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Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Wedding Receptions on a Budget.

How much did you say?

The way that you decide to serve food during your wedding reception, is a decision that will put your catering budget on the table, where it will be chopped and diced (No puns intended) to cover the cost of menu services.

From the price of basic cheese, crackers and fruit platters to gourmet style hot and cold appetizers and whether or not, those scrumptious bite size portions can become gracefully Passed Hors d'oeuvres.

Even salads can be pricey, when covered with mouth watering dressings followed by entrees with names dreamed up in catering heaven, to last but not least, delectable tasty on the lips, but not so  good for your hips desserts.


Add to that cake cutting and corkage fees and get this, whether or not you can afford to have a formal sit down plated diner or a buffet that has numerous food stations, don't be surprised if you find your catering budget getting squeezed to cover all of the extra costs.

With food taking up 50% of wedding budgets, if you decided not to retain the services of a Wedding Planner, who hands down is worth there weight in gold to Brides, due to the savings that they can more times receive for Brides as a part of vendor to vendor courtesy, by negotiating fees and pulling a few extra inclusions, free of charge, I am giving you fair warning to be prepared for just how costly catering can

But here are 5 things that you can do to cut the fat off catering services, so that you can get more wedding reception grub for your wedding planning buck.

Number 1. Budget

The first thing to look at is your wedding budget. I know, I know, I know, Cinderella didn't have to look at her budget, but thankfully her Fairy Godmother/Wedding Planner was wise enough to see what Cinderella was working with, and we all know that Cinderella didn't have much. Even so, with a wave of a wand, Fairy Godmother/Wedding Planner, was able to use her creativity in a way that, enabled Cinderella to? Yes you've guessed it, have the wedding of her dreams, which is why, a realistic view of your available funds is so important.


Once you know how much your working with, the fairy tale starts to become a reality and I know that it may be hard to believe, especially if your budget isn't all that you wished it could be, but trust me on this one, once you know what your working with creativity sets in.

So, take a look at your budget.

Number 2. Venue

The venue where you decide to host your wedding reception can have a huge impact on your catering funds, especially if the venue of your choice doesn't allow outside catering services to be brought in.

Things to consider when venue shopping are.
  • Room charges. Yes some venues charge for the use of their rooms in addition to the costs of their menus, which means that if you are working with a fairly modest budget and had it in your mind to have a separate room for the for cocktail hour and  another for the reception, it's quite possible that you could be facing two additional fees that you might not have bargained for, before you can even begin to think about what your guests are going to eat.
Quick Tip:  A good way to avoid additional costs, would be to utilize the terrace/deck surrounding the reception hall if there is one available, or weather permitting any  outdoor spaces, that might not have fees attached to it for the cocktail reception. 

If the venue has extra chairs and tables, and provides table linens, you can definitely spruce up tables that will be used outside and the decor to coincide with your wedding theme.
  • In House Catering: Note: That extra fees as mentioned above, might not be mentioned during your initial consultation, which means that they are technically hidden fees which will show up in the small print on the printed bill/contract, so it is a good idea to ask for a complete break down of all costs and services and discuss all of the alternative options available to you, before signing on the dotted line.
Quick Tip: Ask about the cost of the wine and champagne that will be served during dinner and discuss different wine and champagne options and pricing per bottle, you could save money by serving the least expensive brands.  


  • Use of the venue's kitchen; Consider renting a venue that permits professional or DIY catering. You can most defiantly find competitive rates and great menu selections provided by independent caters.


  • If you DIY your menu; Presentation, don't forget that it doesn't have to be thin disposable plates and plastic cutlery wrapped in cheap napkins, or for that matter aluminum foil covers and disposable aluminum chaffing dishes. If you want an elegant look then consider the following quick tip.

Quick Tip: For DIY catering rent china, glassware and serving dishes. However, don't forget to factor in the cost of rentals, and the fees that will incur if your kitchen help decides that they can't be bothered to rinse, drain and rack returns. 

Number 3. Time

Now that you know what your catering budget is and where your reception venue will be, the next thing to look at is the time of day that you want to host your reception.

Quick Tip: Having a week day wedding can reduce menu costs, if the venue or caterer offers special discounts for week day menus.

But if you decide that you want to have a Saturday wedding, the next thing for you to do is to decide on the time of day that you will host your reception.

Believe it or not, the time of day that you host your reception, can provide you with different menu options, as well as save you quite a bit of money. So, even if you want to have a Saturday wedding, consider having your reception in the late morning and opting for a Brunch menu or in the afternoon and having a lunch time menu, instead of having your reception it in the evening and having to pick entrees from a dinner menu.

Number 4. Formalities

If you are having your reception in a venue that provides it's own in house catering, then naturally, they will be able to cater any kind of event that you have in mind.

More times than not however, regardless of the kind of event the four most popular wedding reception options that are quoted on, are as follows.

A. Formal Sit Down.
B. Buffet,, with or without different food stations
C. Cocktail reception.

D. Cocktails followed by formal sit down or buffet.

If your menu is served as a plated dinner service, then that can increase the cost of food per person.

However if you decide on a buffet it is my experience that you tend to get more food per person, because your guests can decide on the portions that they want which means less food down the drain and ultimately money saved.

Quick Tip: Discuss the price differences with the caterer, comparing a buffet with a craving station to plated menu options. you might be pleasantly surprised to discover that you save quite a bit of money and therefore can afford to add an additional station to your buffet


Number 5. DIY


If you have done your research and things still seem to be out of your price range when it comes to In house venue catering or Independent Catering company. Creating your own Do it yourself menu can be far from boring if you use a little creativity.

Quick Tip: Think presentation, which is everything when it comes to creating a beautiful wedding.   

Explore the list below and decide on the type of wedding reception that best suits your budget, then have fun deciding on a menu that goes with the theme.

Yes you can have a plated 5 course dinner if that's what you want, with all the glam that doing it yourself can provide.

For great menu ideas visit http://lotsofinfo.tripod.com/weddinghelp.html,

  • A breakfast brunch reception.
  • A luncheon reception
  • A cocktail reception
  • A afternoon tea reception
  • A dessert only reception
  • A formal Sit down Reception 
  • A dinner buffet
  • Dinner food stations.
  • A barbecue reception
  • A pot luck reception.
  • A restaurant reception
  • A combination, of mixed service types, i.e. a cocktail hour followed by a sit down plated 5 course dinner.
  • A dinner buffet with several food stations.






1 comment:

Unknown said...

In the past the peoples plan their wedding its own, if you read the history those days the guest are only few and nearby people and that age was not so busy. Hey… man you are the man of the new age, you earn for your future life. If you plan your wedding by yourself then you feel you are doing a boring job, save your time and money give your wedding planning to the experts and feel free, on this day your work is thinking for the future life planning and love for your beautiful partner. Thanks for the nice depicted article

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