Catering your own wedding can save you a considerable amount of money on the cost of your wedding. But to successfully pull off a self-catered wedding, there a lot of tips and tricks you should know, and many logistics to consider. Here we give you a run down of everything you'll need to cater your own wedding

A Professional Caterer's Insider's Secrets For Catering Your Own Wedding

Caterer's often use their freezers to stock-pile freezable wedding appetizers for their busy wedding season. While some caterers make their own appetizers, we'll let you in on a little secret - many professional caterers actually purchase pre-made frozen appetizers from their food suppliers. When catering your own wedding, you can do the same thing. You'll score great deals if you purchase appetizers for your wedding in bulk or large quantities from places like Costco, Sams Club, or other big discount warehouses.

Whether a caterer prepares their appetizers themselves or whether they purchase pre-made appetizers from a food vendor, the appetizers usually get stored in the freezer until the wedding weekend. Just as the freezer can be a caterer's best friend when it comes to preparing hundreds or thousands of party foods, the freezer can also become your best friend if you are catering your own wedding.

If you own, or have access to, a decent sized freezer you can begin amassing freezable wedding day foods, months before your wedding day.

By setting aside one morning, afternoon, or evening a week in the months leading up to the wedding, you can begin cooking up your own wedding reception. Its not just appetizers that can be frozen, but other menu items that freeze well like lasagna, meatballs, etc.

Here's a cater's secrets for how to store and transport all those delicious bite-size appetizers. Invest in clean, empty pizza boxes. Pizza boxes are the perfect way to store, freeze, and transport hundreds of appetizers to the wedding reception. They are space saving and efficient. Here's what to do:

1. Line the boxes with a sheet of bakery or sandwich paper.

2. Line all your appetizers up in neat rows side by side inside the lined box. Depending on the size of the appetizer, I generally was able to average between 60 to 80 wedding appetizers in a box.

3. Lay another sheet or sheets of bakery or sandwich paper on top of the appetizers.

4. Close the box.

5. Using a permanent magic marker, label the boxes in two spots. You will want to label the box for quick identification on the front side and also on the top of the box.

6. Make sure to include any special directions on the top of each box. This can be achieved with copies you can create from your computer printer or a copy machine, then cut and tape the directions to each box.

7. Wrap the box with commercial plastic wrap that can be purchased from a warehouse like Sam's or Costco. You will want to wrap these boxes as tightly as possible. Begin by wrapping the pizza box from the bottom. Pull out a large extended length of wrap without cutting it. Then set the pizza box on top and start wrapping under and over until your box is completely secured in plastic wrap. When this is done correctly, you can literally turn the box upside down and the appetizers will not fall out of the box. As a caterer, I wrapped everything in this under, over fashion. Not only did it protect the food in the storage process, it also protected the food from accidents during transportation.

8. Put the wrapped box in the freezer and store until your wedding weekend. It is always a smart idea to monitor your freezer to be certain it is working properly.

If you start to run short on freezer space, get creative about places you can store food for your wedding. What about family, friends, or perhaps your church has a freezer that you can use for wedding reception storage.

To transport the wrapped boxes, simply stack them in clear large plastic bags. Tie the bags. This will protect the boxes of appetizers from shifting around during transportation. By all means assign this job of appetizer transport to a family member or friend. I would suggest asking a friend or family member, or hiring a staffer to be your appetizer coordinator for the wedding day.

If you have too many leftover appetizers after the wedding reception you really should not refreeze them. If you can not use them up during the weekend ...why not donate them to a food bank and bless others less fortunate than yourself? Again, let a friend of family member coordinate the donation of excess wedding food for you.

Food Safety: When catering your own wedding its very important to ensure that all food is being handled in a safe manner and stays within proper temperature zones. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you enlist the assistance of a conscientious family member, friend, or hired assistant to help you. Don't let this food safety aspect scare you off from self-catering or semi-catering your own wedding reception. As long as you are conscientious about proper food handling and storage, you should not encounter problems.

 

Food Safety When Catering Your Own Wedding

Food that is not handled, prepared and stored correctly can cause your wedding guests to become ill. That isn't the memory you want your guests to have of your wedding. Keeping food safe is not difficult. It just requires some basic food safety education combined with common sense. If you are going to be catering your own wedding, its really important that you ensure that the food is handled and prepared in a way that will keep it safe, so guests don't become ill.

Here are 10 of the top tips that professional caterers teach their food preparation staff in the catering and special event business. Be sure to adhere to them when catering your own wedding:

1. Secure your hair. Tie it back. Cover it or at least spray it liberally with hairspray before you step into the kitchen. Make sure you don't have any hair on your clothes, too! Use a lint brush before you go into the kitchen to start cooking. While loose hair is not necessarily a big food safety issue, it is very unappetizing in food!

2. Remove all rings and other jewelry from your hands. Wash your hands and lower arms with hot soapy water before, during and after preparing food. During food preparation you will need to wash your hands often. Just use common sense and remember to wash between tasks, if you cough, if you scratch yourself, etc.

3. Start every new session with an immaculate kitchen. Wash down your prep area and counter tops. Use a solution of 1 quart water to 3 teaspoons bleach. (Bleach in a kitchen can ruin nice clothes fast. Don't wear your best clothes in the kitchen! There is nothing worse than finding tiny bleached dots or splotches of white on a favorite nonwhite garment).

4. Keep a supply of disposable food service gloves on hand. The choice to wear gloves is up to you. If you keep your hands spotless, you will not need to wear gloves, unless you want to do so. However, if you have any type of cuts or wounds on your hands or exposed arms - it is very important that the wounds be properly bandaged. If the wound is on your hand, you need to wear a glove on that hand. There is nothing more disgusting than finding a Band-Aid in food. Yuk.. you really don't want to give new meaning to the term "cold cuts"!

5. If you are going to be cooking with raw meat, fish or poultry always keep the raw food on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Do you know the reason for this? The reason is that you do not want any raw juices to accidentally drip onto other food in the refrigerator.

6. The temperature of your refrigerator should always be below 40 degrees. Keep a thermometer in it and monitor it. When you use the refrigerators at your wedding reception venue... check the temperature. Make sure the refrigerators are working properly. Ask the venue staff at the reception site to check the temperature of the refrigerator for you in the days preceding your reception. Also ask the venue staff, very nicely, if they will make sure to have the refrigerator clean for you.

7. Perishable food needs to be kept refrigerated at all times. Only take food out of the refrigerator as you need it in the different stages of preparation. As soon as you are done preparing food it must go directly back into the refrigerator or freezer.

8. Wash, rinse, sanitize, and then rinse cutting boards again between steps.

9. Transport food in insulated coolers. Borrow or rent big coolers.

10. Leftover food should never be kept out of refrigeration for more than two hours. If in doubt, throw it out.

Again this is not an all inclusive list. Depending on the menu you choose for your reception, different precautions may need to be taken. As you decide your menu, think through the food safety logistics. For example, if you are having an outdoor reception during warm weather months you need to read up on food safety for picnics or tailgate parties. Follow those safety measures exactly! The amount of time that food can go unrefrigerated outside is only about one hour. After that hour, if the food is not chilled or iced down ... dangerous bacteria can begin growing in the food. That is bad! If food that has not been properly refrigerated is consumed, it is possible that the person eating the food can become very, very sick. A person with a weakened immune system could even die. There are a lot of food safety websites on the internet where you can get more in-depth information and even ask questions. If in doubt, ASK. Most of the food safety sites have toll free hotlines you can use to get advice on your specific concerns or questions.

If you are self-catering or semi-catering your wedding reception appoint someone trustworthy who will be vigilant about food safety.

If you are having your reception catered always ask the caterer to describe their food handling procedures to you.

Just because you are not a full-time licensed caterer - do not feel intimidated by the issue of food safety. If you take the time to familiarize yourself with proper food handling procedures, you'll have confidence in knowing the food you serve your guests is free of bacteria. You will be confident because you know your kitchen was spotless, your hands were clean, and your food did not sit out of refrigeration a minute longer than was necessary in the preparation process.

 

You might want to consider asking a family member, friend or hired assistant to help you with food safety issues. Contact one of the state or national food safety organizations and ask for their help, too.

They can offer you a wealth of information to help you to learn the do's and don'ts of food safety.

 

Food safety is not difficult! Food safety does not take long to learn! Set aside an hour or two to educate yourself about food safety before you start preparing food for your wedding reception.

Kathi Dameron is the former owner, chef, and event designer of Canopy Rose Catering, a high end catering and special event company that was located in Tallahassee. kathidameron.com

Catering your own wedding involves feeding a large number of people, which presents some logistical issues you may not have thought about.  Follow these expert tips for successfully catering your own wedding.

1.  Check the kitchen you'll be using for catering your own wedding if it's not your own. See what supplies come with it, how much oven space (check for racks), fridge space, counter space, serving dishes, salt & pepper, serving spoons etc. and knives for slicing, chopping and carving. Also check for soap, dish towels, and oven mitts. You may have to supply yourself with some of these items.

The oven racks are really important if you plan to heat several items at once when catering your own wedding. If you don't have more than one rack available, you might be able to use cake racks, placing directly on top of a foil covered casserole to stack another casserole dish. Likewise check the burners on top of the stove and pots that are available. Does the kitchen have steam tables etc.? Will you need to rent special equipment?

2. Plan your menu when catering your own wedding so that it works around the space that you have available. In other words, don't have too many items that require oven space. Make sure they require the same temperature, too. Figure out your required fridge and freezer space. Counter space is important when catering your own wedding if you'll need to plate things. For example if you have to ladle food onto plates, or plan to serve a variety of dainties and small tarts for dessert. Do you have enough space to put all these items out and then transfer them to serving plates? Would dessert be made much easier if it was in three or four 9" x 13" pans just requiring lifting out onto plates, or served cut into portions 'serve yourself' style?

3. The amount of food you will need when catering your own wedding will depend upon the time of day as well as the typical age of your guests. Obviously a wedding luncheon will not require nearly as much food as when catering your own wedding with a sit down dinner. The presentation would also be different when catering your wedding with a full sit down dinner, a lot fancier.

Never serve just 'light snacks' at regular meal time, wedding guests will be hungry.

4. Let the menu match the wedding. Whatever you are doing, you have taken on a challenge not only to do your best, but to channel your ideas and energy into creating the 'best' type of menu for your particular style of wedding. If you are limited in space or resources when catering own wedding, choose a style of wedding to best fit the type of food you can afford to serve - will it be a wedding brunch, luncheon, bridal tea, cocktail party, dessert party, buffet, or sit down meal, casual backyard potluck, or BBQ? Remember gourmet food might not fit all types of people. Keeping things simple is often the safest approach when catering your own wedding.

5. Don't be afraid to get help when catering your own wedding. Things take time on a large scale and what you are able to do for a small group at home becomes impossible to handle in a fast time-frame when multiplied by a much larger volume of food and the time required just to handle it. If you are catering your own wedding (whether its your wedding day, your daughter's, your sister's, or whomever) GET HELP. Hire someone if necessary; give them instructions to follow so you can enjoy the event.

6. Food Safety is a must necessity. Hot food must be hot - cooked to 140 degrees F. and above. Cold food must be kept cold - 40 degrees F. and below. Have you ever wondered why caterers don't leave the food out longer and let people nibble all night.... FOOD POISONING ..that's why! Use a mild bleach solution to wipe down counters, do dishes etc. to prevent cross-contamination from raw meats and germs in general.

7. Insurance....if you are catering your own wedding, will your insurance cover you in the event of food poisoning.... or could you be sued? Some health regulations in some states/provinces, require that food served to a large crowd must be prepared in a commercial kitchen on the premises, or provided by a caterer, rather than pot-luck. Be sure to check out the regulations in your area when catering your own wedding to ensure you face no legal liabilities.

8. Check out party rental places, they have LOTS of really neat items for catering your own wedding. Big chaffing dishes like the caterers use, big bowls, and lots of exciting things to make your wedding or party really special - even a portable salad bar. If you don't have the equipment you need for catering your own wedding, you can rent things very reasonably - even tables and chairs, tablecloths, table skirts and overlays, chair covers and sashes, linen napkins, plates, wine glasses, cutlery, etc. etc.

9. Think about the logistics involved in cooking large quantities of food when catering your own wedding. For example it's easy to cook a pot of spaghetti or boil potatoes at home for your family. Multiply that by ten and you are in for a big surprise. The water for the potatoes will take forever to boil, and will not come back up to boil quickly. The same with pasta - and the water will get all starchy and have to be changed frequently. If you are catering your own wedding check with others that may have organized and catered their own similar event and ask for their advice. Will you have enough refrigeration and oven space for all the food you'll need to prepare?

10. Plan ahead when catering your own wedding; have a time and sequence list made out for anyone helping in the kitchen. That way things will get done efficiently and nothing will be forgotten. Even something like cutting up the wedding cake or dessert takes lots of time if there is a large amount of it. Allow extra time to do everything and designate tasks.

 
Menu Suggestions for Catering Your Own Wedding

* Hot Buffet Meal - hot and cold items, from expensive (Prime Rib to inexpensive (meatballs over rice), plan the cost on a per person basis.

* Cold Buffet Meal - Easier to serve, but needs lots of fridge space, again from expensive to very economical, plan the cost on a per person basis

* Dessert Buffet - allows you to have an elegant reception without all the expense of a full meal. Cheesecakes are the most expensive dessert, but having a dessert buffet allows you to make and freeze the entire 'meal' long before the event and there are many elegant and less expensive treats than cheesecakes.

* Cocktail party - Appetizers, these can be prepared and frozen well in advance and range between expensive and very economical. Presentation makes anything look fabulous. You can choose to serve only wine and punch as beverages.

* Afternoon Tea Party - This will allow you to book a hall wedding or have a 'garden party' during the day, maybe even on a Sunday afternoon! Serve fancy sandwiches, little bars and bite sized cookies, tea, coffee and punch. This can be wonderfully elegant and not nearly as costly as a full meal. All the food items can be made and frozen ahead, simply thawed and plated on the wedding day.

* Potluck Dinner - Yes! a Potluck for a wedding reception. What a perfect idea for those on a restricted budget or who don't want to spend THOUSANDS of dollars on a 'party that lasts only 4-5 hr.. (no excuse not to get married). Great for very young couples and second marriages and this allows you to share your wedding with more people or your entire church community if you desire. This great idea all but eliminates a per person cost for the guest list. One of the ladies on my board, it was her second marriage, had a big pot luck reception at her farm. Lots of friends and neighbors were invited, (she became nervous about the idea, but we assured her it was a great one and would work out well), Friends helped decorate, the event was a great success, the food was fabulous, someone even brought heart shaped biscuits! Best of all, the marriage was celebrated, everyone had a great meal and the newlyweds didn't have a huge bill to pay. Makes sense to me!

This idea, however, has it's limitations. Don't expect the guests to bring food, and then have it sit in their car during the ceremony. It works best for at-home weddings where there is lots of oven and fridge space.

*Simple Dinner: Something as simple as a spaghetti dinner or chili meal with a big tossed salad, and a couple of marinated salads and rolls, can be very economical too, easy to prepare and an inexpensive way to celebrate your wedding.

 
Food Quantities for Catering Your Own Wedding
(Based on 100 Wedding Guests) 

5 gal. baked beans 40 lb. beef 30 lb. beets 10 loaves bread 3 lb. butter 8 cakes 3 lb. cheese 3 lb. coffee 3 qt. cream 4 (#10) cans fruit juice 12 qt. fruit salad 40 lb. ham 30 lb. hamburger 4 gal. ice cream 24 lb. meatloaf 6 gal. milk 3 lb. nuts 1 3/4 lb. olives 2 qt. pickles 18 pies 35 lb. potatoes 12 qt. potato salad 40 lb. roast pork 3 qt. salad dressing 5 gal. scalloped potatoes 5 gal. soup 4 (#10) cans tomato juice 25 lb. wieners 20 qt. vegetable salad 4 pts. whipping cream 5 lg. cakes 2 gals. vegetables 6 doz. lemons, 4 lbs. sugar and 5    gallons water 2 1/2 lb. coffee 6 gals. milk 100 rolls 17 average size pies

20 lbs. meat 30 lbs. potatoes 15 lg. cans peas 3 lbs. butter Carrots - 33 lbs. Potato Salad - 12 qts. Chicken - 40 lbs. Vegetables - 26 lbs. Fruit salad - 20 qts. Ice Cream - 4 gallons Salad Dressing - 3 qts.  Vegetable Salad - 20 qts. Hamburger 30-35 lbs. 5 gals. of punch 25 lbs. of turkey meat chicken  75 lb. cranberry sauce 6 - 1lb. cans lamb roast - 45 lbs. hamburger patties - 24 lbs. 50 chickens 8 loaves bread 20 -25 heads of lettuce 100 ears corn 50 cantaloupes 25 lb. smoked ham 20 lb. boiled boneless ham 100 ribs of beef (raw) 10 lbs. cheese (brick, American or    Swiss) 16 qts. ice cream (6 servings to a    brick) 1 1/4 lb. olives Cabbage for coleslaw - 20 lbs.

Note: To serve 25 wedding guests, divide by 4.  To serve 50 wedding guests, divide by 2.

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