Of all the things you might want to do yourself for your wedding, the one I would recommend against without hesitation is catering your wedding reception yourself. You might think this would be obvious, but I have talked to people who thought they could do this.
Did I mention that presentation is a professional catering skill? Photo courtesy of Artisan Events.
I have actually heard of self-catered weddings that were pulled off with a lot of help from friends and family. I know it can be done, especially if there are people with special skills involved. So, I won’t say you should never, ever do it. I’m just going to give you a lot of reasons not to.
Caterers do a lot more than cook in quantity. They also manage the kitchen, order and return rental items, keep the food (and so your reception) on schedule, hire and manage serving and bar staff, set up tables, chairs and linens, set the tables, and clean up. Caterers also have food sanitation licenses, meaning there is a low probability of spoiled food or food poisoning from their kitchens. They know how much ice to buy and bring. Some of them own serving equipment that they provide at no charge.
And that is just the minimum of what a professional caterer has to offer. I would say that unless you are able to provide everything a caterer brings to the table, hire a professional and save cooking for a crowd for another party.
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