Where Do You Begin?
“We can’t be expected to know how to do something that we have never done before.” Source Unknown
Welcome to the Next Generation of Budget Wedding Planning
Wedding planning has changed—and so has Cater Your Own Wedding.
For more than 15 years, I’ve helped couples create beautiful, memorable weddings without spending more than they could afford. Today, I’m combining that real-world experience with the power of AI to offer a smarter, more personalized way to plan your wedding.
Rather than telling you that you should spend a certain percentage of your budget on flowers, photography, or any other category, you’ll find tools that help you make decisions based on your own priorities, preferences, guest count, location, and budget. Every wedding is different, and your budget should reflect the vision that’s most important to you—not a one-size-fits-all formula.
Here are examples of the first two interactive tools to help you achieve that goal that are easy to download to your Google Drive. There you will have easy access to your information as you progress through the various planning stages.
Because you need to start somewhere…………next:
The Budget Wedding Calculator
Every great wedding starts with a realistic budget. The Budget Wedding Calculator is the starting point and can be used with additional tools to help you determine how much you can comfortably spend, estimate costs based on your guest count and priorities, and see how each decision affects your overall plan.
Please bear with us as we transition to a new membership program. The new registration form should be available the week of 7/13 and worksheets will be available automatically once you register. But in the meantime………please send a email to cateryourownwedding@gmail.com ,enter Worksheets and/or Recipe Book in the subject line and I will send you links to these items.
When the new registration form is active, ordering worksheets will be a simple as clicking on a button. Thank you
As our new platform grows, you’ll discover
- Interactive calculators
- Planning worksheets
- Budget optimization tools
- AI-powered prompts
- Expert guidance
- Proven self-catering resources
All designed to help you compare options, understand the financial impact of your choices before you commit, and create a wedding plan that reflects what matters most to you.
We’re currently introducing this new membership experience and adding new tools, guides, recipes, and planning resources on an ongoing basis.
During our rollout, all of the tools, worksheets, calculators, and planning resources below are currently available at no cost giving you full access to explore the resources, test the planning tools, and experience how AI—combined with decades of hands-on wedding expertise—can help you plan with greater confidence, less stress, and more control over your budget.
This free access is temporary while we complete the final stages of our new membership program.
We anticipate launching our monthly membership around August 1st. At that time, many of these planning resources will become part of the members-only library.
If you’d like to keep copies of any worksheets, planners, or calculators, we encourage you to download them now while they’re still available for free.
Thank you for visiting during this exciting new chapter. We invite you to explore the site, try the tools, and check back often as new features are added. Our goal is simple: to help you create the wedding you’ve always envisioned while making informed decisions every step of the way.
Please note that the Recipe Software and recipe database will become an exclusive benefit of our paid membership program once the new site goes live. Members will enjoy ongoing access to the software, new recipes, menu ideas, and future additions as they are released.
Thank you for joining us during this exciting transition. We’re looking forward to bringing you an even better wedding planning experience with more personalized tools, AI-powered guidance, and practical resources designed to help you create the wedding you want—while staying within your budget.
THE BUDGET OPTIMIZER WORKBOOK
This is the workbook that is going to help you clarify where you want to spend your money, re-calculate totals based on your changes, and provide suggestions to optimize your purchasing decisions.
Take your time as you work through these worksheets. The time you invest now will pay dividends throughout your entire wedding planning journey.
One of the biggest sources of wedding planning stress is uncertainty about money. You’ll make confident decisions before you’re faced with expensive choices by:
- Determining what matters most to both of you
- Setting clear priorities
- Allocating your budget accordingly
Studies have found that more than 60% of couples exceed their original wedding budget, often because they make spending decisions before establishing clear priorities.
By completing these worksheets first, you’ll create a realistic budget based on your priorities. When every dollar has a purpose, it’s much easier to avoid impulse spending, resist unnecessary upgrades, and stay on track financially.
A thoughtful budget doesn’t just help you spend less—it gives you the confidence to enjoy the planning process, knowing you’re creating the wedding you truly want while staying within the budget you’ve chosen.
The Guest Count Adjustment Worksheet is the next tool in the planning process and will be available soon. It allows you to instantly see the financial impact of increasing or decreasing your guest list—one of the single biggest factors affecting the overall cost of your wedding.
Before making decisions about your venue, menu, or other major expenses, use this worksheet to explore different guest count scenarios. Seeing the numbers before you commit can help you make informed decisions, maximize your budget, and avoid costly surprises later in the planning process.
Over time, we'll be adding expert guidance, practical planning tools, and AI-powered insights to help you make confident decisions and stretch your wedding budget as far as possible through every stage of planning—from your engagement to your reception.
Because the venue, food, and beverages typically represent the largest portion of a wedding budget, my next focus will be on self-catering. Throughout my years of helping couples plan weddings, I’ve found that this is the single greatest opportunity to achieve significant savings without sacrificing quality or the guest experience. I’ll show you proven strategies, practical planning tools, and real-world techniques that have helped hundreds of couples create memorable receptions while staying within their budget.
Fortunately, All the Information You Need Will Be Right Here.
- Have planning and organizing tools at your fingertips, arranged in a chronological sequence.
- Use my AI Prompts to locate a variety of available venues in your area.
- Complete a simple questionnaire to help you decide what type of foods you want to serve your guests.
- Use my prompts to evaluate your menu options for specific meals; brunch, luncheon, dinner, with a range of guest counts.
- Use my schedule to assist in determining when to prepare the food for the various recipes.
- Use my prompts to determine whether is it more economical to rent dishes etc. or purchase disposables. Or the total cost if you combine the two.
- Use my prompts to prepare a schedule for the day to ensure that all the desired activities are included.
- Use one of my most important tools to ensure that all of your guests; wether 50 or 300, will proceed smoothly through the buffet in under 45 minutes.
- Have your deposit returned by using methods we developed to get you out of the door on time, with the facility in perfect condition.
A. Can you plan a wedding for $10,000 or $15,000?
My clients choose to self-cater for a variety of reasons, however the majority had limited budgets and couldn’t spend $30,000; the most recent average cost. Their guest counts ranged from 25 to 300 people, were held in a wide range of venues, served simple to complex food and all saved significant amounts of money.
Reception costs usually account for 50% of the wedding budget. This includes the Venue, Food, Beverages, Music, Decor, and Entertainment.
- You can save a significant amount by purchasing and cooking the food yourself, with or without the help of friends.
- A well planned menu will involve food preperation over several days.
- Purchasing all the beverages will allow you to take advantage of sales and avoid corkage fees.
- Renting a venue without vendor restrictions gives you freedom to make cost-saving decisions. It has become more difficult to deal with licensing demands but there are ways!
- There are tips for saving money that you never would have thought of.
B. REDUCE THE STRESS DURING THE PLANNING PROCESS?
These are just a few of the tools my clients have found invaluable in easing anxiety while tackling the big planning puzzle.
- “The AI Prompts made food purchasing decisions so much simplier, and the Preparation Schedule lifted a huge weight by showing exactly what needed to be done – and when.”
- “The Organizational tips were an incredible help.”
- “The breakdown of how much food to serve per person was truely a lifesaver.
- The Directions for Preparing Large Amounts of Food and Serving Pieces Table tied up a lot of loose ends. “
- To read more ……visit Clients’ Comments
C. BE RELAXED & TRULY ENJOY THE RECEPTION
Everyone will be relaxed and able to enjoy themselves because they know everything is well planned!
My client Barbara made this statement the first time I met her.
“I had self-catered my older daughter’s reception several years ago and was a complete wreck by the time the reception took place.”
She sent me the following message after the reception we planned together.
“Thank You, It Was A Great Day”
Where Did All the Information for Plan to Cater Your Own Wedding Originate?
It all started when I helped a friend cater her own reception. And then, several years later, I self-catered my own.
I enjoyed both experiences so much that I started helping brides, and their mothers, plan their own self-catered receptions ranging from 25 to 300 guests. I was also on-site on most occasions to coordinate the activity prior to, during, and after the receptions.
This gave me a unique insight into the tasks that need to occur prior, at the time of, and at the completion of an event.
It also provided numerous opportunities to problem solve in real-time.
I participated in a local Wedding Faire the first year. The second year we had so many word-of-mouth referrals that no additional advertising was necessary.
- Author of Frugally Fabulous Wedding Receptions
- Instructor for reception planning workshops
- More than 15 years experience helping couples plan weddings from 25 to 300 guests
And now years later, after helping too many brides to count plan for catering their own wedding, ………here I am.
SO, LET’S GET STARTED ON YOUR JOURNEY.
STEP ONE –
Order the free Fantastic Recipes eBook.
These are the recipes my clients used and now they can be a key part of the foundation for planning to cater your wedding. Also, watch for additional recipes that will be added to the blog in the future. I have included some of my clients’ favorites because they were so well liked and worked well with the preparation schedule.
STEP TWO
A 10 Part Planning Package
Built on first-hand behind-the-scenes knowledge of every step in executing a self-catered wedding reception, detailed AI prompts, and practical worksheets.
You are welcome to explore Parts 1-5, giving you the opportunity to evaluate the depth and thoroughness of the information provided.
- I’ve designed my planning package to fit both your needs and your budget. You’ll have access to a complete step-by-step guide. Each part is laid out in a natural sequence so you can focus on one step at a time, advancing only when you’re ready.
- Most of the brides and families I’ve worked with chose to self-cater for one reason: why spend a huge portion of your budget on an expensive, mediocre catered meal when you can create something more personal, memorable and cost-effective yourself?
- This isn’t just information-it’s the same proven process I’ve used to help couples confidently host receptions, without the overwhelm. If you’re budget-consious and determined to make your wedding both affordable and unforgettable, this package is designed for you.
Part 1
The Venue
Find the Perfect Space-without hidden costs or vendor restrictions
Part 3
Make smart choices about renting versus buying-save time, money, and stress.
Part 4
Planning a Potluck
Left unmanaged, this can be one of most chaotic parts of the reception. With this plan everything flows seamlessly.
Part 5
Organizing the Food Preparation
Use step-by-step schedules and checklists to keep every dish on track.
Part 6
Arranging the Room
Layout diagrams for tables, buffet, bar, cake table and dance floor – so guests flow smoothly.
Part 7
Setting Up the Buffet
everyone in under 45 minutes with proven stratagies and buffet designs.
Part 8
Everything You Need to Plan for a Stress-Free Day From backup supplies to troubleshooting, be ready for anything.
Part 9
Clean Up and Out the Door On Time Get your deposit back with an organized exit plan that works everytime.
Part 10
All the Miscellaneous Tidbits All the overlooked details that turn a good reception into a great one!
In addition to Core Content the Blog Posts will include
- Comical moments we experienced
- Catastrophes that were averted
- Every tip that I can think of to help make your big day as enjoyable as possible for everyone.
STEP THREE – Coming soon
While Planning Your Self Catered Wedding Take Advantage of Our Special Interactive Recipe Software.
Pssst….you are welcome to continue to use this great feature after the wedding. It will be a great tool to use as your life probably becomes even busier!
- Create a menu using the recipes our clients love and even add your own.
- Modify the number of servings right in the recipe as you plan your menu
- Create a Shopping List.
- Save recipes, menus, and shopping lists in the computer.
- Access your list on your phone while shopping.
- Check off items as you put them in the cart.
And Now
You have an overview of the step by step guide for planning to cater your wedding. Got mr, catching up with technology and becoming comfortable with AI has been time consuming, frustrating at times, and certainly challenging. But, the result is so worth while! You will be able, with a few keyboard strokes, to do what took me hours to manually compute and compile for my clients in the past.
I am here to help. I hope you will share your biggest fear about catering your wedding in the comments section so I can address those concerns in a future blog. Thank you!
Planning Questions?
I am here to help. I was on-site at most of my client’s functions and know what needs to be done to ensure a smooth and well-organized function. Plus, your question could be helpful for other brides. Please post your questions in the Comment section below.
