Weddingbee Blog

After months of imagining our wedding food as homemade egg, ham and turkey salad sandwiches, we’ve decided to actually listen to the people who will be eating it (aside from us, because we are blinded by an intense feeling of nirvana when even thinking of such a spread):

“But I hate sandwiches that include the word ’salad!’” the people screamed, leaving us thoroughly confused as to how on Earth people could feel such intense hate for something we deem the most delicious food of them all.

“Well our wedding is going to be really casual, and it’s the perfect food for a sweet little get-together. Plus it’s our favorite–yum!”

“Ugh, fine. Then I will just go hungry and drink a lot and end up getting drunk because I refuse to eat a sandwich like that for dinner,” they responded, which I always ignored in favor of our chosen food vision. Plus, my friends are all outspoken divas and I’m immune to it.

Photo source, which looks delicious even though it’s more gourmet than I typically like my egg salad.

But after hearing the same responses from far too many people, we threw the idea out the window and settled on having our beloved salad sandwiches at the no-frills wedding shower. From that point on, we had one seemingly attainable goal: Find a country caterer for about $10 per person.

Does it sound impossibly cheap? Are you laughing straight into your computer screens at our naive, inexpensive catering dreams? With a $10k budget and lots of other things to spend the wedding money on, we simply didn’t have room to go any higher.

And after dealing with caterers who hung up the phone mid-call (perhaps by accident, but I can’t be sure); catering info packets mysteriously getting lost in the mail not once but three times (yes, recommended caterer in the Illinois Valley…I’m talking to you); and companies trying to charge an extra $200 to drive 15 minutes away, we found a hands-down champion and are still relishing in our money-saving glory:

Introducing Hy-Vee…also known as grocery store catering. Also known as absolutely delicious food for $8.99 per person with all kiddies eating free. And considering we’re inviting about 30 little ones, this is so huge we can barely stand it!

The half-cut-off and always-hungry Mr. Jam getting ready to demolish testing plate numero uno. The pasta salad and fried chicken were total hits.

Mr. Jam and I went for a whatever-we-wanted-to-try tasting with my mom, because she’s absolutely fabulous and is also a little bit picky about food. Plus, all of her friends have raved about Hy-Vee catering, and she has been pretty curious about the hype.

As it turns out, the hype was completely deserved because we joyously fist-pumped and celebrated after everything we tried!

Our (sort of official but not set in stone) menu:

• Fried chicken, which happens to be a local favorite and one of Mr. Jam’s ultimate meals
• BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, which we can only describe using one word: LOVE
• Rainbow rotini pasta salad, which was the all-around favorite and chock-full of vegetables, olives, cheese and other tasty surprises
• Potato salad, which we all loved even though we’re particular when it comes to potato salad
• Macaroni and cheese, which will feed all of the kiddies and the masses of grown-ups, too

This will also include dinner rolls, and oh, can I please mention again that this is just $8.99 per person and children are free? Yes, the minds are still blown.

And, and, and….for the ultimate cherry on our cheapy-cheap catering find: ALL OF THE LEFTOVER FOOD IS PACKAGED UP AND IS OURS TO TAKE HOME. ALL OF IT.

As a couple who oftentimes argues over who gets to eat the leftovers, this was a definite cause for high-fives and celebratory contract-signing. Our guests will officially have food to eat! And they will like it! And we can gnaw on a wedding drumstick the next day! Hallelujah!

How are you guys doing in your caterer-hunts? Did you have to change the menu because your sassy guests were hating on it? Are you going the grocery store caterer route, too? Did you gorge at your tasting and love every second of it? Spill your guts!