Budget Friendly Wedding Food Options Your Guests Will Love

It’s important that every money-conscious engaged couple knows budget friendly wedding food options.

For many weddings, food can take up a huge portion of the budget. And, for good reason. Food is an important part of weddings. It’s not just because guests are hungry, which is good enough. It’s also that food is symbolic. Two people join into one entity in the ceremony, and then they, with their families, eat to celebrate and solidify. It’s a beautiful thing.

The part that’s not so beautiful, though, is when you’re trying to keep your wedding affordable and all the food options you’re used to seeing at other people’s weddings put you over your budget. When couples run into the issue of feeding a group, and running out of funds to do so, it can be very frustrating. Luckily, there are budget friendly wedding food options out there.

Budget Friendly Wedding Food Options Your Guests Will Love

This post is going to share with you budget friendly wedding food options. Keep in mind that though some foods are more affordable, they are still crowd pleasers. It’s not about reducing the quality of the food at your wedding. It’s about thinking outside the box with what is possible. Of course, not every option will work for every couple. However, if your priority is to keep your food budget friendly, while still giving your guests a great experience, these options may be for you.

Let’s get into it!

THE ULTIMATE BUDGET FRIENDLY WEDDING FOOD: POTLUCK

Is there anything more budget friendly than a potluck?

I think not.

Look, I know that a potluck wedding isn’t for everyone. However, potluck food can be delicious. And, you can totally stay in control of it. For example, assign dishes to certain guests. Love your Aunt Sally’s mac and cheese? Ask her to bring it. Totally into your cousin’s roasted chicken? See if they can provide it as well. You get the picture.

For the right wedding, and the right guests, a potluck can be a great way to save money. You can even provide the main protein, and ask certain guests to bring appetizers, sides, or dessert. You’ll save money, and the food is probably going to be delicious.

STAY AFFORDABLE BY GOING VEGETARIAN

You know what costs a lot of money? Meat.

Of course, to some people, the thought of serving an all vegetarian wedding is blasphemy. However, vegetarian food is budget friendly wedding food. Produce just costs less than poultry, fish, and beef, and it’s still popular. If done correctly, vegetarian food can taste great. Some guests may not even notice that there’s no actual meat on their plates. It’s worth looking into, if you’re trying to save money.

BREAD AND SALAD ARE ALWAYS POPULAR (AND ARE BUDGET FRIENDLY WEDDING FOOD)

Not willing to have a potluck wedding, or give up serving meat? Why don’t you go heavy on the bread and salad, and light on the actual meal?

Have you noticed that many restaurants will serve bread for free? And that salad is usually a pretty inexpensive add on to a meal? This is because bread and salad just aren’t that expensive to make, compared to a main dish. And, there are economies of scale. Buying the ingredients in bulk for both bread and salad can be huge savers. Plus, if guests fill up on bread and salad, they won’t need as much for their main course and the portions can be a bit smaller. 

PIZZA PARTY FOR THE WIN

I know. I know. This isn’t a kid’s birthday party. It’s a wedding. However, a pizza party is worth mentioning.

Almost everyone likes pizza. Even those who can’t eat gluten, are vegan, or go dairy free can enjoy pizza, if it’s made with the right ingredients. Compared to getting an actual catering spread, pizza can be an amazingly budget friendly wedding food. Plus, it doesn’t require quite the same amount of “keep warm, serve hot” needs as other wedding foods, making it easy to serve to guests. Pair it with some side salads, and you’ve got a very affordable spread.

SURPRISE YOUR GUESTS WITH A TEA PARTY

Are you having a Bridgeton themed wedding? Or a Sunday wedding, held in a garden? If so, a tea party may work for you.

Contrary to popular belief, tea parties are not that expensive. The food may consist of finger sandwiches, small desserts, and, of course, tea. These types of foods can go a long way as guests will be encouraged to take their time eating them in a civilized manner. Again, for the right wedding, the right time of day, and the right guests, consider this a viable option for budget friendly wedding food.

SERVE A BUDGET FRIENDLY TACO BAR

Mmm, tacos. Who doesn’t like tacos?

Many weddings these days have tacos, or a taco bar, as their late night snack, but why not consider it for your main star? I have been to a wedding with a taco bar as it’s main course, and it was delicious. Not only were there tacos, and ways to dress them up how you like them, but there were sides like salad, rice, and beans. All of which was so good, by the way.

This is the kind of casual wedding food that would be easy to have catered, or to even DIY if you have the right support getting it together. And, your guests will love it.

HAVE TRENDY BUDGET FRIENDLY WEDDING FOOD WITH CHARCUTERIE TRAYS

Charcuterie trays are all the rage right now.

Also referred to as grazing tables, a charcuterie is where you lay out a spread of cheese, meat, crackers, or appetizers, and let guests just go for it. It’s possible to build your own charcuterie, as mentioned in this post, but you can also outsource the work.

Charcuterie trays can be a great, affordable option for weddings that take place earlier in the day, or are very relaxed. No, guests won’t have a formal sit down dinner to enjoy, but with enough food they certainly won’t be hungry. And, they can pick and choose what they enjoy the most. Plus, if anyone’s worried about germs, it’s possible to create fun, personal sized charcuterie cups or plates.

BARBEQUE CAN BE NICE ON THE WALLET

There’s nothing wrong with serving good ole’ barbeque at a wedding. And, it can be a totally budget friendly wedding food option.

Barbeque becomes affordable when the meat is purchased in bulk, and the sides aren’t that complicated or expensive. For example, a bunch of barbeque chicken, paired with bread, salad, veggies, and mac and cheese, would be a crowd pleaser and super budget friendly. Plus, guests will love it. Barbeque caterers are usually easy to find, and barbeque can be served in any climate. Win, win, win.

THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH FROZEN APPETIZERS

Want to keep things easy, affordable, and fun? Look no further than your local wholesale store.

If you’ve ever spent time browsing the freezer section at Costco or Sam’s Club, you’ll find tons of frozen appetizer options. Many of them can be baked ahead of time and put out at room temperature. And, many of them are totally delicious. For an easy DIY appetizer spread, see if you can arrange the logistics for frozen appetizers. You may need to plan out the oven baking situation, and be creative with how thing are heated and transported, but it is possible to make it happen.

RESTAURANT DELIVERY CAN PROVIDE BUDGET FRIENDLY WEDDING FOOD

You know what can really rack up the costs when it comes to wedding food? Hiring chefs to cook on site and servers to take care of your guests.

Want to save on those costs? Order delivery.

Many restaurants will make delivery a no-brainer experience. They will carefully package up your order, and may even provide utensils and warming stations with the request. In some cases, they will even set up the food for you, and all it will cost is a nice tip. If you’re looking for ways to save money on your wedding food, and having a simple wedding at a simple location, restaurant delivery can be a great option.

PROVIDE A DESSERT-ONLY WEDDING RECEPTION

Dessert-only wedding receptions may not be that common, but they can be really budget friendly.

I write all about them in this post, but a dessert-only wedding reception is essentially where you serve just dessert. Of course, you’ll want to inform guests of the food situation ahead of your wedding, so no one misses out on “real food”. And, you’ll need to time your wedding properly, with a mid afternoon, or after-dinner reception. However, it can be affordable to serve just dessert, and if you do it right your guests won’t mind.

THOUGHTS ABOUT BUDGET FRIENDLY WEDDING FOOD

Friends, there are so many budget friendly wedding food options out there. Some may work for your wedding, and some may not. It’s nice to know you do have options, either way, though. Deciding on your wedding food is a big decision, but you’ve got this! Happy wedding planning! 

More About Wedding Food From Hummingbird Wedding Advice

Wedding Dessert Ideas For Common Dietary Restrictions

10 Foods You Should Never Serve At A Wedding

Delicious Signature Cocktails For Your Winter Wedding

Did you find this post helpful, inspiring?  PIN it to your Wedding Food Board on Pinterest! 

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