How To Trim Your Reception Menu Expenses

The reception typically takes about half of a wedding budget. When you pay for a reception, a large percentage of the price is the menu – cut that, and you will cut your total cost by a lot. These easy tips will help you save big on the food for your wedding reception.

First off, eliminate the most expensive dishes like seafood, caviar, and pate. Sure, a raw bar is impressive, but no one will notice if it is omitted from the cocktail hour. People tend to gorge themselves on shrimp, you it would be wise not to put it on the menu. If you feel like it is an absolute must to have a shrimp display at your reception, opt for peel and eat shrimp over ones that are already peeled – at least it will slow people down a little! Avoid fancy seafood dishes like lobster and opt for a tasty chicken or beef main course instead. The truth is that it is hard to prepare seafood dishes in large quantities in advance, anyway, and the fish entree is often disappointing at a wedding reception.

At a lot of weddings, the dinner menu has as many choices as a restaurant, which is totally unnecessary. It is great if you can afford it, but certainly not necessary. Your wedding reception is a private party, not a restaurant. To spend less on dinner, choose one really delicious main dish, instead of having a whole list of options. Food quantities can be precisely ordered rather than guessed at. Couples who would like to have several dinner selections can have guests choose their dinner on the response card so the caterer knows how much food to order.

Couples often find it more affordable to serve ethnic cuisine. Any time something is specifically for weddings (like a caterer) it will probably cost more than working with a restaurant. Consider Indian or Spanish menus. If you serve food which is special in your cultural background, it will add to the ambiance of your reception. It’s fantastic to cut costs while increasing originality and meaning. Guests always enjoy being served local specialities, like gumbo in New Orleans. Even if it’s not fancy, everyone will love it.

By considering the type of reception you will have, you can also spend less on the food. Having an early reception is a simple way to spend less. The overall style of the wedding will be a bit more low key, from your gown and bridal jewelry to the decorations to the menu. The simple fact is that your brunch receptions are quicker than dinner receptions, with less food and drink consumed. Not only will your food and drink bill be less, but you will also save on the venue rental and servers for the shorter reception. If you have always imagined an evening wedding, a glamorous cocktail reception will be less costly than a full seated dinner. It is also a great excuse to wear a very chic wedding dress with fabulous bridal jewelry!

When you combine all of the different ways to save money on your catering costs, the end result can be huge savings. Is there anyone who would not love saving thousands on their wedding celebration? Hey, maybe you can splurge on a fabulous honeymoon to Paris!