3 Creative Self-Catering Ideas For Your Wedding

Without a doubt, catering for wedding guests is one of the biggest expenses a soon-to-be married couple must face. To cope with this splurge, some couples limit their guest list, which can be a strenuous process in itself. Some have to cut costs from all corners – from choosing a smaller cake, hiring a mediocre DJ, to the bride doing her own hair and makeup all to afford the often overwhelming catering bill.
However, some take to self-catering as a way of controlling spending, and the benefits don’t stop there. The freedom is yours price-wise, number-wise and food-wise. Everything down to the very last detail is on your terms.

Here are three tasteful ways in which you could make your DIY wedding catering look a million dollars:

1. Afternoon tea
If you are going to do DIY, don’t expect to be able to serve three full hot courses like you would see in a hotel; those sorts of expectations are unfortunately unrealistic. Instead, if you’re having a summer wedding, why not have afternoon tea in a marquee?

Not only is it super low-maintenance, but afternoon tea can easily be made to look quaint, expensive and indulgent. Nobody can say no to a finger sandwich, especially if you stick to the classic fillings like egg and cress, smoked salmon, chicken salad, ham and cheese – the list goes on.
For your sweet selection, you and a foody-friend could bake scones and homemade spreads as well as shortbread, mini meringues or macaroons, meaning you get the chance to add your own personal touch to the food table. Ultimately, your main stresses should be restricted to which decorative bunting style, cake stands or fine bone china tea cups and saucers you want. Other than that, this catering option is destined to impress.

2. Rustic buffet
If you’re having a rustic-style wedding, buffets are great for achieving that authentic yet effortless vibe. One idea would be serving cold roast meats such as chicken, beef and ham and have someone to carve up for the guests as they have a gander and decide what they want. It’ll look perfectly homespun and each serving will be uniquely made for your guest, something that they’ll admire and appreciate.
For desserts, you could keep in tune with having a selection by offering different traditional sweets. Think warm apple crumble with ice cream, chocolate fudge cake, pecan and maple pie – and if it’s the summer then you could even have a selection of fresh strawberries and raspberries.

3. Summer barbeque
Barbeques are one of the most highly anticipated food events of the summer – so why not incorporate one into your wedding? If you have a lot of guests, barbeques are great for catering to a big party as the burgers, sausages, ribs and whatever else you want to serve can be cooked altogether over a couple of grills. You could lay out the hot food across a gingham picnic table with a wide range of fresh mixed salads, accompanying sauces and refreshing juice (or cocktail) pitchers to split them up and inject some summer colour into your feast.
For dessert, you can keep with the summer theme and offer homemade ice cream sundaes – the definition of inexpensive, easy, and an assured crowd pleaser. So, whether you’re on edge about self-catering, remember it can be as fun, tasty and as personal as you want. Try writing and calculating a shopping list – I bet when you compare it to a hotel, you’ll know which one to go for.
By Amy Pollock, Excalibur Press

SUMMER 2017 EDITION AVAILABLE TO BUY ONLINE NOW