How to do wedding catering on a budget – 8 ways

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Undoubtedly the wedding reception could easily be the most expensive part of your wedding, however it is possible to do wedding catering on a budget with these thrifty ideas.  For venues weddings are big business and the greater the number of guests the more revenue. However, with a bit of creative thinking you can really save a lot of money on your wedding reception without compromising too much.  For more wedding budget advice click here

Consider, the expectation placed on couples hosting a wedding typically consists of a wedding ceremony, wedding reception followed by an evening reception. During the course of a full day you will need to provide food and refreshments for your guests. This is really when the wedding costs can start to ratchet up.

Before we get into the nitty gritty of saving money on food etc. These would be my top tips to get your wedding budget off to the best start.

Wedding Tips

1. Try not to get caught up with the expectation of the typical wedding. Your wedding does not have to conform to any ideas of what is expected. This pressure is completely unnecessary.
2. Set realistic expectations trying to go all out on a wedding for 150 guests with a small budget means something will give.  I often think the bigger the number of guests the greater the pressure to put on more, which then means more spend. This is often where Wedding budgets get out of control and couples can easily overspend.
3. Stick to one set of guests for day and evening. Limit the guest list where possible -big weddings equal big budgets.
4. Play around with the timings so you only have to feed your guests the once.

Wedding Catering on a budget

The biggest savings are likely to be had when you DIY your event, this way everything is under your control.  Event caterers can offer a great choice, quality and style of food but they can still be expensive. This would not be my first choice for wedding catering on a budget.

1. A DIY buffet means you can shop where you like. Just consider, storage, shopping and setting up who will help do these jobs so your not stressing too much.
2. Charcuterie boards are all the rage right now. Big sharing platters of breads, cheeses, cold meats and salads. Quite easy to do but again the setting up could be quite time consuming, so enlist help.
3. Pie and peas, is typically an easy and filling supper that could be done on the cheap. Keeping it simple will inevitably keep the costs down and will stop you wondering if you have enough food.
4. Pizzas ordered in just ready to cut up and serve with salads. Not sure if everyone will like pizzas just make sure you have some salad options.
5. One pot dishes. Comfort food for the soul, chilli, bolognese, meatballs can all be done from one base and can be served in disposable bowls. One pan for the main dish and one for rice or pasta.
6. Another favourite is to ask everyone to provide a dish for the buffet.
7. Picnic baskets are so on trend, the great thing is they are an economic way to feed guests as well as a talking point.
8. Afternoon tea is another great cost saver that you can DIY yourself. Sandwich platters can be bought from supermarkets and a selection of sweet treats would be easy enough to add in.

Wedding Catering Advice

If you are doing this yourself, you will have to work out in advance how much food you will need. Don’t just go shopping with a budget in mind. Everything needs to be worked out so you can avoid over spending. Preparation is key at this point. For example will you allow half a pizza per person. Half a bag of salad per person etc. These are all questions you need to ask and adjust as you go along.