Wedding Blog

I spoke a little with FMIL over the weekend, and she’s made some progress on planning the picnic they’re throwing for us the weekend after our wedding. The biggie: She’s booked a caterer, which means we’ve got the beginnings of a menu!

The main courses being served? BBQ ribs and pork roast.

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Yes, we’ll be smearing our faces, hands (and let’s face it: shirts) with sticky, gooey, dark red barbecue sauce as we gnaw on rib bones at our reception.

Mr. MJ and I definitely approve. This is the upper Midwest, and this is an outdoor, rural picnic. No portobello pastas or spinach salad up in here! Around here, we are meat and potatoes. I used to live on thew West Coast, and I tend to joke that if a vegan friend were to visit me here in North Dakota, they’d die of starvation within the week. Since this is going to be a buffet/potluck event where people will eat what they want and bypass what they don’t, we’re not worried about selecting different entrees or offering menu selections. As with any large family-and-friends gathering: if you come, you can eat. If you don’t wanna eat, then you don’t have to!

There are sides and other dishes offered by the caterer as well, but the FILs aren’t yet sure what additional items we’ll be getting. They’re planning to go taste some of the offerings and make a decision based on their experience.

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The rest of the menu will likely include egg salad or potato salad, chips, dips, buns, desserts, and (of course) cake.

I’m really thankful for all the thought and planning FMIL is putting in to this event, and I’m trying to be careful not to step on her toes or take over the planning process. We’re both really excited for this fun and fabulous event to happen!

Is any aspect of your big day being planned almost entirely by someone else? Are you excited for the end result, a little freaked out by their choices, or both? Would you dare eat something as messy as ribs at your reception?