Buffet ideas please.

[mum2oliver]

Im doing my own wedding reception at home.Will be catering for 30-40 people.How can I make it look like a wedding reception?
I.e balloons,flowers-how and where to present them.
Its in April.Ona budget
Does anyone knoe how I can make it classy but simple.Its a secret that I am getting married so dont have alot of help so want to prep a lot of things the day before.What are the best foods to keep best?
Any advice on any of this??

Whoops wrong emotion

Fairy lights are an instant wow factor I think if it's going to be dark enough to use them. They're 99p at B&Q atm.

Shop online, (WARN the shop if it's a big order though) do your own buffet, things you can make the day before:

a few roasted chickens
a selection of cold meats
a cheese board
olives
potato salad
cous cous and roasted veg
a ham
get some french sticks delivered on the day

Can you get flowers from a flower market? Cheaper than a florist. Can you get a friend to make a cake as a wedding present to you?

Good luck!

Oh thanku thats great,just the sort of thing.Keep it coming anyone else.

Congratulations on getting married and on being brave enough to do it yourself. I reccomend cold poached salmon served with mayonnaise. Buy 4 large white platters and display 4 salmons on them garnished with prawns, crab claws, cucumber slices, fresh herbs and lemon slices. Make large bowls of salads to go with the slamon. New potato salad, cous cous, roasted vegetable and balsamic dressing - that sort of thing. For presentation I would try and really bring out one colour in everything - flowers, tablecloths, baloons, napkins, candles etc. This always looks classy and simple. Good luck

I floated a one big rose in a large flattish vase with some candles around (had them spaced along the buffet table) as it was a cheap way to use flowers.

Do you have a theme at all? My sister had a fab mediterranean buffet, tonnes of dips, greek salad, a selection of meat (pastrami, parma ham, prosciutto, salami, chicken etc) crusty bread, olives etc

I catered for about 30 recently and managed to freeze lots of it in advance - I roasted 4 chickens and froze the meat and made coronation chicken with it; i made and froze nut loafs; delia's chocolate torte (from the christmas book) freezes beautifully, and I made pavlovas several days in advance. On the day all I had to do was rustle up salads, buy bread and assemble things. Remarkably easy!

Lots of fresh flowers and lots of candles for instant atmosphere.

if you chose silver or gold for your base colour for tablecoths/candles/napkins etc I bet you'd get lots of Christmas things reduced in the Jan sales.

Sounds great! Congratulations on your wedding!

No dont have a theme.Im actually just beginning to realise that its going to be such a big job.

Fish is such a good thing to do but dont know a thing about it as cant stand it but love how it can look.
Do have catering experience but worried about cost,atmosphere,attendance of guests,presentation of everthing,lack of knowledge re parties,weddings etc.Have only been to one wedding in my life and I was 11 so that was 18 years ago.MMM!!!

Where do you live, maybe mumsnetters could help out?

we did ours at home...think we have chatted before...
we didn't want any washing up to deal with afterwards so had salmon, chicken and vegetable and halloumi skewers on a barbecue. followed by ice-cream in sugar-cones.

if i was doing plated one i would keep it really simple. have cold meats, poached salmons (dead easy honest), cheese board, nice pates and loads of french bread.

and apparently aldi do excellent and very cheap flowers that last and last.

oh let us know what you plan, we can enjoy it vicariously

That sounds great to do a posh bq.Very simple.Its just a bit of a worry about the weather.Could have cold meats aswell though.mmm?! Thank you.
Oh I live in Kettering, Northamptonsire

My sister got married 3 years ago and was on a budget.

She bought one of the ready iced fruit cakes from M&S and put a dried flower arrangement on top-that looked really nice.

She did lots of salads, cooked meats,buttered muffins-can be done on the day, bought gateaux from Aldi and Lidl,a few roasted chickens and put the meat on platters-cheese and biscuits.

HTH