OK I know it was not just Upstate New York that had this problem.
Of all the JW weddings I went to, I can think of 3 that were catered.
All the rest, the congregation members paid for. Whether said event was at the local grange or the 4-H, you could count on getting an invitation to "Bring a dish to pass."
In my old age wisdom (37) and since leaving the JW, I have never been invited to a social event that I had to help fund.
How 'bout you?
Lisa
Enough to Feed an Army Class