DIY Reception Food Part I

A lot people planning a wedding choose to prepare their own food for the reception and save some serious $$$$$$.  Many avoid this route but it can be done if you read these tips

Things to consider when doing the self-catering for reception food.


1. Number of guests-try to set reasonable limits, it's easier to self-cater 100 people than 300 people (more than 150 is very difficult).

2. Your kitchen and especially...your refrigerator space.  You will need to arrange with friends and family for extra refrigeration space. Example, A cookie bar is very simple, delicious and elegant option for a wedding but if you are baking hundreds, you need to make dough in batches and freeze them until the event.  You will need more freezer space as it gets closer.

These pictures are from an excellent blog post on logistics of baking lots of cookies for a wedding.  You have to read it HERE  This was where I decided on our cake recipe too!!

3. Before reserving a venue that lets you bring your own food, check the kitchen you'll be using.  Pick the venue with the best kitchen available.

A good kitchen has:

• Plenty of oven space and racks.  This is important if you need to heat several items at once.  
• Plenty of fridge space.  It sucks if you need to empty out the fridge the day of the event to make room for your chicken salad and sliced veggies.  
• Plenty of counter space.  You have a lot of platters or perhaps plates to set up.  

• If the kitchen isn't your own, you need to check what supplies come it it, does it have serving dishes, salt and pepper, serving spoons, knives for slicing, chopping, and carving?  Does it has dish soap and towels?  Oven mitts?  Rolling pins? This is why you need to check in advance so you can avoid buying things at the last minute.  

4. GET HELP, volunteer or paid.  For my wedding my mother-in-law had her friends from her church group help with the food during the reception.  Before the wedding, she said that she helped at every one of her friends' daughter or son's wedding so they better help her in return.  Haha :) My MIL is great, who would say no to her??