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Do-it-Yourself Wedding Food
- 1). Plan your menu far in advance. Don't wait until the last minute, as this can cause additional stress and can potentially hinder the outcome of your meal. Cook your menu as a trial a month or two before the wedding so that you can physically see what food selections can be prepared in advance versus the dishes that must be cooked the day of the reception. This practice will also give you an idea of food item shelf life.
- 2). Keep your menu simple. Create a variety of finger foods such as hummus and pita, mini sausages, croissants, salad, and vegetable platters. Many finger foods can be prepared in advance so that you have less to worry about on your wedding day. Purchase crock pots that will keep any warm dips or soups fresh while you are walking down the aisle. For chicken wings, or potato bites, use electric warmers with steel pans so that this food can be set out in advance.
- 3). Hire or talk to friends or family about a set-up and clean up crew. On your wedding day, you will have little, if any time, to prep the food at your reception location. Deliver the food to the reception location a day or evening in advance if at all possible. Refrigerate all items, and warm the appropriate items 2 hours before the reception. Give your set up and clean up crew any venu and aesthteic directions that you may have in mind.
- 4). Create a pot luck reception. Talk to your closest friends or family about each bringing a dish.
Clarify what type of potluck that you are having. Give pot luck members a type of food and food group to bring. For example, for a cajun pot luck, ask grandma to bring her mouth watering cajun chicken wings. A pot luck dinner reception is best executed when you keep the attendance numbers low so consider restricting numbers to 30 at the maximum.
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