Do-It-Yourself: Catering a Wedding
Catering a wedding is a huge undertaking, especially if the bride and groom are doing it themselves. If you have time and patience on your side, along with a few friends who work culinary miracles, catering your big day yourself will be an enjoyable and memorable project that will save some money along the way.
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Things You'll Need
- A venue
- Tables and chairs
- Linens and chair covers
- Glassware
- Place settings
- Serving staff
- Food and drinks
Instructions
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Establish a per-guest budget before you commit to a venue or menu. Once you settle on the budget for the meal, drinks and cocktail hour, research options for actual main courses. Chicken might be cheaper than steak or lamb, for instance. Determine if your reception meal will be buffet style or a sit-down dinner. If you are the bride and you plan to cook yourself, a buffet is easier to plan and execute. Salads and a roasted turkey or chicken are simple to do ahead of time and require less preparation than some other menu items. Enlist friends to help with the shopping and preparation; plan to cook the entire day before the wedding and make hot foods the morning of the event.
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Rent the tables, chairs and all linens (tablecloths and chair covers), if your venue doesn't provide these. You also will need to rent glassware and dishes if these are not included in the venue rental. Purchasing them very cheaply, in bulk, also is an option to consider.
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Put out an ad for staff to serve your guests. Unless you plan on having your guests serve themselves (buffet) or wait tables, you should hire wait staff for the big day. The wait staff should include the bartender and cocktail servers; you should offer them a flat fee for compensation. Bartenders at weddings are typically hired for a flat fee, but they also may take tips from guests. Check references of your prospective servers or go through a catering company to ensure the waiters are reliable and knowledgeable.
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Ask a friend or family member to assist you in choosing food for the reception. If you hope to cook your own reception meal, you will need ample support on the day of the wedding. Friends, parents and the serving staff should be prepared to help out chopping, organizing the buffet and setting the tables. Plan out the schedule carefully for cooking and serving your cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and main meal. Delegate a member of the staff or a wedding planner to take care of the schedule; on the big day, you will be too busy to have much involvement in the kitchen activities.
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Tips & Warnings
Hiring a staff to take care of food, drinks and serving is essential. Remember that you have invited your family and friends as guests who are there to enjoy your wedding, not wait tables.
In any wedding menu, you must provide at least two main meal options for guests. Also request that any vegetarians or vegans note their dietary restrictions upon returning the RSVP.
References
Resources
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