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How do we change our DIY wedding buffet plan when there's no chilled storage?

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My aunt said she'd deliver the egg dishes at noon so she could get dressed afterwards. The buffet is due to open at four. The hall's refrigerator is already allocated to drinks, and we haven't arranged any other cold storage.

It's a small US wedding with food offered by relatives. They are good cooks, and I said yes to each dish before considering where it would wait. My partner thinks asking people to deliver later will solve it, but nobody has coordinated the preparation, transport or holding arrangements.

The [FDA's buffet guidance](https://www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/serving-safe-buffets) recommends discarding perishables left at room temperature for more than two hours unless kept hot or cold; above 90°F, that limit is one hour. We won't leave the noon deliveries on tables until four.

I want to revise the menu and storage plan before relatives buy ingredients. One aunt heard "we need a plan" as "we don't trust your food". How do we make the changes without turning their offers into an argument about who can cook?

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2 community replies

Say what you missed: you accepted dishes without arranging where they would be held. That owns the organising mistake and keeps the conversation away from judging your aunt's cooking.

The [FDA guidance](https://www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/serving-safe-buffets) gives cold holding at 40°F or below and hot holding at 140°F or above. Ask whoever will manage the food how those conditions will be maintained and checked. A changed delivery time alone isn't that plan.

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