Quick Answer

Should I Hire a Caterer or DIY Food for a Family Reunion?

Hire a caterer for groups of 75+, first-time organizers, or when the organizer wants to enjoy the event instead of cooking. DIY or potluck works well for groups under 50 with experienced home cooks in the family.

Side-by-Side Comparison

DIY / Potluck

$15–$30/person

✓ Lower cost per person

✓ Personal family recipes

✓ Flexibility on timing

✓ Family members feel involved

✓ Works great for small groups

✗ Organizer cooks, not enjoys

✗ Food safety risk without experience

✗ Difficult for 75+ people

✗ Potluck requires coordination

Caterer / Food Truck

$20–$60/person

✓ Organizer can enjoy the event

✓ Professional food safety

✓ Reliable quantities and quality

✓ Scales easily to 100+ guests

✓ No cooking day-of stress

✗ Higher cost

✗ Requires advance booking

✗ Minimum order requirements

✗ Less personal feel

Decision Guide by Group Size

Under 25 guestsPotluck or DIY cookoutEasy to coordinate, low cost, feels personal. A family member with a good grill can handle it without breaking a sweat.
25–50 guestsDIY cookout or BBQ cateringDIY is still manageable but requires 2–3 dedicated cooks. A BBQ food truck hits the sweet spot of cost and convenience at this size.
50–100 guestsBBQ caterer or buffet cateringDIY at this scale means the organizer spends the entire event behind a grill. Catering frees you to be present with your family.
100+ guestsProfessional buffet or food truckDIY becomes logistically very difficult. Professional catering is the right call — the cost difference per person is real but manageable.

The Hidden Cost of DIY: Your Time

DIY food costs less money — but it costs the organizer enormous time and energy on the day of the event. Grilling for 80 people means 3–4 hours of active cooking with no breaks, while family is arriving, catching up, and enjoying themselves around you.

For many organizers, especially those who spent months planning the event, this is a significant trade-off. If you've worked hard to pull this reunion together, you deserve to be present for it — not stationed at the grill. A $15–$20/person upcharge for catering is often worth it for that reason alone.

The Hybrid Approach: Organizer Provides the Anchor

A popular middle path: the organizer handles the main protein (a large tray of pulled chicken from a BBQ place, or a pre-ordered tray of lasagna), and asks family members to bring sides, salads, and desserts. This feels more personal than full catering, costs significantly less, and keeps the organizer free on the day of the event.

The key is the sign-up. Use Reunly or a shared Google Doc to assign dish categories — don't leave it to chance. Without coordination, you'll get 10 pasta salads and three desserts but no vegetables.

Cost Impact on Your Budget

Use the free Family Reunion Budget Calculator at reunly.io/tools/budget-calculator to see exactly how each food option affects your registration fee. For the full food cost breakdown, see How Much Does Catering Cost for a Family Reunion?

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