Definitely beats $25k of debt and a year of stress.
Our church volunteered the fellowship hall after the upstairs wedding.
We had all you can eat spaghetti with meatballs, salad, cake, pie and candy/cookies, jello/coolwhip pink and green stuff (I don't know what you call it, but it's loaded with crap good) made by the ladies, home made bread and cows butter.
We drank koolaid (go 'head ... I can take the jokes), coffee, someone provided a few cases of generic cola and I think someone made some tea.
Our bill was about 300 bucks also.
We had about 50 or 60 guests ... all church family and blood relatives.
Our church is our friend base as well as church family.