Make the event a community affair

By Sheilah Kaufman

article created on: 2009-03-01T00:00:00

What happens when you cross a potluck supper with a wedding reception? If all goes well, a very lucky bride and groom who will have fabulous dishes for their reception and can still afford their dream honeymoon.

A hundred years ago, catering your own wedding with a potluck reception was the standard for most families. Today’s weddings have morphed into expensive extravaganzas that utilize wedding planners, caterers and other professionals. As the economy falters and couples find themselves choosing between a caterer and a honeymoon, or wedding planning and new furniture, other options are back on the table.

Reduced costs, however, are not the only reason to consider a potluck reception.

Being from a small town in Alaska, Rachel Weaver knew she wanted her wedding day to reflect the true community spirit with which she grew up. Rachel hoped to involve her family and friends in a wedding that reflected the events she attended in her hometown. That meant a potluck reception. She got married on Oct. 4, 2008, in Louisville, Colo., surrounded by loved ones whose dishes graced the banquet tables.

Rachel and Mike had a less expensive wedding that was wonderful and meaningful and they were able to afford their dream honeymoon in New Zealand.

Here’s how they did it: Rachel and Mike supplied the main course, brisket and chicken, for 90 guests. Two wedding guests each made potatoes for 50, and others made salads and side dishes. The guests who came from out of town brought the wine. Not only were their loved ones witnesses to this monumental time in their lives, but they participated in a meaningful way in the festivities.

A friend, who’s a baker and caterer, made a three-tier, chocolate raspberry almond wedding cake with fudgy chocolate frosting as a gift.

If you don’t want this to be a typical potluck supper, suggest that your guests bring simple but elegant dishes. The right dishes will make it seem like a wedding reception, but allow people who are not experienced cooks to pitch in.

There are other logistics to consider. If the reception comes right after the wedding, make sure the reception venue has plenty of space to store the dishes and refrigerate those that need to be kept cool.

You will either need chafing dishes or some other means of heating and keeping heated dishes warm. You certainly don’t want your guests to leave dishes of food in their cars during the wedding, as they could be dried out or spoiled by the time the reception takes place.

Pick a main course or courses that will fit into your budget and are simple enough to go well with whatever dishes your guests bring. Picture a buffet table with a lovely main course surrounded by an enchanting variety of appetizers, side dishes and desserts.

The magic of this occasion will arise not from the expense of the ingredients or the renown of a caterer, but from the love of family and friends. The idea may have grown out of economic necessity, but the result will be priceless.

A good way to organize the variety of dishes brought by guests is to assign dishes by the first letter of each guest’s last name. Out-of-town guests can bring the wine.

I would not recommend leaving the menu to chance. You can provide each person with several recipes to choose from so the final menu is balanced and you know the dishes will work well together. Since I love to prepare desserts, I pretend I am still using my maiden name so I can fall into the dessert category!