Guest Author - Sandra Sable
Hi again ladies, I have received a few “ I want to cater my own wedding” questions. Whether this is out of a need to cut the budget down or just a feeling that you want to control every aspect of the wedding. It does have its downfalls. There are a lot of different hindrances for being tied up catering,. Mainly enjoyment of your own wedding day. Now that does not mean you can't have a bevy of talented family members doing these things. Again keeping in mind they will miss the reception.
I believe you really have to clarify what your reasoning is for wanting to do things this way.
Is it budget? If your answer is yes, you may want to look into a simple menu. Simple menus keep things streamlined. Sometimes a caterer will offer a special price on a streamlined menu. You could also do half catered half prepared by family, friends and yourself.
I have worked with people that we have only catered half of the meal. My advice is to let the professionals cook the hot stuff. This keeps the food handling safety issues at bay and is the most time consuming. A professional caterer will also have the equipment to keep the food s hot. Guests really do love hot food. Catering your own event requires serving dishes, cooking utensils, kitchen space, as well as strict safety standards. The last thing you want is to make you guests queasy or sick.
I mention to my brides to be, if they want to play a part, look after desserts, salads and items that don't require cooking, yet can be made ahead. These are actually the items that can cost the most money. I have a list of suggestions below that you can look through to help ease the budget. If that is your focus.
Desserts, brownies, bars, squares, tarts or pies. These items add depth to a dolce vita table, yet cost pennies a serving to make. Happy quests with great sweet treats.
Raw veggie trays, these can be placed on a receiving table so guests can nibble when they arrive.
Cheese, crackers and meats can also be used the same way. These are filler items that can be inexpensive to create, yet you can put them together ahead of time. That way you can cut the budget as well as enjoy the wedding. This is Sandra Sable signing off till next time, lets talk weddings.
