The catering

When choosing the menu for your wedding reception, you’ll be factoring in the time of day, guest numbers, the location, the style of the wedding and your budget.

Buffet

An ever popular style allowing for a variety of food to be presented for a variety of appetites is the Buffet.

Be guided by the caterers as to the number of dishes you will need for the number of guests, who generally help themselves from a long table buffet.

Handy hint: To avoid crowding the buffet table (at smaller venues), try a “floating buffet where large platters are brought to seated guests who serve themselves.

Self-Catering

Barbeque, picnic or buffet, this low key style can stretch the budget as you can buy in bulk or BYO with family and friends. It does take organization however and can be “time expensive” in terms of purchases and preparation. Handy hint: hire a chiller trailer to store fresh salads, meats, desserts and cold drinks.

Canapes

A sophisticated and often cost effective option, a canape/bowl selection is great for a mid or late afternoon cocktail wedding. Ideally cater 5 or 6 different canapes for a 2 hour reception or about 9 canapes for a reception lasting 4 hours. Ensure your guests know it isn’t a full course dinner.

Handy hint: It’s the fashion to serve canape food for guests standing at table leaners, but older guests need seats.

Plated Menu

This is a seated meal of 3 – 5 courses and a more expensive catering option that also requires table staff. Usually there is a choice of 2 or 3 dishes per course, allowing for taste preferences and special dietary requirements.

Handy Hint: Space the various courses of the meal both for the enjoyment of the guests and realistic cooking and serving times for the caterers.