the church. We could have them cook and have a buffet style dinner and save a lot of money. With this said- it has to be something that requires more assembly and can guarantee a great tasting meal.
What about shish kabobs with our own seasonings, roasted red potatoes (starch) and I CAN’T think of what else to go with that meal that would be delicious and simple??
2. China is a big expense and personally I prefer quality paper plates over the plastic plates you can buy if we go without renting china. It will be an outdoor semi-formal wedding and I think I can be really creative with the colors for plates/napkins/forks…Is this tacky? Should I at least have silverware? My idea is that instead of having a place setting at each seat- instead having a fun wedding favor which we can afford if we skip all of the china. Chinese food boxes filled with Dutch and Puerto Rican candies with a cute bow wrapped around it- really colorful and eye catching. Once again- at what point am I no longer being creative and being cheap?
Anyway- if you have any ideas on how I can save and still provide a great meal without it being a BBQ- let me know 🙂
….hasn’t been easy but I know it will all workout in the end!
Post # 3
Member
7975 posts
Bumble Beekeeper
Yay budget brides!
Some of the paperware out there today is amazing; I think you can totally do it and still be classy 🙂 I’m on a budget too, and we’re actually cutting favors all together, because they’re kind of optional.
For the food, what about some delicious homemade applesauce? The kind with big juicy chunks of apple, brown sugar and cinnamon on top… mmmm… or tossed salad, bread baskets, fruit salad, there are lots of great side dish choices that are simple and still delicious!
Post # 4
Member
208 posts
Helper bee
There is nothing “tacky” about a college student looking for less-expensive ways of paying for her wedding! Plastic utensils and paper plates are fine. A way to “dress up” the utensils would be to budle them by place setting and wrap them in a colorful paper (or cloth) napkin tied with ribbon or twine. I am doing cloth napkins for my wedding by buying discount cotton fabric and cutting it into squares. Homespun works great for this beause you get a nice fringe.
I noticed you live in Vermont and are having a July wedding. I am also a Vermont bride and I am planning on taking advantage of the summer bounty of fresh veggies that will be availible to you. Try finding a local farmer who is willing to give you a discount on veggies in bulk. Even a green salad with lettuce and cucumbers, sprinkled with dried cranberries and seseme seeds is a refreshing, tasty vegetable dish to serve with the meat and potatos.
I love the boxed candy idea!
Your guests will be there to celebrate your wedding and I’m sure they will not care what kind of plates their delicious food is served on 🙂
Post # 5
Member
166 posts
Blushing bee
Pretty paper plates and creative table layouts will be wonderful and not tacky–you’re getting married in the summer in Vermont so you’re already guaranteed to have a beautiful wedding anyway, just think about it that way!
For the meal, I agree that you should definitely take advantage of all the wonderful fresh produce that will be available in the summer. What about a corn, basill, and tomato salad as a side dish? Or arugula and fresh peaches (I know that at least in New Hampshire there are wonderful, small, sweet, juicy local peaches to be had at that time of year) with feta cheese as a salad? You could also do great bread baskets too, which shouldn’t be too expensive but are good and filling. Also, for your main dish, you could ask the ladies to cook large cuts of meat and that might save you some money (big roasts etc. are usually cheaper per pound than cut-up kabob meat) and make it feel like more of an event–you can grill whole legs of lamb or whole salmon, for example, or serve roasted pork tenderloins with a maple and mustard glaze or something like that.
Post # 6
Member
1580 posts
Bumble bee
The added bonus of the paper plates is that you don’t have to wash them or figure out what to do with them after they are used. But if you have a bunch of family and friends who could help you with the logistics, you could get plates from goodwill or other thrift stores, or maybe ebay for cheap. You could go for the shabby-chic look and get all sorts of different patterns.
One thing about paper products and the outdoors that you have to take into account is the wind. You probably wont be able to set up the place settings if it is windy.
Post # 7
Member
209 posts
Helper bee
Wow thank you so much for the feedback!! I love the idea of dressing up the utensils, and Jacqui way to point out the wind. I think there are a lot of ways of avoiding it (sides to the tent or simply having the plates in the buffet line and a basket of the colorfully wrapped utensils)…hhmm a lot to think about but that helps. I also like the idea of different patterned plates- I’ll have to do some research and get some figures before I decide what’s best.
What’s great about the fresh veggies is that my fiance lives on a dairy farm but they also have a huge garden which they eat out of all summer. Peppers, corn, and tomatoes and so much more can come from the garden if we plan it right. The corn salad sounds great so I’ll keep looking for a fresh veggie salad to go with.
Thank you so much- I can’t wait to share this with Jon!
Post # 8
Member
3762 posts
Honey bee
Shish kabobs are very time consuming to prepare assempbly and to cook. It may be easier for the church ladies to come up with a menu that is easiest for them. They may have some good ideas.
Also, to help with the cost of meats, make sure to provide lots of side dishes. Even something as simple as corn on the cob or green beans or something that just has to be heated up is simple cheap and makes your buffet spread look much fuller and tastier.
I know this is bad, but some of the best party/mass quantity food that I have ever had was church lady food for my grandmas funeral. Again, it was all about just lots of options. Pasta Salads, veggies, casseroles, etc.
Post # 9
Member
255 posts
Helper bee
BJ’s has great disposable flatware that looks like silver and plates that look real, and are heavy-duty plastic–cute square-shaped ones, too!.
I used them last year for Thanksgiving when I was recovering from a c-section AND hosting both families (!), and it worked out well–the table actually looked beautiful! I’m attaching a pic (sorry if the quality’s not great–just a snapshot I took right now on my kitchen table!).
Alicia
P.S. Sorry about the watermark. My site automatically adds it when I share pics.
Post # 10
Member
2090 posts
Buzzing bee
Here’s some ideas from another New England bride-to-be:
A green salad “bar” – have your greens (maybe different local lettuces and baby spinach), then different options like roasted corn kernels, cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet peppers/onions, crumbled cheeses (goat cheese, cheddar, etc.), and dressings on the side. You could even make your own dressings.
Where your fiancé lives on a dairy farm – could you trade neighboring farmers for fruits, or even meat to help save on costs?
With all the fresh fruits and veggies – maybe some pasta, like a lasagna, or stuffed shells? Those are easy enough to make ahead, and we both, we could do a vegetarian and meat option.
Post # 11
Member
209 posts
Helper bee
Thanks for the picture Alicia! I just went to BJ’s two days ago and saw those plates and LOVED them! I’ve decided to go with heavy weight plastic plates instead of paper. But my questionis, were those squared plates big enough for dinner? They seemed a little small, but I wasn’t sure. I also found these heavy weight stainless steel looking flatware that look a lot more formal than the regular clear or white forks for a great price!
http://www.webstaurantstore.com/wna-comet-610155-7-heavy-weight-reflections-series-stainless-steel-look-plastic-fork-40-pk/999610155.html
I love the salad bar idea, and I talked to my fiance’s mom and she’s already talking to the Church ladies to see if what they could do and if they would do it.
Crossing my fingers 🙂 You’re right about the shish kabobs that not only do they cost more, but time is a big factor. I’m looking into a pig roaster that can also do chicken.
Thanks for the ideas!
Post # 12
Member
209 posts
Helper bee
Thanks for the picture Alicia! I just went to BJ’s two days ago and saw those plates and LOVED them! I’ve decided to go with heavy weight plastic plates instead of paper. But my questionis, were those squared plates big enough for dinner? They seemed a little small, but I wasn’t sure. I also found these heavy weight stainless steel looking flatware that look a lot more formal than the regular clear or white forks for a great price!
http://www.webstaurantstore.com/wna-comet-610155-7-heavy-weight-reflections-series-stainless-steel-look-plastic-fork-40-pk/999610155.html
I love the salad bar idea, and I talked to my fiance’s mom and she’s already talking to the Church ladies to see if what they could do and if they would do it.
Crossing my fingers 🙂 You’re right about the shish kabobs that not only do they cost more, but time is a big factor. I’m looking into a pig roaster that can also do chicken.
Thanks for the ideas!
Post # 13
Member
2365 posts
Buzzing bee
I like the church buffet idea too!!!!
Post # 14
Member
255 posts
Helper bee
@colorfulbride: They’re not huge, but they work; and they come with sets of appetizer plates, too (those are on top in the pic; the dinner plates are on the bottom). The flatware in that picture is the “silver” plasticware that we used (also from BJ’s). The best thing about those plates is that they are so sturdy–it’s not like using regular disposable stuff at all. You can even walk around comfortably with them.
I think BJ’s also has white circular heavyweight plastic plates with silver trim. Those might be a little bigger, I think.
I think you are going to have a beautiful wedding!
