Mmmm food. Some guests’  favorite part of the wedding celebration. And quite often- the priciest element to throwing that reception. Here are some tips for cutting that huge food bill but still giving guests enough energy to dance the night away.
 
1.       Save on cocktail hour. Want to have a traditional cocktail hour but don’t want the traditional expenses that come with it? It’s true that cocktail hours can double the cost per guest, and no one wants that. One way to save on food during this pre-reception social time is to have food displays instead of passed hors d’oeuvres. Look at the appetizer station options and select the three cheapest options (often something like artichoke dip, baked brie, crudite, and fruit and dip. But instead of ordering each station for the total number of guests, order for half to two-thirds of the total number of people. For instance, if you have 100 guests, order each station for 60-65 people. This will give you plenty of food, but will cut your overall costs substantially. This option gives guests a variety of appetizers, but assumes that on average, each guest will not eat a full portion (which are often very large) of each option. (Plus, not all guests will be there for the whole cocktail hour, typically including the bridal party, who are off getting pics.)

2.       Skip dinner and go with heavy hors d’oeuvres. Ever go out for tapas? The idea is to make a meal out of small appetizer-like dishes that you share with your party. Have your reception tapas style by just serving a variety of appetizers! Set up affordable appetizer stations around the room and let guests feast on these. It will be much cheaper per person than a plated dinner, and guests will still go away full.

3.       Choose the cheap options—no one will know or care if you choose the chicken that is $15 per person versus the $25 per person chicken. Select yummy-sounding choices from the least expensive menu and don’t feel guilty about it! You are still serving your guests a full, lovely meal that they can sit back and enjoy.

4.       But think about the packages. Really look at the packages when considering food prices. You may automatically be drawn to the least expensive package, but take the time to compare each of them. Even if those mid-level packages are another $5 per person, if they include an appetizer station or hors d’oeuvres that you were planning on purchasing separately, one of these may be the best (and most economical) option for you.

5.       Know if it is per person vs. per item. Passed hors d'oeuvres can be an affordable option, but it is important to know the basis of the pricing. In the world of passed hors d’oeuvres, prices listed per person typically mean a serving, which can be more than one piece. Prices per item, however, will just be for one piece, which could mean you have to double or triple the listed price to be comparable to the per person price. Make sure to ask your catering manager which the listed prices are and how many pieces are included in the per person price. This will help you understand how much food you need to order and how to keep the prices in your budget.

6.       Be aware of any fees. Know going in if you will be charged extra for bringing in food from an outside bakery or a cake cutting fee. Before finalizing your contract, try to negotiate with your catering company or reception venue to have these fees waived. That will give you the flexibility to price shop for cakes and will give you more options for dessert (see below).

7.       Skip dessert. Ok- not really! Instead of adding a dessert to your meal, though, treat your wedding cake as a dessert. This will save you the extra few dollars per person that catered dessert typically costs. Is your sweet tooth not satisfied with only wedding cake? Try having a cookie table or candy buffet instead of serving dessert. Set up platters, trays, and displays of cookies or candy and have guests help themselves. Although this may be a little more labor intensive for you, these are easy to do on a budget and will end up saving you on food costs. The cookie table/candy buffet could also serve multiple purposes: have it available during cocktail hour to help keep appetizer costs down, display it so it adds to the ambiance of the room, thus requiring less decorations, or provide bags and customized wedding labels as seals for people to take home with them and let them be your favors! Read our tips here about creating a cookie or candy table on a budget.

8.       Feeling Really Ambitious? Consider self-catering. If your wedding budget can’t cover catering, and your venue allows, you and your family can take care of the food yourself! Start by identifying how many people will be at your reception and what kind of food you would like to serve. Then identify some key cooks in the family that would be willing and able to pull off the catering. (The food can be elaborate as you want it to be- from mass frozen appetizers from Sam’s or Costco to Grandma’s signature lasagna.) You buy the food/ingredients, they make the victuals, and everyone enjoys a home cooked meal and plenty of food. The best way to serve is buffet style with food in tins over disposable chafing dishes to keep the food warm. You can buy these sets for pretty cheap at Party City and other party supply stores (use your coupons!). Have a few people be in charge of restocking the buffet when dishes get empty. Overall, this can be labor-intensive for your family, but a very affordable alternative to catering. Great way to stick to your budget but still serve a full meal to your guests. (If self-catering is an option for you, keep this in mind when selecting a venue. Most hotels, clubs, conference facilities, etc. with in-house catering will not allow self-catering, so look in the direction of parks, non-profits, community centers, and other non-traditional venues).

9.       Hold the buffet! Opting for the buffet is often not cheaper than a served, sit-down meal! Do we need to say that again?? This is a common misconception in event planning. Buffet meals typically require more food and more options than a plated meal, and thus are priced higher. Make sure you really look at both options before you make a decision. Another benefit to having a plated dinner? Buffets can take longer since only one or two tables can go through a buffet line at a time while several tables can be served a plated dinner simultaneously. That means more time for dancing!

10.   Don’t forget about the kids! If you are having children at the reception, make sure that your catering company offers kid’s meals. These kid-friendly meals (often in the form of chicken tenders or grilled cheese) should cost around half of the regular adult-sized meal. So order one for every child that will be present—depending on how many kids will be there, this could end up saving you hundreds of dollars!

11.    Make an executive decision.  Offering only one or two meal choices for a seated dinner can actually save you money, since many caterers charge a per person fee for more selections. So choose one or two crowd pleasers that are within your budget and let it go from there.

12.   Serve lunch. Considering having a morning or afternoon reception? Well, weigh this into your decision— just like restaurants, most caterers charge less for breakfast and lunch entrées than dinner meals. And we’re not just talking cereal or cold cuts here- think eggs benedict and chocolate Belgian waffles or smoked salmon and asparagus hollandaise.  You can still have that traditional wedding reception, it will just be light outside and cost a lot less. (This will also save you on booze, since most guests will drink less during the day.) Food for thought. J

13.   As always, price shop. If you have a choice of caterers, make sure to meet with different vendors and requests price list. Just as important as those price lists, though, is a caterer’s willingness to work with your budget. Be sure to discuss your budget constraints with each potential caterer and listen to their solutions and ideas for addressing those limitations.

Every wedding is different!  So consider the above options and mix and match these ideas/tips to meet your needs, your vision, and  your budget!