We are doing a DIY buffet.  So I have a good friend that has offered to do most of the cooking as a wedding gift to us.  Since this is our second wedding, and we already have our home established - that makes a great gift.  My daughter is gifting us with the purchasing of a majority of our food that needs to be cooked.  We are having chicken rigatoni, bowtie pasta with grapes and poppy seed dressing, bbq meatballs, potato salad, and some kind of veggie I think.  Maybe some rolls and butter, then soda for drinks and some desserts -- For 50 people.  I think that sounds like plenty to me.

luckily, my aunt is a caterer... so she's offering us a family deal at $200 for finger foods... which is perfect because i wanted more of a party style reception anyway and dinner didnt fit in2 my vision! but our menu is: chicken wing dings, meatballs, chicken salad, spaghetti salad, fruit cascade, chocolate fountain with all the fixings and of course the cake :) $200?!? cant beat it :)

Backyard BBQ food! 2 types smoked meat+Angus burgers+all beef Nathan's hot dogs+3 sides+Chocolate Cake!.... Ohhh & a Whole Smoked Pig(apple in his mouth)              150 people=approx. $2500. We love it!~ http://cityqbbq.com/photos.php Possibly in our backyard, or at our local park picnic shelter($135/ 4hrs shelter holds 100 people)......

Our Black&White inspiration:

I'm so excited about menu that i have to share!!

Menu for 120 people @ $12 per person.
Total:    $1440.00

Cocktail Hour:
Sweet potato chips w/ mango salsa
Sauteed scallops on skewers
Chicken lettuce wraps
Cheese platter

Main Course:
Soy and honey glazed chicken
Blackened Tilapia
BBQ chicken linguine
Spicy Cajun (chicken) gumbo
White rice

Braised vegetables
Fruit salad

Beverages:

Fresh squeezed raspberry-lemonade
Sweet/Unsweetened Tea

My catering is $1600 with two servers!  It's a local BBQ place that is fantastic, but family-owned, so they are able to do it cheap.  Beef brisket, grilled chicken, sausage, salad, potatoes, corn bread, and mac and cheese! 

Omg Golden Corral would be awesome!! We have to have catering from our venue - we have the tasting next week but Im pretty sure it will be a chicken dish, potatoes, veges, salad, rolls (plated lunch = 10.95 pp) with tea and milk. We are getting a liquor punch fountain and beer which will come out to about $600 or so, $2.25 pp for unlimited soda...I am getting the cake from Walmart I think - SUPER cheap....although FI really wants an ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins which is $3 pp...I think Im doing pretty good on this part of the budget!!

we are opting for a "cocktail" reception instead of a sit-down dinner.  TONS of yummy little appetizers and some home-made sangria...yum!

@MrsFord2Be2009 - wow, that's an amazing deal you got!  $12/p for all that is excellent!

I went buffet style.  We didn't go with any one caterer, got a dish from here, 2 from there, kinda thing.  We got some delicious finger foods from Dean and Deluca, they're pricey so we offset that by getting jerk chicken/mac n cheese and more substantial food from local spots.  One also threw in a 2 tier cake (I'm a frequent eater there, lol) - - terrible icing job but I was grateful and it tasted pretty good.  My aunt bakes so she did my main cake and a sheet cake for guest for free.  We didn't serve it, just put it in boxes for favors. Ended up spending about $250 for around 40 pple not including drinks.  My mother took care of the alcohol and drinks.

@ abby_c -  Thanks!! I shopped around until I felt that I got the best deal possible. The food is excellent and my caterer is so nice! I'm so excited.

Luckily my mom is a caterer so we will only have to pay for some of the food, she also has the linens, silverware, glasses, serving utensils etc.  I'm not sure where we getting our cakes from