Feeding 75 Guests Without Setting the Budget on Fire
Alright, dolls—time for another Atomic Love Challenge check-in, where we pull back the curtain, show the math, and tell the truth about what planning a wedding on a tight budget actually looks like. This week’s focus? Catering. Because if guests remember three things—food, music, vibe—then food has to pull its weight without eating the entire budget.
For context: this challenge is about planning a wedding for 75 guests on a total budget of $5,000 in Southern California. No secret industry hookups. No influencer freebies. Just real quotes, real decisions, and real trade-offs. Here’s how catering is shaping up —what we priced, what surprised us, and what’s actually workable.
The Goal (Still the Same, Doll): Keep guests full and happy.
- Choose food that travels and serves well buffet-style
- Avoid full-service catering costs
- Stay aligned with the guest experience priority
- Protect the budget for music, decor, and atmosphere
- Translation: this is pickup or drop-off buffet territory, not plated dinners and tuxedoed servers.
Option 1: Buckboard BBQ — Budget-Friendly and Crowd-Pleasing
- Buckboard BBQ quickly emerged as a serious contender.
- Service: Pickup, buffet-style
- Estimated for ~75 guests:
- Food: $746.25
- Tax: $78.36
- Pickup gratuity (12%): $89.55
- Total: $914.16
Atomic Love Verdict: This is the kind of number that makes you sit up straighter. BBQ travels well, feeds hungry humans, and doesn’t require fancy plating. At under $1,000 all-in, Buckboard keeps us solidly inside the catering lane without crowding out the rest of the event.
What we’d still need to plan: Chafing dishes and serving utensils (confirm inclusions) and Volunteer servers or a self-serve buffet flow. Still—this option checks a lot of boxes.
Option 2: In-N-Out Truck — Perfect Idea, Big Reality Check
We looked at it. Of course we did. In-N-Out Burger is iconic, nostalgic, and wildly popular. But here’s the issue: The truck is too big for the house. Between space, parking, and logistics, it simply doesn’t fit this particular backyard setup.
Atomic Love Verdict: Adorable in theory. Not practical in execution. Not to mention the minimum for the truck for what we needed was quoted at $4,500 TO START. This one goes back in the “fun but not functional” file.
Option 3: Lucille’s BBQ — Quality, With a Price Tag
- Next up was Lucille’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Que, which offers multiple catering tiers.
- Larger Package 75 people (Pickup)
- Base food: ~$1,799.95
- Tax (10.5%): ~$188.99
- Pickup gratuity (12%): ~$215.99
- Total: ~$2,204.93
Atomic Love Verdict: Great food. Solid reputation. But the price swings depending on guest minimums—and for a 75-guest wedding, this option eats a much bigger slice of the pie than we want right now. Not impossible. Just not ideal at this stage of the challenge.
Option 4: Ono Hawaiian – Just because I bloody love it
- Hawaiian food and I have been in love since it came to the mainland.
- Package for 95-100 people (Pickup)
- Base food: ~$1,069.99Tax (10.5%): ~$104.32
- Pickup gratuity (12%): ~$128.40
- Total: ~$1,302.71
Now there are two other places that I’ve sent inquiries to for pricing so I will let you know how that goes once I speak with them. And, those packages that we have already looked at DON’T include beverages or any super lavish side dishes. Those might need to be added after the fact. So, there is that.
The Gratuity Question (Because It Always Comes Up)
Let’s clear the air. Even with pickup catering, gratuity is generally appropriate because:
- Large orders require additional prep
- Kitchen teams coordinate bulk packaging
- Timing is tighter than standard restaurant service
Atomic Love Rule of Thumb: 10–15% for pickup catering, 12% is a respectful, reasonable standard. If a service fee exists, ask what it covers before tipping more. This isn’t about tipping servers—it’s about acknowledging extra labor.
What This Week Taught Us
A few truths became crystal clear during this round of pricing:
- Buffet catering is the budget MVP
- BBQ is forgiving, filling, and flexible
- Food trucks aren’t always backyard-friendly
- Pricing transparency matters more than brand names
- Feeding guests well beats fancy presentation every time
Also—and this matters—you are not “doing it wrong” if you can’t afford everything you want … or everything that you think others want.
You are honoring your priorities. That’s real planning.
Where Catering Fits in the Bigger Atomic Love Picture
Food is one of the three guest-memory pillars, so it deserves real budget attention—but not at the expense of everything else. The goal remains:
- Good food
- Good music
- A killer vibe
If the food is satisfying and plentiful, no one cares that the chairs aren’t upholstered.
Where We’re Leaning (For Now)
At this stage of the Atomic Love Challenge, Buckboard BBQ is the front-runner. The numbers make sense, the food fits the vibe, and it leaves room in the budget for the rest of the experience. Nothing is locked yet—but this week’s research narrowed the field in a big way. Progress, doll.
Want Help Making Catering Decisions That Don’t Wreck Your Budget?
Cherry Pop Events helps couples navigate catering decisions with clarity—quotes, comparisons, trade-offs, and logistics included. If you’re planning a wedding and want honest guidance (not sales pressure), complimentary consultations are available. We’ll help you decide where to spend, where to save, and how to keep your guests happy without financial regret.
You bring the appetite. We bring the plan.
🎙️ Hear the Full Story on The Pin-Up Planner Podcast
This Atomic Love Challenge update—and the real-time decision-making behind it—gets unpacked even further on The Pin-Up Planner podcast.
Each episode dives into:
- Actual quotes and budgets
- Vendor negotiations
- Emotional reality checks
- What worked, what didn’t, and why
No fluff. No fantasy pricing. Just real planning talk for couples who want weddings with sass, class, and a whole lot of heart.
Stick around—next week, we’re tackling the next big piece of the puzzle. 💋
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