Looking for ways to save money on wedding catering? You’re in the right place!
For most weddings, catering can eat up a huge part of your budget (pun intended). And, even if you’re not having your wedding professionally catered, food and drinks are still one of the biggest ways you can spend money on your wedding. Depending on the size of your wedding, and how many different times you’ll serve food, it can really add up. Finding ways to save money on your wedding catering is often crucial to staying in control of your budget.
I promise there are ways to save money on your wedding catering without compromising on the quality of the food you serve. It’s all about prioritizing. And, sometimes you need to think outside the box. This is not the kind of post where I’ll recommend that you serve cheap food or DIY frozen appetizers in order to save money on your wedding catering. There are better ways.
How To Save Money On Wedding Catering
This post is going to give you all the best tips so you can save money on wedding catering. None of the tips are complicated, and anyone planning a wedding can do them. The thing is, if you want high end food, all throughout your wedding, you will pay for it. If you can be strategic and different, you’ll save. I’ll walk you through what I mean as you read on.
Let’s get into it!
MAKE YOUR OWN WEDDING FOOD
Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way.
Yes, one way to save on your wedding catering is to make your own wedding food. However, this method comes with a lot of nuances. First is that it can be expensive to buy and make food for your wedding. Groceries aren’t cheap these days. A little can really add up. Second, of course, there is the time aspect of it all.
My advice here is simple. Rather than try and make your own wedding food end to end, you could attempt to make your own food for certain portions of your wedding. Making a charcuterie for cocktail hour, for example. Or, serving your own DIY wedding dessert, as outlined in this post. By staying small and reasonable, you’ll save some money on your wedding catering, without causing yourself too much stress.
SAVE MONEY ON WEDDING CATERING BY SKIPPING THE WARM APPETIZERS
You know what costs money when it comes to catering? Warming food up.
It all makes sense when you really think about it. Warm food takes more effort. It requires equipment. Ovens, microwaves, hot plates, hand protectors, etc. Plus, once it’s warm, there may be efforts to keep it warm. At the very least, there may be time limits for how long it will still taste good after warming.
Cold food, or room temperature food, is much more forgiving. It can usually be prepped ahead of time and stored in a cool place until serving. A good example here would be a small charcuterie board. The person making it can put it all together, put it away, and pull it out for placement right before consumption.
Long story short, an easy way to save money on your wedding catering would be to keep your appetizers on the cooler side.
THINK OUTSIDE THE REGULAR WEDDING DINNER
I once wrote a whole blog post about this (find it here), so I’ll keep this part brief.
If you serve the “usual” catered dinner of chicken, steak, fish, and sides, you may find yourself paying a premium for it. If you think outside the box, you can save on your wedding catering. This may mean serving more ethnic food. Or appetizers only. Perhaps you have a strategically-timed wedding and serve just dessert. No matter what path you choose, if you deviate from the “norm”, your budget will thank you.
GO WITH A BRUNCH WEDDING (OR AT LEAST BREAKFAST FOR DINNER)
Yes, a brunch wedding can fall into an “outside the box” idea, but hear me out on the additional logistics.
A brunch wedding is more than just brunch food. It means that you’re having your wedding much earlier in the day. This can bring some added savings, if you can deal with the early morning getting ready part of it. Since this is a post on saving money on your wedding catering, we can focus on that, but just know that in general, brunch weddings cost less than weddings that take place later in the day.
Of course, when it comes to catering, a brunch wedding would serve brunch food. Eggs, bacon, pancakes, mimosas, coffee, etc. Breakfast or brunch food can easily be elevated and very delicious for your guests, plus save you lots on your end.
ASK FOR DISCOUNTS FROM YOUR FAVORITE CATERER
Alright, this tip is a no brainer, but it does come with an action on your behalf.
If you have hired a caterer in the past, and liked them, reach out to them if you’d like them to cater your wedding. Remind them that you’ve been a past client, and see if they can help hook you up with a discount on your wedding day. You never know what may happen, until you ask. The worst they could say is no, right?
SAVE MONEY ON WEDDING CATERING BY OPTING FOR THE BUFFET (BUT BEWARE OF STATIONS)
One easy ways to save money on your wedding catering is to go with a buffet.
For a multitude of reasons, buffets are usually a more affordable catering option. For starters, they don’t require the same level of table service as a plated meal. And, the portions of the meal don’t have to be as precise. Guests come up to the buffet, get their portion, and return to their seats. No need for fancy plating and serving.
The one caveat with this tip is to beware of stations. This is where you have different food stations around your wedding, each manned by serving staff. The cost of the staff can add up, and the cost for the set up and actual food can, too. So, go with buffets over plated food over stations, if you’re trying to save money.
GO WITH A VENUE THAT WILL LET YOU BRING IN OUTSIDE CATERING
You know what will definitely help you save money? If you’re able to price out competitive options for your wedding catering.
Think about it. If your venue serves food, and you have to serve their food, you only have one option. If you’re able to bring in outside catering, you can see who costs what. And, you can choose the ones that best align with your budget, and your taste. More options, less costs.
SERVE SEASONAL AND LOCAL FOODS
The more a food has to travel to meet your wedding, the more it may cost.
In an effort to save on your wedding catering, serve seasonal and local foods. Your caterer can help you out with this, but the concept is simple. Serving seasonal foods means more supply, less costs. And, serving local foods means less travel, less costs. Plus, seasonal and local foods simply taste better, which may mean you have to have less ingredients overall. It all adds up.
SAVE MONEY ON WEDDING CATERING BY STARTING WITH YOUR BUDGET AND SEE WHO CAN WORK WITHIN IT
Here’s the last tip. You need to set your wedding catering budget early on, and work with it.
This means that you price out what you can spend on your catering, and do your best to find a caterer who can work with your budget. Yes, this may mean that you can’t hire some caterers. Or, it may mean that you need to adjust your budget by reprioritizing other wedding items in order to hire the caterer you want.
The most surefire way to make sure you stay in budget is to have one in the first place.
THOUGHTS ON HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON WEDDING CATERING
Friends, there are lots of ways to save money on your wedding catering. Thinking outside the box, being flexible, and choosing your venue strategically are all great examples. Being thoughtful about what you serve, and how you serve it, helps, too. You can also save simply by asking, and sticking to your plan. Happy wedding planning!
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