Weddings are becoming more intimate than ever before, and as a result, we’re seeing an increasing number of couples handle the food themselves. It’s crazy enough to handle the cuisine for a 100-person wedding on your own, but what about food for ten? If you make a clear plan and set realistic expectations, you should be able to do this.
Tips for catering your own wedding
Make a precise timeline that includes everything from when you’ll go grocery shopping to what time and day the cake will be baked. Whatever you do, allow for extra time because snags will inevitably occur.
Plan food and drink menu
Make a precise timeline that includes everything from when you’ll go grocery shopping to what time and day the cake will be baked. Whatever you do, allow for extra time because snags will inevitably occur.
Don’t go overboard with the food and drink menu unless you’re a competent chef. Instead, stick to crowd-pleasing selections that are simple to prepare, don’t take a long time, and are preferably stuff you’ve served before.
Work on the recipes
Consider how you’ll carry the food (if you’re not cooking it at the venue), where you’ll cook it, where you’ll keep or chill the food if it requires it, and all the utensils and supplies you’ll need if you’re cooking it there, among other things. If you’re taking food with you, think about how each dish will travel—some dishes will travel considerably better than others. Consider salad, pasta, roasted or steamed vegetables, poultry, and other popular buffet foods.
Start the prep earlier
To avoid any major delays, make sure everyone knows when they need to be there and has been informed of your overall schedule.
Health precautions
- On the wedding day, take everyone’s temperature. Take the temperature of anyone handling the food or anything else related to the wedding before they start working. If the temperature is above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, please ask them to stay at home and relax instead.
- Only a limited group of people are in charge of the kitchen. It’s better if there are fewer individuals touching stuff.
- Buffets should be avoided. You also don’t want guests to get too near to each other or touch the same cutlery. Create a gorgeous display table with individual portions of the appetizers instead of a buffet or passing hors d’oeuvres, and have a waiter (or several) on hand to oversee the table.
- Single-use utensils should be used. During cocktail hour and dinner, use disposable, individually wrapped cutlery and paper or plastic plates. Also, make sure that hand sanitizer is available at each table.
