After food, lighting is the most crucial element in the caterer’s world. Throw blue or green lighting on or near food and it will look strange and inedible. Turn on the amber glow and not only the food, but your Aunt Sally is gorgeous. Have too little or too much light and you can lose the mood you are trying to create.

Even if you have just a small amount of budget allocated to décor, spend it on lighting! Your caterer can help here as well. Rental lighting has come a long way and a caterer can work with you to rent and have lighting installed over the buffet or on the tables. You can even add some accent lighting here and there to give the room some drama that accentuates your color scheme and any architectural elements of the room.