DIY Wedding Catering: A Step-by-Step Guide

When planning a wedding, the first thing that comes to a couple’s mind is often their budget. Hoping to save money, they might explore alternative options, such as opting for a self-catered wedding instead of a professional service. 

Although it may entail more work, DIY wedding catering can be more affordable and fulfilling. It may seem not very comforting, but you can break the process down into six manageable steps:

1. Plan your menu and service style
2. Test your menu
3. Create your ultimate shopping list
4. Start preparing the food ahead
5. Recruit help from friends and family
6. Rehearse the flow

Each step is explained in further detail below, followed by some ideas for menu items for your self-catered wedding. The pros and cons of choosing to cater your wedding are also explored. Lastly, some valuable tips are provided to make the process easier. 

How to Cater Your Wedding: Detailed Guide

Step 1: Plan Your Menu and Service Style

The first step to catering your wedding is building the menu. Ideally, it should reflect your preferences and tastes, but it should also be mindful of what your guests would want to have. Ask yourself, “What do I want my guests to eat at our wedding?” 

Your menu is also a fantastic way to highlight your heritage and ancestry; feel free to include a traditional meal from your culture. 

With that said, do not forget also to plan some drink options. Depending on your ceremony and reception schedule, you may need to prepare multiple courses and types of drinks.

It would help if you also considered how the food would be served. Will you go with a buffet, family, or DIY food bar where guests can create their servings? 

Step 2: Test Your Menu 

Once you have a list of food and drinks, it is time to start testing what options will work. Practice each dish multiple times to improve flavours, refine recipes, and determine what will make it to the final menu. 

Step 3: Create Your Ultimate Shopping List 

Make a list of all the ingredients you need once you decide on the menu. Be as clear as you can about the quantity of each item, and mention any brand or flavour preferences you may have. 

You may also need to include a list of stores where certain products may be purchased.

Remember to add non-food items, such as napkins, dishes, utensils, serving ware, and other necessary supplies. 

Step 4: Start Preparing the Food Ahead 

Determine whether the dish’s components may be made before the reception. Start preparing your meals and beverages after that. Ideally, this must take place around two days before the wedding.

Some parts of the meal or drink, or even the entire meal or drink, might be safe to freeze or refrigerate for a few days. Just be aware of how each item should be served or reheated to preserve its flavour and safety.  

The preparation phase is essential for reducing your stress on your wedding; ideally, you will need to reheat or serve the food by the time your wedding day arrives.

Step 5: Recruit Help from Friends and Family 

DIY wedding catering is a team effort. You are encouraged to enlist assistance; assemble a group of dependable and willing family members and friends to assist with purchasing ingredients, preparing the meals, and serving the food at the reception.

If you enlist help buying ingredients, you must make your shopping list as detailed and thorough as possible. 

These friends and family members can also help you clean up after the event. 

Either way, assign the tasks based on their skill sets, comfort levels, and availability. Inform everyone of the timeline they must adhere to, ensuring everyone works well together like a well-oiled machine. 

Step 6: Rehearse the Flow 

You may already have a rehearsal planned for the flow of the event. If you proceed with DIY wedding catering, here are some things you may want to finalize during this rehearsal:

Excellent Food Ideas for a DIY Wedding Menu  

1. Charcuterie Board 

Consider preparing a charcuterie board if you want a versatile and crowd-pleasing option for hors d’oeuvres. You will need a wooden board, cured meats, several types of cheese, preserves, fruits, olives, and artisan bread. 

At least one day before the reception, arrange the charcuterie board how you want it to look. Once done, put it in the fridge until it is time to serve. 

1. Pulled Pork Sliders 

Pulled pork sliders, another crowd favourite, are a filling meal that is relatively easy to make. A few days before the reception, shred the pork and slow-cook it. You can reheat the shredded pork in barbecue sauce on the reception day.

Pulled pork sliders are not complete without buns and several options for slaw. Afterward, you can create a station where guests can build the slider of their preference.  

1. Pasta Salad

After cooking pasta, combine it with a bunch of vegetables, such as olives, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and bell peppers. Top the mixture off with feta cheese, then toss everything in a light vinaigrette. 

If you choose pasta salad, make it a day before your wedding. As it sits in the fridge, you will notice that its flavours have enhanced and become more affluent. 

1. Vegetable Lasagna

If you want a vegetarian-friendly addition to your self-catered wedding menu, vegetable lasagna is a well-loved recipe that is easy to make. Incorporate a variety of vegetables of your liking, such as zucchini, bell peppers, and squash, into the marinara sauce. 

You can assemble the lasagna not more than two days before your wedding. Please keep it in the fridge until it is time to bake it. 

1. Classic Sangria

Combine red wine, brandy, and fresh fruit at least a day before your self-catered wedding. The flavours will meld beautifully over the next 24 hours. You only need to pour it over ice at the reception before letting guests enjoy this refreshing drink. 

1. Non-Alcoholic Mojito 

This refreshing mocktail can be made by muddling fresh mint, lime, sugar or simple syrup, and club soda. Make as big of a batch—or multiple small batches—a day or two in advance, then serve it over crushed ice at your reception. 

1. Coffee and Tea Bar

Although an exceptional choice for any reception, a coffee and tea bar will be an excellent addition to a winter wedding or an evening celebration. Prepare coffee and tea options, then add sugar, creamer, honey, lemon slices, and other additives. 

Pros and Cons of DIY Wedding Catering

Pros of Self-Catering Your Wedding 

• You can personalize your menu. You have total control of the food to be served at your reception. You can opt for your favourite meals or culturally significant dishes or create original recipes exclusively for your wedding. 
• It can be cost-effective. With creative and strategic planning, catering your wedding can be cheaper than hiring a professional catering service. 
• It can be a great bonding experience. Since your friends and family will be involved, self-catering a wedding can be a team-building or bonding exercise for your support network. 
• It can be fulfilling and rewarding. More participation in the planning and execution of your wedding can be highly fulfilling. More than that, seeing your guests love the food you prepare can be heartwarming. 
• It creates a more memorable experience for your guests. Knowing the food was prepared by the wedding party, your guests will appreciate your effort and feel more loved.

Cons of Self-Catering a Wedding 

• It requires more work. All the steps—buying ingredients, cooking, transporting, serving, and cleaning up—are your responsibility. Additionally, you must coordinate closely with everyone you recruit to your culinary team. 
• It can be more expensive. Careless and uncreative planning might lead to more expenses. 
• You have to be careful with food safety. Unless you work in the food or catering industry, you must start from scratch to learn about food safety. There is a lot to learn and remember, and you must do it to keep your guests safe and healthy.
• You and your wedding party may lack experience in catering. You might not be as familiar with all the effort involved in catering as a professional caterer is. Similarly, you might not be as smooth in serving the dish. Overall, your guests’ experience might not be as pleasant as it might be with a professional team.  

Essential Tips for Catering Your Wedding

Less is More 

While there is nothing wrong with being ambitious with your menu, make sure that you plan something manageable and realistic. Remember that quality trumps quantity; do not aim for several courses if some dishes are outside your skillset or budget. 

Have a Backup Plan Ready 

Even the most perfectly planned wedding faces problems and unexpected events. You must have a backup for everything, especially the food at your self-catered wedding.

This backup plan may include a dish someone can whip up at a moment’s notice, store-bought appetizers, or bottles of soft drinks. Bulk delivery from a local restaurant can also be a good alternative. 

Explore Other Options for Serving Style 

As mentioned above, how the food will be served is essential when catering your wedding. The buffet style is popular; guests must line up and serve themselves.  

Consider Serving Dessert Only 

Though you chose DIY wedding catering, you might be intimidated by having to cook dinner—or even multiple courses. However, do not worry; you do not have to serve dinner. 

With that said, why not only serve dessert? You can bake sweets yourself, or you can buy different dessert options, such as:

Once you have your choices, you can set up a table for dessert somewhere in the venue, allowing your guests to fill their plates with what they want to eat. A DIY dessert bar is always a highlight in any event. 

Consider a Cocktail Reception 

Like the above alternative reception style, a cocktail reception will lessen the work you need to do. Instead of a full dinner, a cocktail reception only requires some hors d’oeuvres and drinks.

You can cook the appetizers yourself or purchase them in bulk from a retailer. Either way, you can place them all on a table and let your guests grab one whenever they feel like it. 

Final Thoughts

Like a lot of aspects of wedding planning, organizing a self-catered wedding menu can seem like an impossible task. If you found the guide above helpful, visit Wedding Frontier for more guides for anything wedding-related. 

Summary: DIY Wedding Catering Guide

• Plan your menu and service style: Consider your preferences, guests’ preferences, and cultural elements. Decide on the buffet, family-style, or DIY food bar.
• Test your menu: Practice each dish multiple times to refine recipes and improve flavours.
• Create your ultimate shopping list: Determine quantities, brand preferences, and non-food items needed.
• Start preparing the food: Determine what can be made in advance and frozen or refrigerated. Reheat or serve the food on the wedding day.
• Recruit help from friends and family: Enlist dependable individuals to assist with shopping, food preparation, and serving. Assign tasks based on skills and availability.
• Rehearse the flow: Finalize the timing for food preparation, transportation, placement, and cleanup during a rehearsal.
• Excellent food ideas for a DIY wedding menu: Charcuterie board, pulled pork sliders, pasta salad, vegetable lasagna, classic sangria, non-alcoholic mojito, coffee and tea bar.
• Pros of self-catering: Personalize the menu, cost-effectiveness, bonding experience, fulfilling and rewarding, create a memorable experience for guests.
• Cons of self-catering: More work, the potential for higher expenses, need for food safety knowledge and experience.
• Essential tips for catering your wedding: Less is more, have a backup plan ready, explore different serving styles, consider serving dessert only, and opt for a cocktail reception.