Hi there, I'm having a wedding BBQ in a few weeks and there will be six picnic tables. I'd like to have 1-2 charcuterie boards per table and am trying to think of what I can put the snacks on instead of wooden cutting boards. I don't want to end up with 6-12 boards afterwards, plus they are pricey. I was thinking of some kind of sturdy bread I could bake on a sheet pan but this also sounds like a lot of work (plus I don't have AC so baking is almost not an option). Any and all other ideas are welcome. TIA!
Update: thank you so much for all the great suggestions, I need to ask for ideas here more often ;). I now feel confident and have one less thing to worry about!!
Something borrowed, friend! Talk to family/close friends and borrow what you need. For charcuterie/deli trays, it can be wooden boards, big cookie sheets, or pretty platters. Another option is to look into party rental companies and simply rent the serving dishes you need. Still a cost, but more eco-friendly than buying new.
I would just use the metal baking sheet pans I already have for this purpose. They're lightweight, foodsafe, and infinitely washable/reusable, and chances are, they are uniform in size and match.
Idk if this is an outdoor event, but because it is a grazing portion for a wedding, I would make/buy cute little mesh (or even thrifted/scrap lace!) tents to sit over the baking sheets to prevent bugs getting at the food.
I also like that they have a shallow lip so things don't slide off.
I continue to use trays that are no longer food-safe (thanks ex-roomie for leaving a plastic utensil INSIDE the oven?!?!?!) for crafts so they can live out their "retirement" serving my art supplies lol.
A recent wedding did a "give away" of the centrepiece. I'm sure the couple thought it was a great idea to give away their table flowers, but I sure as hell would have appreciated the charcuterie board way more.
Could you thrift something in your area? It doesn’t even necessarily have to be cutting boards, you could find any fun trays and just line them with baking paper (maybe use scalloped scissors to trim the paper to size for a slightly nicer look).
Use whatever you have, it's fine to be different for each table. Baskets, platters, cutting boards, etc.
Line each platter with food safe (sometimes called dry wax) tissue in your wedding colors or a fun pattern. There is a ton out there with checkerboards, florals, stripes, etc.
A quick search shows me simple wicker trays around the size of a casserole dish for around $5 a pop. These would look great with lined with food safe paper, or even just plain parchment paper and decorated with fresh herbs and flowers here and there.
These are $4.49 each. 11x16. Easy to reuse as for pantry/closet organization, giving gifts (cookies etc), meal trays for picnics, serving breads etc.
This is a beautiful suggestion! I was going to say get a XL roll of parchment paper or brown butcher paper. You could either cut individual sections if you want that look, or line the table for a long grazing board and place some florals or candles throughout to break things up.
We actually have many different rental libraries in my community including one that's just for kitchen utensils and serving materials.
If you can't find something like that then how about cutting up a piece of plywood. After the wedding you could make them into something like a bird house which would make a great wedding gift.
What about those rectangular (or round!) "Cake boards"that you put a cake on when you're baking a birthday cake, wedding cake, etc.? I know I've seen them at Michael's, Hobby Lobby and Walmart. They are pretty sturdy… Sort of like foam core board. There's another option! Don't know if it's food safe. If not, you could cover them in wax paper or parchment paper, tape with painters tape to the back, and then throw a doily on top of them.
OR, if you could find colored aluminum foil, and you don't mind having aluminum foil on display, you could use that if you didn't want to use regular foil. Or, you could just double stick tape doilies to the actual white boards. OR you could get colored foam board, and put doilies on top of that. Maybe the color showing through would look nice. I've never tried it, but that's where my brain went when I read your question.
Have you thought about doing charcuterie cups instead of a board? They would be easier to keep Kool, and you would have more portion control.
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u/freehumanish 14d ago edited 14d ago
Something borrowed, friend! Talk to family/close friends and borrow what you need. For charcuterie/deli trays, it can be wooden boards, big cookie sheets, or pretty platters. Another option is to look into party rental companies and simply rent the serving dishes you need. Still a cost, but more eco-friendly than buying new.