My parents went to a wedding where the bride and groom were the ones serving the buffet, so they had someone manning the food, and they couple were able to make sure they greeted everyone, which I thought was genius!
What makes your videos a hit is that they’re not a sales pitch. So many times when you come across wedding advice it’s biased or sponsored or coming from a source that might mean well but ultimately has a sales goal at the end of it. By giving professional advice, that’s backed up by experience and common sense, it’s the best help a bride can get. I personally work in the event industry and I still found your videos so helpful in planning my wedding. Congratulations on hitting 100,000! I’m sure your channel will only continue to grow!
I couldn’t agree more with your comment. I’m a corporate event planner and I echo your sentiment that even being in the event industry, Jamie’s videos helped me so much in planning my own wedding.
I catered my own wedding last year, from apps to dinner and even dessert! It was incredibly time consuming but got tremendous compliments for the food! Control freak that I am, good food was the only thing I needed to be perfect for the wedding!
@@larissam608 right under $1,000 - our brisket and pork butts were the most expensive followed by the cheese used in our mac n cheese. Everything else was not that expensive at all. We used Sam's Club for most things and our local farmers market for bulk veggies like potatoes, lettuce and cucumbers
As someone who has worked in restaurants, it's a LOT of work to prepare that much food, for more than 20-30 people. Even if you're only doing a cold finger buffet, it's so much organisation. Any bride/groom who can prepare a full blown, nice meal for their own wedding day of 100+ guests in advance, is impressive.
I dreamed of catering my own small wedding. I created menus, practiced recipes, and planned it all out. What stopped me was fridge space. I had no where to store the food for 2-3 days. Most standard fridges won't hold the large aluminum pans flat. So I went with a pro!
I would’ve invested in a cooler/fancy large fridge and it would’ve been a wedding gift to myself! 🥰 Probably still cost the same but you get to keep the fridge. ♥️
I was considering doing a “grazing table” and sourcing almost everything from Costco. Fruit, deli meat, cheese, etc. all need to be around the same temperature, and can sit out for a similar amount of time without spoiling. Plus it would be cost effective and delicious depending on the type of cheeses and meats used! Plus crackers and breads are super easy to deal with when it comes to food safety/transport.
I’m not technically a professional baker but I’ve done several cake decorating lessons and been baking everyone’s cakes for years. Not engaged yet and probably won’t be for a few years but the idea of making my own wedding cake, especially because it’s relaxing for me and can be done a few days in advance, is super exciting for me. I think making my own wedding cake would be so personal and lovely and it means my fiancé and I can have any cake we want and know how it’ll turn out.
You need more cups than you think, especially if it is hot or you have multiple locations. People put their cups down or throw away after use or half use. My cousins wedding we ran out of cups before dinner even started because it was outdoors and so hot people used 1-2 cups right after the ceremony.
Could have use bottled water and or canned or bottle drinks before the dinner (cold). I had a 300 guest party and had lots of cold bottled water, variety of cold soda bottles( 2 liters )on tables and cocktail drink cups already placed on tables. This was a big Mexican party so the bottles on tables worked out perfect. We didn't need ice for drinks (sodas were very cold) beer was by cans and we replenished the table drinks as needed. Guests were able to stay at their tables and they were able to enjoy the evening's events. Worked out great!
My fiancé and I were just talking about this!!! We were discussing spending around 1200for only 50 people or ask a few family members to help make some food. 1,200 just seems like too much for only 50 people…
I love that all of your "Should you ___?" videos don't necessarily come with a yes/no answer! You present the question so your betrothed viewers can make a more educated decision for themselves. So helpful, and doesn't seem like something everyone else in the business is doing.
This was recently something that me and my fiancé recently contemplated. Breakfast food catering in the dfw area for 90 guests was going to run about $1500-2000. Our friends agreed that was ridiculous and offered to cook for our wedding. We all agreed and decided that’s what we were going to do. The more I got to thinking about it, the more I realized I didn’t want them cooking on my wedding way. I was them to celebrate with us. Someone from the Spanish service at my fiancé’s church reached out to us and offered to cater. We are getting eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes, bread, and fruit for 90 people for around $800!
I was once asked to plan a cold platter for a wedding, just for snacks. this was already such a complicated undertaking that i cannot imagine ever voluntarily planning the whole meals for a whole wedding
Super informative video, as always Jamie! I went to an intimate, 20-person wedding a few weeks ago in a cabin, and they DIY’ed their food with great success! It was pretty much all Wegmans - trays of subs, wraps, chips, veggies, and fruits, followed by a dessert table with cake, macarons, cookies, and lemon bars. The bride had bought single-use plates and utensils, but they were made from bamboo. Everyone threw their own plates away, and some friends helped with clearing the rest later that night.
I DIY some food on my wedding day, we did a charcuterie spread, made potato salad, pasta salad and charro beans because we had a taco truck that only served tacos and sliders w fries. Food was bomb!
My sister married a man with a huge immediate family and they all got together and pot lucked the reception dinner. It was a variety of foods served buffet style , cake was made by a friend and it being a smaller at-home wedding about 100 people (lots of his family ha ha) no fuss over budget. The wedding was casual yet still a wedding look and vibe with a dj and family event atmosphere. Was one of the nicest weddings we've ever had.
I am blessed to have a mom who’s a chef and caterer. The plan is to have her and a catering friend cook food in the days prior to the wedding. And then on the day of wedding hire two of her catering friends to run the food show! I’m really excited about incorporating our cultural food but having the help day of to prep and serve.
Congratulations on 100k! I've been watching since almost the beginning and now I am actually engaged! So amazing to see how far you have come! You deserve it all!
Jamie my only favor and recommendations for you is to never ever ever change you. I look forward to these videos and I love that even though you edit your own videos you still leave all the good funny moments of you which we love. I know more followers does require more responsibility but we are all here because of you and your personality so don't change we love you and thanks for the video as always
I would say another problem when catering yourself and knowing how much food to have, is that some people eat A LOT of food in general, not really keeping in mind that other people need to eat as well. That is what kinda bothers me. My fiancé eats a lot but he at least knows not to stuff his face when others need to eat as well, unlike some people. Our wedding is this November and will be 32 people.
It also helps if guest actually RSVP. Ppl who didn't RSVP or show up uninvited don't seem to acknowledge that food costs money. You can plan to have extra food and hope that offsets the ppl who eat too much, but there definitely won't be enough if a group of uncounted ppl show up and feel entitled to chairs and food that isn't there
i am a covid bride that has been watching every single one of your videos since i first got engaged in 2019. wedding planning has been incredibly stressful for many reasons and you have saved my sanity so many times. i really feel like you are my planner! it looks like our september 2021 wedding is going to happen and i am so happy for that- and also for you hitting 100k! i cant believe its not 1M as everyone should see these videos. it will happen soon enough, im sure. congratulations jamie!
Aw I almost teared up at the beginning lol! Congrats on 100k! I’ve been here since the very beginning and I just got engaged in April! So now I’m rewatching everything 😂
I have work at 8 in the morning. And it's now after 9. I should be sleeping but, I'm watching Jamie telling me how to plan my wedding that I don't have☺. I love you Jamie 😍☺☺
For real- love your kindness, personality and your direction. I have been watching you FOR YEARS and am now engaged and feel more empowered thanks to you and the Master Plan.
Did diy on my wedding day! Had stuffed shells, chicken alfredo. Had a family member make tiramisu and some others made the other desserts. Was so delicious everyone loved the food! I had such a hard time deciding whether to order or diy but ordering was just too expensive for 40 people and we had a small budget 😭😭
I'm a recent subscriber (only been watching since I got engaged in February) but you have helped me with my planning IMMENSELY. I love that you cater to every budget and that you give so many tips to brides in every possible wedding planning category (ones I didn't even know existed!). Thank you, truly, for everything you are doing on this channel for all of us brides (past, present, and future)! Your warm, bubbly personality and humor really make wedding planning so much more fun and less stressful. Congrats on 100k and cheers to 100k more 🥂💖🤗
I'm DIY catering my wedding of approx 200 people and I'm actually sooo excited about it. Going over all the lists and details and timelines has become my passion project! I'm hoping to find 2 or 3 culinary school students to hire on the day of to do the reheating and such, as well as another 2 as buffet attendants. I couldn't find any catering company with the food we want so we decided to do it ourselves!
Hi, I'd like to plan for a 100 person wedding. How did catering your own food go? Do you recommend it or do you wish you had catered? do you have any tips?
This was super helpful. I just got engaged a few days ago so I will start wedding planning soon! We want to avoid hiring a caterer (trying to save as much money as possible). Our plan as of now is to have his brother-in-law cook 1 or 2 pigs, and have other family members bring sides, but this video brought things to my attention that I hadn't even thought about!
We are doing DIY rehearsal dinner and expecting roughly 50 people (lots of out of town guests that I wanted to include). We did a trial run for 20 people at my DIY day :) Doing soup, salad, and baked potato bar. And some kind of sweets but nothing crazy.
Good topic. We own a small venue, where people are allowed to bring their own food. So for small parties on a tight budget people really do bring in their home made meals. Since no one wants to run out of food, we see it over and over again: people have double the amount of food they need. Or more! Once a person had to take two thirds of all food home after the party. Go easy on the food! You already have cake too. We even put it in our rental contract: think about bringing enough containers for the many leftovers. People actually left with food in small plastic bags before. Stack up on the candy/salty bar, since that stuff stays good for a long time, if you have too much. But if you do face food shortages, people can fill up there.
Quantities: figure about one pound of food per person. Maybe a little more since people are there longer and often drinking too. If you have a bunch of volunteer cooks, you can ask people to make specific dishes and even give them the recipe if needed. This works better for certain types of food like having a taco or pasta bar. Back in the day, my ladies group used to server about 100 people a week lunch. We'd have a sign up list with things people could volunteer to make, like 10 lbs sliced grilled chicken, 10 lbs sliced tomatoes, etc. Basically what would fit in one of those silver catering trays... this was a lot of work even to coordinate. Then about 10 ladies would wear aprons and gloves and serve Chipotle style where each guest could hold out their plate and say yes and no to the options. Keeping all that food warm was an issue. You can only plug in so many crock pots before blowing a fuse, so be sure to know where the fuse box. This would be a lot to ask guests to do. If they not made that much at a time before it's a lot to even make one silver tray full of food. Also, keep in mind food allergies. I always tried to figure dishes that could easily make gluten-free, dairy free, & vegetarian meals for those who needed that. Also, be sure the cooks know not to add cheese or even butter or sprinkle in flour to thicken a sauce which gives a hidden allergens.
Well I love the idea of a baked potato bar for the dinner at my future wedding when it happens, everyone would start with one big potato and they can put whatever toppings they want (I.e. butter, sour cream, cheese, bacon, chives, chili, brisket, onions, avocados, etc.)
We’re getting married 12/30/21, and we’re going with an amazing BBQ place that has amazing food and reviews. The owner is a lovely married couple and they actually both come out and supervise the buffet. They stay for 2 hours, clean up and offer styrofoam but we decided to go with clear plastic plates/cups, and silver plastic utensils. Still trying to figure out who’s bussing tables but we have time. We will probably just hire someone or see if the bartenders will do it for extra money 🤣 As for breakfast we’re catering chik-fil-a!!
I'm planning a potluck taco bar! So I mostly need help from people to make the meat portions, and maybe a few sides or desserts. I want to make my meal as inclusive as possible for cousins with allergies, grandparents with diet restrictions, and pretty much all ways of eating! The best way to accomplish that goal is to invite them to make and share their own dishes! My aunt volunteered to help me with the food portion because she's fed whole family reunions before, *and* knows how to coordinate a potluck. Unlike me, the inexperienced bean I am. I'm very, very, *very* grateful for all the people who are helping my FH and me out! I've got less than a month left, and things are coming together!!! 😆
My concern here is that Amy did not use gloves touching food after touching hair, face.. putting out risers…setting up books, touching everything, no gloves! Wow!
thank goodness I have a professional chef friend who has offered to cater my wedding as we only have about 50 guests. I've cooked meals for parties of 140 people and you are so right, it is a ton of work!!
This just affirmed my decision to DIY/Potluck my wedding. I was a little nervous BUT I was able to answer most of your questions. I know who is willing to help but im not asking until save the dates go out. I have event planning experience. I have done weekends for 80+ people so calculating food is easy peasy for me. My wedding is half of that (accounting for vendors and rounded up by 2-3 people) Plus it is only one meal and dessert not 5 meals and 3 snacks. I have family who likes to cook and we do potlucks all the time, we always have a good variety. I know some people will ask what to bring so i have a list of goodies i would love to have. I am not asking my out of town guests to bring in anything but if they offer i will have a few super easy or store bought ideas like a fruit or veggie tray. We are doing the main course, dessert, and drinks. If budget allows we may do a few 'must have' sides that are easy to prep. I was able to answer most of your questions. Bonus my venue is perfect for this. They have a kitchen with a huge double sink, industrial stove/oven, and a microwave. They have chaffing dishes and if anyone leaves extra sterno i can use them. They have a big space with lots of plugs (like a huge bar counter area)They have some dishes and utensils JUST INCASE I forget something. My plan is to do pulled chicken and meatballs with mini rolls, condiments/toppings and ham/cheese baked sliders. All three things are easy to make ahead and have simple day of prep. Literally just throw in crockpot/oven. If budget allows i will add in mac and cheese (again super easy to pre-make) and my grandmoms baked beans (which HAVE to be made ahead for best flavor). Dessert we are doing cupcakes and maybe a small cutting cake. I did put in my notes to make sure to bring foil, tupperware, and extra serving utensils.
We DIY pretty much a whole wedding. Proposal date was 2/14 and wedding date was 5/30. We watched most of your videos and have to say that you helped us plan our dream wedding.
Well....I almost had it all figured out. But! I forgot we will need napkins for the cake table and appetizer table! So....very glad I watched. Really appreciate not only the information, but your precious spirit. So funny and so engaging. I know your family must be very proud of you :)
Our catering is included with the venue. We just have to provide the alcohol for the bar. But I still watched this video from start to finish because I still want to hear your thoughts on the subject 😂
My wedding is 5 months away.. I’ll be the one who cook for D-day. My job is a chef, so I think making food myself is a wise decision ☺️ and of course I could save a loooot of money. Cause the catering price is really 🤑🤑🤑🤑
of course you will. if you went cheap you would be disappointed with the meal, and if you bought what you wanted you would be disappointed in how much it cost. But you cook for a living so you can plan your menu in a way that saves you time
Congratulations!!!! I'm soon happy for you. I started watching your channel when you only had 6 videos and to see where you are now im just sooo happy for you.
Sometimes people might serve themselves too much cause they are hungry and overestimate how much they can handle too. So I'd suggest serving them a light meal before the main course. 🤓 Also good idea about making a little room for people who might want a bit more. This video was so insightful. Initially I was thinking my future partner and I invite between the two of us 20 - 40 people we really care about. However considering how much of a work it is especially with perishable goods and a chance that something might come up: I don't want the perishable stuff to go to waste. So I'm think 10 to max 30 people now. ♥️
Jamie!!!! You reached 100k!!!! Congratulations Jamie!!!!!! I'm sooooo happy for you it's amazing how much you have had an impact on people just since I started following you about a year ago I've watched I think every one of your videos and I'm personally so grateful for all of them.
Me and my fiance doing everything for ourselves and such as decorations the wedding and buying the foods for the wedding and self serving foods and everything.
On a side note, I would love to see some venue coordination vids now that you have a venue! I’m working as an assistant venue coordinator so would love to see some things from your perspective! ☺️
Culinary graduate here! For a DIY meal planning it greatly depends on guest count and what you are planning on making. Subs, BBQ, tacos, plated, courses, steak, etc? Most are probably going for a buffet style with BBQ or Tacos type of situation. These two examples are typically a cheap plate from a good, as in Delicious, restaurant anyway. A good estimate is to average $10 a plate. So for 50 people it would roughly a $500 budget. Most people will actually spend less money on food for that same amount of people. So you might even be able to squeeze in some of your beverage budget that is not including alcohol, ice, maybe even desserts if you were also making those all into that same budget estimate. If you’re going for something more fancy to make sure you have all the wiggle room I would say estimate $20+ per plate and relish in the money saved if some is left over. Don’t forget plenty of ice for ice baths (add a little salt) to keep cold foods cold. Crockpots can also keep hot foods hot. But watch out for your outlet usage. Are there enough outlets? Another budget saver is use your own dishes, pictures, utensils, etc. Or borrow from friends and family in the area of their own items. Another way to save money on dishware and linens is to thrift, yard sale, or purchase secondhand.
An example of what I am currently planning is for40 people with tacos. 40 people should equal approximately $400. My location does not allow alcohol so that saves me money there. The $400 should cover the cost estimate of the food, 3 tres leches (@ $42 total cost), and beverages like tea, lemonade, horchata, and/or Augua Frescas.
First Congratulations on 100k I’ve been watching you for years lol before I was even engaged. I just got married in January and this was a big decision for me and my fiancé we didn’t want to spend too much but also wanted amazing food. We ending up doing drop catering and having some amazing women from our church serve the food. We were able to serve 120 guest with leftovers for under $900.
Can you do a video about how to calculate how many people are needed to set up/break down a wedding ceremony, reception, or a two-in-one location? I can't find anything online about how to figure out how long it will take x number of people to set up for an event with x number of people attending. It clearly depends on how many people are attending, how many tables and chairs need to be set up, and how elaborate the decor is, but there should be some rule of thumb, right? If you're hiring staff or especially if you're setting up your own event, it would be good to know.
I will have no more than 20 guests. I'm willing to buy cutlery, plates and glases etc. for my wedding rather than renting. Because those items will become handy also in near future.. for like other special events, b-days etc. 😊
I subscribed two years ago with no fiancé in sight. But I feel so prepared for when I am engaged because of you 🤍Congrats on 100k! Get that silver plaque!
absolutely love what you do to support a more humanizing experience in the wedding planning process. Thank you Jamie! I hope to meet you one day! (I'm out in the Midwest!)
Something that recommend is seeing if there is anyone in your area (or even some acquaintances) that would be willing to prepare and serve the food, instead of a traditional caterer. My mom and I used to work weddings, where the family would provide the food and ingredients, and then we would come in and make the food and serve it. They would also provide the serving dishes, utensils, some would also provide the pots and pans and cooking utensils. We also served the food but some may not be willing to do that. You may want to look into hiring servers. We also worked for donations. It’s worth looking into!
Congratulations! I found you early 2020 and now I am finally engaged and planning my February 2022 wedding! Thank you for your wisdom and support on this channel!
Lol i used to work in a restaurant and I was just a hostess but they would have me help woth catering and i would he at events for like three or four hours and be bussing tables the entire time and still have to stay after to bus more and clean the place in general
I diy my cake, food, and drinks. I hired some people for day of prep and set up. They had been professional caterer before. It was great highly recommend.
Thank you for these videos. I absolutely love weddings, and have already obtained my LLC. But, I've had a bear of a time figuring out what aspect of the field I want to get into, (leaning toward design and/or coordination) and how to get started. Your channel has been unbelievably helpful, and incredibly inspiring.
If you're planning on DIY catering your wedding because you're a foodie who hates most wedding food, or you want to include cultural dishes that you can't trust local caterers to do, PLEASE know that it's EXPENSIVE, and please read on My original wedding date (50 ppl, $10k budget) was supposed to be april, 2021. We postponed because of covid, but the original plan was going to be to rent an airbnb, and me and a friend (who used to be a caterer so has experience) would cater. I've catered events with 50 people before with this friend, so it's not like we didn't have experience. Okay, so rentals! tables, chairs, plates, cups, silverware, chafing dishes, serving utensils etc. Couldn't get a quote for less than $1.5k, and that was even with thinking we'd use disposable plates, and plastic serving platters (not figured in the above expense). Also all the most basic options. Then there's waitstaff for the serving, bussing, etc. We were thinking 2-3 people. $600 For the food? Who knows. Honestly I budgeted $2-3k for ingredients, serving platters, soft drinks and alcohol, but it was a rough estimate since we postponed before ever having to finalize details. I found myself compromising on what we would cook because of cost, which defeat the whole purpose of cooking beyond the usual wedding food. We would have cooked all the food and stored it at the airbnb itself, which was convenient, but renting a big house ain't cheap. I ended up postponing my wedding, and the first thing I did was explore other options, because honestly the logistics of doing it myself was keeping me up at night. In the end, we found a venue owned by a james beard award winning chef. We love his restaurant, and would totally trust him to cook our food. I thought for sure that he would be way over budget... but he wasn't. Our wedding is in 6 weeks, and we will likely be under budget (the only unknown variable is alcohol...we might be over the estimate amount, or we might be under). Most importantly, he's cooking us our dream north african/italian fusion wedding food. AND it's all taken care of. Waitstaff, tables, set up etc etc, I don't have to worry about any of it. the moral of the story is that it's such a huge headache, no matter how much help you have. And actually, I would much rather pay for one service to handle waitstaff and rentals but I provide the food, than do dropship catering, because that doesn't really address the biggest logistical nightmare. hope someone found this helpful!
I just discovered you and it has been amazing watching your videos I am currently in the process of planning my DIY reception meal And we're looking at doing a diy sandwich bar For roughly 75 people it's scary to think that I'm Doing this while camping that entire weekend Luckily I do have a couple of people coming in from the nearby town that Are saving me by bringing certain things and picking up a couple of things for me
100k BABY! So freakin proud of you! You have worked so hard and have thrived through this past year. I love your spirit so much and am grateful I found you in a very stressful time, you brought a lot of joy to my fiancé and I. We are now getting married July 16th and it couldn’t have been possible without your master PLANning ❤️
We are drop catering from Olive Garden. A friend who is helping me just did that for her daughter's grad party. I bought aluminum pans from The Dollar Tree that came with lids for leftovers.
Such a cute dress! Congratulations on the 100K!. Perfect timing for this video, needed this help. Plus the Master Plan I purchased last month has been awesome!!!!
I think we're doing pizza (+extras) because it's the 1/4 price of catering, and spending the price of my car on food is too much. Plus the only family I can rely on to help with food will be busy with other wedding stuff.
Watching your videos I think about how lucky I am. Then I think geeze my wedding is going to be low rent! 😆 My customer is catering for 300 at a cost of $1000. We're eating off paper plates with plastic forks. Im getting married in 15 days!!! Im so excited. But more excited for the honeymoon. My other customer has a beach house in SC. That's right. FREE HONEYMOON. I CANNOT. WAIT.
Recently talked to a caterer who quoted $40 per person. Wouldn't itemize and it was an all our nothing deal. Not in our budget because the bride and groom have large families. In the end, they steered us to their drop catering services (delivered!) For about $11/person. I can pay high school/college students at a whole lot cheaper cost to make sure the trays stay full and clear tables.
My parents went to a wedding where the bride and groom were the ones serving the buffet, so they had someone manning the food, and they couple were able to make sure they greeted everyone, which I thought was genius!
My husband + I did this and it was the best!
Thats such a cute idea. I plan on sitting right by the food so everyone has to come talk to me 😄
oh this is so cute! I wanna do this! (maybe have a little apron over my dress)
That is such a good idea!!!! Oh im totally gonna do that!!
What makes your videos a hit is that they’re not a sales pitch. So many times when you come across wedding advice it’s biased or sponsored or coming from a source that might mean well but ultimately has a sales goal at the end of it. By giving professional advice, that’s backed up by experience and common sense, it’s the best help a bride can get. I personally work in the event industry and I still found your videos so helpful in planning my wedding. Congratulations on hitting 100,000! I’m sure your channel will only continue to grow!
I couldn’t agree more with your comment. I’m a corporate event planner and I echo your sentiment that even being in the event industry, Jamie’s videos helped me so much in planning my own wedding.
Agreed !!! She’s detailed, current, unbiased and hilarious 😂 !!!!! We love the tips but most importantly we love you!
I catered my own wedding last year, from apps to dinner and even dessert! It was incredibly time consuming but got tremendous compliments for the food! Control freak that I am, good food was the only thing I needed to be perfect for the wedding!
I want to serve good food too! ♥️
How many people
@@CityGirl33 130
How much did it cost you?
@@larissam608 right under $1,000 - our brisket and pork butts were the most expensive followed by the cheese used in our mac n cheese. Everything else was not that expensive at all. We used Sam's Club for most things and our local farmers market for bulk veggies like potatoes, lettuce and cucumbers
As someone who has worked in restaurants, it's a LOT of work to prepare that much food, for more than 20-30 people. Even if you're only doing a cold finger buffet, it's so much organisation. Any bride/groom who can prepare a full blown, nice meal for their own wedding day of 100+ guests in advance, is impressive.
I dreamed of catering my own small wedding. I created menus, practiced recipes, and planned it all out. What stopped me was fridge space. I had no where to store the food for 2-3 days. Most standard fridges won't hold the large aluminum pans flat. So I went with a pro!
I would’ve invested in a cooler/fancy large fridge and it would’ve been a wedding gift to myself! 🥰 Probably still cost the same but you get to keep the fridge. ♥️
I don’t even have a wedding to plan. (Been married 23 years) I just enjoy your videos! You have a great personality!
I have a bf but we're not even ready for that as yet and Jamie has me telling him what I want and don't want lolz and 23 years is amazing
I was considering doing a “grazing table” and sourcing almost everything from Costco. Fruit, deli meat, cheese, etc. all need to be around the same temperature, and can sit out for a similar amount of time without spoiling. Plus it would be cost effective and delicious depending on the type of cheeses and meats used! Plus crackers and breads are super easy to deal with when it comes to food safety/transport.
Ive been in business for 6 years, and even us planners need someone on UA-cam to go to. 😉 Congratulations!🎊
Yes indeed!
I’m not technically a professional baker but I’ve done several cake decorating lessons and been baking everyone’s cakes for years. Not engaged yet and probably won’t be for a few years but the idea of making my own wedding cake, especially because it’s relaxing for me and can be done a few days in advance, is super exciting for me. I think making my own wedding cake would be so personal and lovely and it means my fiancé and I can have any cake we want and know how it’ll turn out.
You need more cups than you think, especially if it is hot or you have multiple locations. People put their cups down or throw away after use or half use. My cousins wedding we ran out of cups before dinner even started because it was outdoors and so hot people used 1-2 cups right after the ceremony.
this! plus cups for water and cups for alcohol. so many cups
Good point
Could have use bottled water and or canned or bottle drinks before the dinner (cold). I had a 300 guest party and had lots of cold bottled water, variety of cold soda bottles( 2 liters )on tables and cocktail drink cups already placed on tables. This was a big Mexican party so the bottles on tables worked out perfect. We didn't need ice for drinks (sodas were very cold) beer was by cans and we replenished the table drinks as needed. Guests were able to stay at their tables and they were able to enjoy the evening's events. Worked out great!
Me doing a DIY pasta bar: Jamie plz don’t tell me it’s not a good idea
Jamie: it’s totally possible
Me: THANK GOD
I'm thinking about having a pasta bar as well!! lol
It's not im-pasta-bowl! Go for it!
I'll see myself out.
My fiancé and I were just talking about this!!! We were discussing spending around 1200for only 50 people or ask a few family members to help make some food. 1,200 just seems like too much for only 50 people…
I’ve been looking at caterers and my low quote was $11,000 for 90 people. No joke.
@@mortviolette284 Oof. That's enough to buy a used car or two...
That’s so cheap!
Qdoba caters for $12 a person if you're looking for a more affordable option
I love that all of your "Should you ___?" videos don't necessarily come with a yes/no answer! You present the question so your betrothed viewers can make a more educated decision for themselves. So helpful, and doesn't seem like something everyone else in the business is doing.
This was recently something that me and my fiancé recently contemplated. Breakfast food catering in the dfw area for 90 guests was going to run about $1500-2000. Our friends agreed that was ridiculous and offered to cook for our wedding. We all agreed and decided that’s what we were going to do. The more I got to thinking about it, the more I realized I didn’t want them cooking on my wedding way. I was them to celebrate with us. Someone from the Spanish service at my fiancé’s church reached out to us and offered to cater. We are getting eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes, bread, and fruit for 90 people for around $800!
I was once asked to plan a cold platter for a wedding, just for snacks. this was already such a complicated undertaking that i cannot imagine ever voluntarily planning the whole meals for a whole wedding
Super informative video, as always Jamie!
I went to an intimate, 20-person wedding a few weeks ago in a cabin, and they DIY’ed their food with great success! It was pretty much all Wegmans - trays of subs, wraps, chips, veggies, and fruits, followed by a dessert table with cake, macarons, cookies, and lemon bars.
The bride had bought single-use plates and utensils, but they were made from bamboo. Everyone threw their own plates away, and some friends helped with clearing the rest later that night.
I DIY some food on my wedding day, we did a charcuterie spread, made potato salad, pasta salad and charro beans because we had a taco truck that only served tacos and sliders w fries. Food was bomb!
Are food trucks expensive?
@@jessicadowdy3597Depends on the truck/type of food and location. We did food for 60 people and paid $500 I live in Dallas.
My sister married a man with a huge immediate family and they all got together and pot lucked the reception dinner. It was a variety of foods served buffet style , cake was made by a friend and it being a smaller at-home wedding about 100 people (lots of his family ha ha) no fuss over budget. The wedding was casual yet still a wedding look and vibe with a dj and family event atmosphere. Was one of the nicest weddings we've ever had.
I am blessed to have a mom who’s a chef and caterer. The plan is to have her and a catering friend cook food in the days prior to the wedding. And then on the day of wedding hire two of her catering friends to run the food show! I’m really excited about incorporating our cultural food but having the help day of to prep and serve.
Congratulations on 100k! I've been watching since almost the beginning and now I am actually engaged! So amazing to see how far you have come! You deserve it all!
Aha, a fellow budgeter with great taste in wedding coordinators 👀
Jamie my only favor and recommendations for you is to never ever ever change you. I look forward to these videos and I love that even though you edit your own videos you still leave all the good funny moments of you which we love. I know more followers does require more responsibility but we are all here because of you and your personality so don't change we love you and thanks for the video as always
I would say another problem when catering yourself and knowing how much food to have, is that some people eat A LOT of food in general, not really keeping in mind that other people need to eat as well. That is what kinda bothers me. My fiancé eats a lot but he at least knows not to stuff his face when others need to eat as well, unlike some people. Our wedding is this November and will be 32 people.
It also helps if guest actually RSVP. Ppl who didn't RSVP or show up uninvited don't seem to acknowledge that food costs money. You can plan to have extra food and hope that offsets the ppl who eat too much, but there definitely won't be enough if a group of uncounted ppl show up and feel entitled to chairs and food that isn't there
i am a covid bride that has been watching every single one of your videos since i first got engaged in 2019. wedding planning has been incredibly stressful for many reasons and you have saved my sanity so many times. i really feel like you are my planner! it looks like our september 2021 wedding is going to happen and i am so happy for that- and also for you hitting 100k! i cant believe its not 1M as everyone should see these videos. it will happen soon enough, im sure. congratulations jamie!
Jaime - congrats! Couldn't happen to a greater person!
Aw I almost teared up at the beginning lol! Congrats on 100k! I’ve been here since the very beginning and I just got engaged in April! So now I’m rewatching everything 😂
Yay!!!!!!!! 🥳🙌🎉 Congrats Jamie!! So happy for you!! Here's to 200K! 🤞💜
I have work at 8 in the morning. And it's now after 9. I should be sleeping but, I'm watching Jamie telling me how to plan my wedding that I don't have☺. I love you Jamie 😍☺☺
For real- love your kindness, personality and your direction. I have been watching you FOR YEARS and am now engaged and feel more empowered thanks to you and the Master Plan.
Did diy on my wedding day! Had stuffed shells, chicken alfredo. Had a family member make tiramisu and some others made the other desserts. Was so delicious everyone loved the food! I had such a hard time deciding whether to order or diy but ordering was just too expensive for 40 people and we had a small budget 😭😭
I'm a recent subscriber (only been watching since I got engaged in February) but you have helped me with my planning IMMENSELY. I love that you cater to every budget and that you give so many tips to brides in every possible wedding planning category (ones I didn't even know existed!). Thank you, truly, for everything you are doing on this channel for all of us brides (past, present, and future)! Your warm, bubbly personality and humor really make wedding planning so much more fun and less stressful. Congrats on 100k and cheers to 100k more 🥂💖🤗
I'm DIY catering my wedding of approx 200 people and I'm actually sooo excited about it. Going over all the lists and details and timelines has become my passion project! I'm hoping to find 2 or 3 culinary school students to hire on the day of to do the reheating and such, as well as another 2 as buffet attendants. I couldn't find any catering company with the food we want so we decided to do it ourselves!
Hi, I'd like to plan for a 100 person wedding. How did catering your own food go? Do you recommend it or do you wish you had catered? do you have any tips?
Congratulations on 100k Jamie and Team! 🎉
This was super helpful. I just got engaged a few days ago so I will start wedding planning soon! We want to avoid hiring a caterer (trying to save as much money as possible). Our plan as of now is to have his brother-in-law cook 1 or 2 pigs, and have other family members bring sides, but this video brought things to my attention that I hadn't even thought about!
We are doing DIY rehearsal dinner and expecting roughly 50 people (lots of out of town guests that I wanted to include). We did a trial run for 20 people at my DIY day :) Doing soup, salad, and baked potato bar. And some kind of sweets but nothing crazy.
non-crazy sweets...you talking like non-bake cookies, maybe meringue cookies, sheet cake? (looking for ideas here).
@@26Bluegb cookies or brownies or something easy. Rehearsal dinner is going to be all easy things.
I love that idea!! Baked potato bar is BRILLIANT!
Good topic. We own a small venue, where people are allowed to bring their own food. So for small parties on a tight budget people really do bring in their home made meals. Since no one wants to run out of food, we see it over and over again: people have double the amount of food they need. Or more! Once a person had to take two thirds of all food home after the party. Go easy on the food! You already have cake too. We even put it in our rental contract: think about bringing enough containers for the many leftovers. People actually left with food in small plastic bags before. Stack up on the candy/salty bar, since that stuff stays good for a long time, if you have too much. But if you do face food shortages, people can fill up there.
Quantities: figure about one pound of food per person. Maybe a little more since people are there longer and often drinking too. If you have a bunch of volunteer cooks, you can ask people to make specific dishes and even give them the recipe if needed. This works better for certain types of food like having a taco or pasta bar.
Back in the day, my ladies group used to server about 100 people a week lunch. We'd have a sign up list with things people could volunteer to make, like 10 lbs sliced grilled chicken, 10 lbs sliced tomatoes, etc. Basically what would fit in one of those silver catering trays... this was a lot of work even to coordinate. Then about 10 ladies would wear aprons and gloves and serve Chipotle style where each guest could hold out their plate and say yes and no to the options.
Keeping all that food warm was an issue. You can only plug in so many crock pots before blowing a fuse, so be sure to know where the fuse box.
This would be a lot to ask guests to do. If they not made that much at a time before it's a lot to even make one silver tray full of food.
Also, keep in mind food allergies. I always tried to figure dishes that could easily make gluten-free, dairy free, & vegetarian meals for those who needed that. Also, be sure the cooks know not to add cheese or even butter or sprinkle in flour to thicken a sauce which gives a hidden allergens.
Congrats on 100k. I am planning my wedding and actually planning drop catering thank you so much for this video definitely need the tips
Well I love the idea of a baked potato bar for the dinner at my future wedding when it happens, everyone would start with one big potato and they can put whatever toppings they want (I.e. butter, sour cream, cheese, bacon, chives, chili, brisket, onions, avocados, etc.)
We’re getting married 12/30/21, and we’re going with an amazing BBQ place that has amazing food and reviews. The owner is a lovely married couple and they actually both come out and supervise the buffet. They stay for 2 hours, clean up and offer styrofoam but we decided to go with clear plastic plates/cups, and silver plastic utensils. Still trying to figure out who’s bussing tables but we have time. We will probably just hire someone or see if the bartenders will do it for extra money 🤣 As for breakfast we’re catering chik-fil-a!!
So helpful, thank you!!
Your videos are SO GOOD and you deserve a million followers!!!!! Even my fiancée is enamored by your videos!
Here for it, Jamie! Love your content. Getting married in 1 year, I need all the tips I can get.😅🎉❤
Congratulations!!!! 🎉🍾🎊
I'm honestly surprised you don't have more than 100,000 subscribers. I've been watching since September or October 2018 and you're great!
I'm planning a potluck taco bar! So I mostly need help from people to make the meat portions, and maybe a few sides or desserts.
I want to make my meal as inclusive as possible for cousins with allergies, grandparents with diet restrictions, and pretty much all ways of eating! The best way to accomplish that goal is to invite them to make and share their own dishes!
My aunt volunteered to help me with the food portion because she's fed whole family reunions before, *and* knows how to coordinate a potluck. Unlike me, the inexperienced bean I am.
I'm very, very, *very* grateful for all the people who are helping my FH and me out! I've got less than a month left, and things are coming together!!! 😆
My concern here is that Amy did not use gloves touching food after touching hair, face.. putting out risers…setting up books, touching everything, no gloves! Wow!
thank goodness I have a professional chef friend who has offered to cater my wedding as we only have about 50 guests. I've cooked meals for parties of 140 people and you are so right, it is a ton of work!!
This just affirmed my decision to DIY/Potluck my wedding. I was a little nervous BUT I was able to answer most of your questions. I know who is willing to help but im not asking until save the dates go out. I have event planning experience. I have done weekends for 80+ people so calculating food is easy peasy for me. My wedding is half of that (accounting for vendors and rounded up by 2-3 people) Plus it is only one meal and dessert not 5 meals and 3 snacks.
I have family who likes to cook and we do potlucks all the time, we always have a good variety. I know some people will ask what to bring so i have a list of goodies i would love to have. I am not asking my out of town guests to bring in anything but if they offer i will have a few super easy or store bought ideas like a fruit or veggie tray.
We are doing the main course, dessert, and drinks. If budget allows we may do a few 'must have' sides that are easy to prep.
I was able to answer most of your questions. Bonus my venue is perfect for this. They have a kitchen with a huge double sink, industrial stove/oven, and a microwave. They have chaffing dishes and if anyone leaves extra sterno i can use them.
They have a big space with lots of plugs (like a huge bar counter area)They have some dishes and utensils JUST INCASE I forget something.
My plan is to do pulled chicken and meatballs with mini rolls, condiments/toppings and ham/cheese baked sliders. All three things are easy to make ahead and have simple day of prep. Literally just throw in crockpot/oven.
If budget allows i will add in mac and cheese (again super easy to pre-make) and my grandmoms baked beans (which HAVE to be made ahead for best flavor).
Dessert we are doing cupcakes and maybe a small cutting cake. I did put in my notes to make sure to bring foil, tupperware, and extra serving utensils.
We DIY pretty much a whole wedding. Proposal date was 2/14 and wedding date was 5/30. We watched most of your videos and have to say that you helped us plan our dream wedding.
Well....I almost had it all figured out. But! I forgot we will need napkins for the cake table and appetizer table! So....very glad I watched. Really appreciate not only the information, but your precious spirit. So funny and so engaging. I know your family must be very proud of you :)
Can I say.. crock pots/slow cookers are your best friend! 💜💚💙
I am not even engaged yet just love wedding so I will forever watch your videos!!
Congratulations on 100K 🎉
congrats jamie!!!! been watching since you put out your 3rd video! preparing for my special day whenever that happens!
Who is setting up, who is holding temp, who is cleaning up....yes yes yes. People never think that through!
So happy to be a part of this community since getting engaged
I’m so happy you just posted this because I’m having a hard time to decide !
I’m doing a taco bar
Our catering is included with the venue. We just have to provide the alcohol for the bar. But I still watched this video from start to finish because I still want to hear your thoughts on the subject 😂
hey! early squad! Congratulations!!
Yessss!! I’ve been waiting for this for you! CONGRATULATIONS!!!! 😍✨😭🎉
Woohoo you deserve that plaque!
My wedding is 5 months away.. I’ll be the one who cook for D-day. My job is a chef, so I think making food myself is a wise decision ☺️ and of course I could save a loooot of money. Cause the catering price is really 🤑🤑🤑🤑
of course you will. if you went cheap you would be disappointed with the meal, and if you bought what you wanted you would be disappointed in how much it cost. But you cook for a living so you can plan your menu in a way that saves you time
Congratulations!!!! I'm soon happy for you. I started watching your channel when you only had 6 videos and to see where you are now im just sooo happy for you.
Sometimes people might serve themselves too much cause they are hungry and overestimate how much they can handle too. So I'd suggest serving them a light meal before the main course. 🤓
Also good idea about making a little room for people who might want a bit more.
This video was so insightful. Initially I was thinking my future partner and I invite between the two of us 20 - 40 people we really care about. However considering how much of a work it is especially with perishable goods and a chance that something might come up: I don't want the perishable stuff to go to waste. So I'm think 10 to max 30 people now. ♥️
Jamie!!!! You reached 100k!!!! Congratulations Jamie!!!!!! I'm sooooo happy for you it's amazing how much you have had an impact on people just since I started following you about a year ago I've watched I think every one of your videos and I'm personally so grateful for all of them.
Me and my fiance doing everything for ourselves and such as decorations the wedding and buying the foods for the wedding and self serving foods and everything.
On a side note, I would love to see some venue coordination vids now that you have a venue! I’m working as an assistant venue coordinator so would love to see some things from your perspective! ☺️
I love “ to celebrate your love story” it’s not cringe if it’s true ❤️❤️
E&E 8-15-21
Congrats!! I've been married for two years now, and still watching your channel :) Also love your other channel!
Congratulations on 100k 🥳🎉 💓💛💓 xx
Culinary graduate here! For a DIY meal planning it greatly depends on guest count and what you are planning on making. Subs, BBQ, tacos, plated, courses, steak, etc? Most are probably going for a buffet style with BBQ or Tacos type of situation. These two examples are typically a cheap plate from a good, as in Delicious, restaurant anyway. A good estimate is to average $10 a plate. So for 50 people it would roughly a $500 budget. Most people will actually spend less money on food for that same amount of people. So you might even be able to squeeze in some of your beverage budget that is not including alcohol, ice, maybe even desserts if you were also making those all into that same budget estimate. If you’re going for something more fancy to make sure you have all the wiggle room I would say estimate $20+ per plate and relish in the money saved if some is left over. Don’t forget plenty of ice for ice baths (add a little salt) to keep cold foods cold. Crockpots can also keep hot foods hot. But watch out for your outlet usage. Are there enough outlets?
Another budget saver is use your own dishes, pictures, utensils, etc. Or borrow from friends and family in the area of their own items. Another way to save money on dishware and linens is to thrift, yard sale, or purchase secondhand.
An example of what I am currently planning is for40 people with tacos. 40 people should equal approximately $400. My location does not allow alcohol so that saves me money there. The $400 should cover the cost estimate of the food, 3 tres leches (@ $42 total cost), and beverages like tea, lemonade, horchata, and/or Augua Frescas.
First Congratulations on 100k I’ve been watching you for years lol before I was even engaged. I just got married in January and this was a big decision for me and my fiancé we didn’t want to spend too much but also wanted amazing food. We ending up doing drop catering and having some amazing women from our church serve the food. We were able to serve 120 guest with leftovers for under $900.
Can you do a video about how to calculate how many people are needed to set up/break down a wedding ceremony, reception, or a two-in-one location? I can't find anything online about how to figure out how long it will take x number of people to set up for an event with x number of people attending. It clearly depends on how many people are attending, how many tables and chairs need to be set up, and how elaborate the decor is, but there should be some rule of thumb, right? If you're hiring staff or especially if you're setting up your own event, it would be good to know.
I will have no more than 20 guests. I'm willing to buy cutlery, plates and glases etc. for my wedding rather than renting. Because those items will become handy also in near future.. for like other special events, b-days etc. 😊
Congratulations on 100k!
Love from Australia 🥰
We are DIYing burrito bowls (qdoba/chipotle style)
I subscribed two years ago with no fiancé in sight. But I feel so prepared for when I am engaged because of you 🤍Congrats on 100k! Get that silver plaque!
absolutely love what you do to support a more humanizing experience in the wedding planning process. Thank you Jamie! I hope to meet you one day! (I'm out in the Midwest!)
Something that recommend is seeing if there is anyone in your area (or even some acquaintances) that would be willing to prepare and serve the food, instead of a traditional caterer.
My mom and I used to work weddings, where the family would provide the food and ingredients, and then we would come in and make the food and serve it. They would also provide the serving dishes, utensils, some would also provide the pots and pans and cooking utensils.
We also served the food but some may not be willing to do that. You may want to look into hiring servers. We also worked for donations. It’s worth looking into!
Congratulations! I found you early 2020 and now I am finally engaged and planning my February 2022 wedding! Thank you for your wisdom and support on this channel!
Love from France 🇨🇵🥰
Lol i used to work in a restaurant and I was just a hostess but they would have me help woth catering and i would he at events for like three or four hours and be bussing tables the entire time and still have to stay after to bus more and clean the place in general
I'm not in the wedding industry and I'm already happily married but I still watch your videos because I just love you!
I diy my cake, food, and drinks. I hired some people for day of prep and set up. They had been professional caterer before. It was great highly recommend.
Your intro literally made me tear up! I'm so happy for you and could see your excitement.
Thank you for these videos. I absolutely love weddings, and have already obtained my LLC. But, I've had a bear of a time figuring out what aspect of the field I want to get into, (leaning toward design and/or coordination) and how to get started. Your channel has been unbelievably helpful, and incredibly inspiring.
If you're planning on DIY catering your wedding because you're a foodie who hates most wedding food, or you want to include cultural dishes that you can't trust local caterers to do, PLEASE know that it's EXPENSIVE, and please read on
My original wedding date (50 ppl, $10k budget) was supposed to be april, 2021. We postponed because of covid, but the original plan was going to be to rent an airbnb, and me and a friend (who used to be a caterer so has experience) would cater. I've catered events with 50 people before with this friend, so it's not like we didn't have experience.
Okay, so rentals! tables, chairs, plates, cups, silverware, chafing dishes, serving utensils etc. Couldn't get a quote for less than $1.5k, and that was even with thinking we'd use disposable plates, and plastic serving platters (not figured in the above expense). Also all the most basic options.
Then there's waitstaff for the serving, bussing, etc. We were thinking 2-3 people. $600
For the food? Who knows. Honestly I budgeted $2-3k for ingredients, serving platters, soft drinks and alcohol, but it was a rough estimate since we postponed before ever having to finalize details. I found myself compromising on what we would cook because of cost, which defeat the whole purpose of cooking beyond the usual wedding food.
We would have cooked all the food and stored it at the airbnb itself, which was convenient, but renting a big house ain't cheap.
I ended up postponing my wedding, and the first thing I did was explore other options, because honestly the logistics of doing it myself was keeping me up at night.
In the end, we found a venue owned by a james beard award winning chef. We love his restaurant, and would totally trust him to cook our food. I thought for sure that he would be way over budget... but he wasn't.
Our wedding is in 6 weeks, and we will likely be under budget (the only unknown variable is alcohol...we might be over the estimate amount, or we might be under).
Most importantly, he's cooking us our dream north african/italian fusion wedding food. AND it's all taken care of. Waitstaff, tables, set up etc etc, I don't have to worry about any of it.
the moral of the story is that it's such a huge headache, no matter how much help you have. And actually, I would much rather pay for one service to handle waitstaff and rentals but I provide the food, than do dropship catering, because that doesn't really address the biggest logistical nightmare.
hope someone found this helpful!
I just discovered you and it has been amazing watching your videos I am currently in the process of planning my DIY reception meal And we're looking at doing a diy sandwich bar For roughly 75 people it's scary to think that I'm Doing this while camping that entire weekend Luckily I do have a couple of people coming in from the nearby town that Are saving me by bringing certain things and picking up a couple of things for me
I understand that people need to make money and it's a talent to feed a crowd, but I got a quote for $33/person for a basic green salad bar. Woof.
Use plastic tablecloths and paper plates and cups and plastic silverware. Easy clean up
Congratulations on 100,000 !! Thanks for your super helpful videos.
100k BABY! So freakin proud of you! You have worked so hard and have thrived through this past year. I love your spirit so much and am grateful I found you in a very stressful time, you brought a lot of joy to my fiancé and I. We are now getting married July 16th and it couldn’t have been possible without your master PLANning ❤️
We are drop catering from Olive Garden. A friend who is helping me just did that for her daughter's grad party. I bought aluminum pans from The Dollar Tree that came with lids for leftovers.
100,000!!!!! Whoooo hoooo!!!!🥳🥳🥳 Hugs from Napa Ca
OMG I would love a video on dealing with a florists, who needs corsages? Boutonnieres?
Such a cute dress! Congratulations on the 100K!. Perfect timing for this video, needed this help. Plus the Master Plan I purchased last month has been awesome!!!!
I think we're doing pizza (+extras) because it's the 1/4 price of catering, and spending the price of my car on food is too much. Plus the only family I can rely on to help with food will be busy with other wedding stuff.
Watching your videos I think about how lucky I am. Then I think geeze my wedding is going to be low rent! 😆
My customer is catering for 300 at a cost of $1000. We're eating off paper plates with plastic forks. Im getting married in 15 days!!! Im so excited. But more excited for the honeymoon. My other customer has a beach house in SC. That's right. FREE HONEYMOON. I CANNOT. WAIT.
CONGRATULATIONS on 100K!!!!!! 🎉🎊 You are the sweetest human and you totally deserve it! ❤️
Recently talked to a caterer who quoted $40 per person. Wouldn't itemize and it was an all our nothing deal. Not in our budget because the bride and groom have large families. In the end, they steered us to their drop catering services (delivered!) For about $11/person. I can pay high school/college students at a whole lot cheaper cost to make sure the trays stay full and clear tables.
I'm toying with the idea of DIY apps and having some family members bring cakes for a cake table. My cousin did this and it was genius.