Even if you're living in a small home, there's likely enough room for entertaining guests with the right organization approach. Catering a wedding, anniversary dinner, or other major celebration at home can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars on renting a venue. Caterers are happy to work around challenges like limited setup space, but you'll still need to optimize what room is available if you plan to serve the meal buffet-style. Fit the biggest catered buffets into the smallest homes with these tips.

Expand Outdoors

Making the most of your outdoor areas, from patios to lawns, can help expand your buffet options. You can also cut down on the amount of indoor cleanup by putting some of the messier foods outside. Make sure there is a clear path between your indoor dining area and your outdoor areas if you choose to use this technique. If you are worried about the possibility of rain, rent some portable canopy tents to keep your guests and the food dry. Add screen walls for the canopies and easy-to-lift plastic food covers to keep insects away.

Use Multiple Rooms

Plan out a single purpose for each room available rather than trying to keep everything in the dining room. Set up a room or area for beverages specifically since this station will receive more repeat traffic than the rest of the food. Separate hot and cold foods since steam trays and burners can melt the ice needed to chill cold foods. Consider the flooring in any rooms where you locate food and drinks since spills could cause permanent stains.

Build Upward

Using multiple levels on a table or countertop can make the most of limited flat space. Metal and wood shelves are sturdy enough to support heavy metal catering trays and dishes. The shelves need to be able to bear the weight of the heaviest dish and wide enough that platters will not tip off. It's easy to make smaller matching covers for the shelves by cutting up a spare tablecloth into smaller sections.

Rent Narrow Tables

If you're lacking in side tables and narrow sideboards, consider renting tables. Some catering companies can provide these tables and linens along with the food. Small narrow tables are easy to position against the walls or in the middle of rooms to leave plenty of space for foot traffic. You won't have to worry about storing the furniture in your smaller home after the event if the catering company or a rental service picks them up when you're done.

For more advice, reach out to a company like Remo's Catering.