On your wedding day it won’t just be your partner and you rather your near and dear ones as well out for dinner, so it’s obvious that prices can go higher. If you’re looking to cut down on costs, you can skip the fancy foods and go for a buffet instead of a laid dinner. Similarly, many other minor adjustments can help you save a lot on the wedding catering charges.
Although catering would be making up the lion’s share of the budget, there are multiple tips which can help you cut costs out of your catering budget.
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Decide your budget first
Decreasing or increasing your budget can be done easily only if you have a decided budget in the first place. Discuss your budget in detail with your wedding caterer so that he can offer you alternative low cost budget catering ideas within the best of your money.
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Limit food consumption during cocktail hour
Usually the cocktail hour comes before a meal, that is when you should limit the number of appetizers. Select two or three types of appetizers, this would minimize food wastage as people would be wasting the main course if they are filled up on appetizers.
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Offer few dinner choices
The more the options, the more will be the cost. Stick to main options- chicken and fish. If possible ask your guests to inform you if they have any dietary restrictions. Try to make one of the options gluten-free and the other suitable for vegetarians. Opt for a fancy sauce to make it less expensive. A good caterer will offer you a choice suitable for everyone.
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Consider different serving methods
Choose to keep appetizers on tables instead of passing them on. You will need very few servers during the cocktail hours and eventually cut costs from wedding catering expenses. If you end up passing your appetizers, one thing your servers can do is- control how quickly they would be serving the appetizers. This would help control the overall amount of food consumed.
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Maintain a three course meal
Try and serve a three course meal with a soup or salad as a starter, followed by the main course and dessert, appetizers from the cocktail hour. This would be enough for your guests. The more courses you offer the more will be the budget, especially if you provide different choices for each course. If you have served salad during the cocktail hour, you can skip this for dinner.
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Consider a brunch or lunch instead of dinner
People have fewer appetites during brunch or lunch than dinner. People eat smaller portions for these meals, helping you cut costs. Guests are also inclined towards drinking less helping you save on the bar bill as well. This would be a good option for those who want to serve elaborate meals at low charges.
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Shut the bar early
Cease the alcohol serving at least an hour before the event ends. This would help cut costs and give people a chance to stay sober before returning home. Instead, offer coffee or non-alcoholic drinks till the end of the event.
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Skip the champagne
Having an open bar would allow your guests to have drinks when it’s time for toasts. They can toast with their current drink. This would save you the expense of pouring champagne to everyone which may not get consumed. If two people get drunk at the same time, one may get left behind wasting extra money. If you want sparkling alcohols for toasts, go for less expensive options.
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