Catering An Exotic Wedding

Perhaps you’ve always imagined your wedding reception on a secluded beach, empty, except for the two of you and a hundred of your closest friends, seated for an elaborate candlelit five-course gourmet dinner. A dream wedding? Of course—by most standards—but certainly not as easy as your caterer may make it look. If you have any kind of exotic or out-of-the-way location in mind, you’ll want to consult with your caterer before signing any contracts for the facility rental. Paying for an hour or two of your caterer’s time to visit the locale may be an investment well worth making.

Beaches are beautiful and some are easier to prepare food at than others if there is a beach house equipped with a kitchen. If not, you may be limited to the types of food that are easily cooked and prepared onsite. Grills are easily portable and are a great solution to limited cooking facilities, so why not consider a Jamaican Jerk Barbeque or a Tropical Grill Party on the beach? Large steamer pots can easily facilitate a traditional lobster or crab boil in the same locale.

If electricity is scarce out in the country, or oven space highly limited on a boat, you might consider a cold buffet, such as a country picnic with great salads, cold meats, cheeses, and fruit. Another solution is a sumptuous cold-poached seafood buffet. If there isn’t any onsite cooking or heating required, your only concern will be keeping the food at safe serving temperatures—easily done with ice and coolers. Without running water, you’ll need to weigh the option of using disposable plates or making sure to rent enough china, silverware, and glassware since nothing will be able to be used more than once.

There are certainly solutions for limited-facility locations. And, of course, you can rent just about anything—including a refrigerated truck to store all your perishable goods—and take it to your location. But, unless you are willing to greatly increase your budget in order to bring a kitchen or dining room there, you may want to continue your search or be flexible in altering your original plans.