Statistics show that the average wedding reception costs £7,000. You can save a good deal of this amount by doing the catering yourself. The money you have saved can then be spent on the honeymoon or put towards a down payment on your new home.
However, catering for a large scale celebration can be daunting. What should be on the menu? How much food will you need? When should you start the preparation? Will you need to hire any help? My new book A Banquet on a Budget passes on the secrets of the trade to ensure that the preparation goes smoothly and that the food is just as good as the professionals can offer.
I have included a master checklist for the preparation of any type of reception with general advice on choosing the food and drinks, buying in ready-made items, estimating quantities, hiring staff and equipment and other practical considerations. All this draws on my experience of running London Cooks, a small catering company which catered for numerous weddings in the past.
There are five complete menus and drinks suggestions for each type of reception: a drinks party with canapés, a fork buffet, a finger buffet and a sit-down meal, with guests varying in number from twenty to sixty. Menus include full preparation plans and recipes. In total there are 120 plus recipes, some with variations. There are also vegetarian menus in each section. All the menus include full preparation plans and master checklists.
Watch this space for some hints and tips from the book on planning and preparing the perfect wedding breakfast……