Wanting to make reception foods in advance and freeze them

thundernlightnin

I have never made food of this magnitude before and never had to worry about storing/freezing them for a prolonged length.  Does anyone have any relliable guidelines for making food ahead of time and then freezing it.  We will be using some canned/boxed items so that is not the worry, it is the items that need to be cooked...  I want to make them in advance so we are not scrambling last minute to get things done as we are doing flowers etc all DIY as well so we are very busy...Our wedding is next May

ATexasBelle

Wait, like, May 2013? 

If it's that far out, you need to wait. Generally, you can freeze foods for a year, but I'd honestly wait just a couple months before your wedding and just devote a weekend to it. That way you have a more realistic idea of the guests, as well.

Elinetrouwt

It would all depend of how many guests are coming. If it's more than 50, I think selfcatering is a bit too much, and not necessarily the cheapest option.

We'll have a cheap catered meal (gourmet burgers), followed by a lage dessert table that we'll fill ourselves. Some of the desserts I'll make myself in advance (trying to find the right recipes as well), some will be made by people who volunteered to do this, some will be store-bought. Maybe this is an option for you as well?

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

I know people who self-catered and they started 2-3 months in advance, and used a deep freeze. They did pans of chicken en mole, FWIW.

Tandra&Devin

I love to cook but I can't imagine trying to cook for more than 10-15 people at once.  I would sit down and list all the costs of everything, from the ingredients and storage to transportation, as well as the time involved, and compare it against professional catering.  Maybe do a trial run, as well.

If budget is an issue, instead of DIY-ing a whole sit-down meal, you can try a catered luncheon or cocktails, which can be a lot cheaper.  Or cut down on other areas, like having just wine and beer instead of an open bar.