- 1). Select and book on outdoor location suitable for the number of guests who are attending. The location may be the backyard of a friend or family member. If so, come to an agreement on how you'll help them with preparations leading up to the wedding. You want to ensure the grass is cut, flower gardens are weeded and other details are not overlooked.
- 2). Decide on the menu, keeping in mind the number of guests and the food allergies of any guests. The vastness of your menu depends in part on your style, but at minimum, it should have a choice of meats, starches and vegetables, as well as appetizers, beverages and dessert. Because a wedding barbecue is a less traditional kind of reception, it allows you to be less formal with food, too. If you want to serve hamburgers, salads and cupcakes, that's your prerogative.
- 3). Rent enough barbecues to ensure the food will be cooked in a timely manner. Don't convince yourself you can cook for 50 people on one grill. If you want to save money, have friends or family members lend their grills for the party. Ensure that in the week leading up to the wedding, the barbecue tanks are all full.
- 4). Hire or assign people to look after the cooking and serving. If the outdoor wedding is formal, you may wish to hire caterers. If it's less formal, having a couple friends look after the grilling and setting up a long, self-serve buffet table will do the trick.
- 5). Decide what you'll do in the case of inclement weather. If you're renting a tent, ensure it is big enough to fit all your guests. If going inside is not an option, ensure there are enough tables and chairs under the tent. You may also choose to have a separate tent for the barbecues so your guests aren't sitting in a cloud of smoke.
- 6). Rent enough cutlery, plates and glassware to adequately serve your guests. Even if you're having a small wedding, renting these items means no one has to worry about washing dishes afterward.
- 7). Prepare as much as possible in the day prior to the wedding. Salads, desserts and some of the other foods can be prepared in advance and refrigerated to avoid having to do this work the morning of the wedding. Enlist the help of family members for this preparation work.
- 8). Provide duty lists available for everyone helping with the food so you don't have to worry about telling them what to do. A duty list is a breakdown of assignments on a chronological basis, such as, "6:15 p.m. -- Begin cooking steaks." If you're letting people serve themselves, designate someone to announce when the food is ready. Enlisting good help will take away many of the stresses of your day.
SHARE
