Opinion
How To Get The Food Right At Your Wedding Without Breaking The Bank
You have just proposed to your partner (or been proposed to), and now, you have to start planning the wedding.
This is a fun time for trying on dresses, drawing up guest lists, and overseeing venues. Of course, this is also the time to start thinking about the more serious side of wedding day planning: the budget.
Usually, the most expensive parts of a wedding day are the venue and the catering, which can make the idea of looking into those full of dread. However, you can still have a wedding with gorgeous food in Utah without breaking the bank. You just have to know how to do it, and here, you will be walked through how.
Research Catering Teams
Wedding catering teams will usually offer multiple types of catering and, for larger crowds who want the most cost-effective option, go for a buffet.
This will allow you to have a wide range of foods, presented in an appealing way, with a help yourself vibe, which can be fun for guests to engage with. The majority of catering teams will offer discounts on this, and will usually drop the food off at the venue, precooked, so you can set it up as you wish.
Seasonal Options
When it comes to drawing up the menu, you can reduce the cost by choosing seasonal produce. If you are getting married in the fall (or autumn in the UK), you can invest in foods like squash, pumpkins, courgettes, and other simple staples like pasta, rice, and bread. This also goes for the décor: if you are hiring a florist to make over your reception space, try to get seasonal flowers, as these are cheaper and more available than ones that are ordered in.
Simple Menu
Do you really need to have three different types of salmon at your wedding?
The answer is no, and another key way to reduce costs with the catering is to choose a simple, easy menu. Offer guests the opportunity to choose what they want to eat at the buffet, but keep it simple. Nibble foods, like cheese boards, crackers, bread, and dips, are always popular, with vegetables and meats like ribs being a staple of many weddings. Also, consider that most people will just want to eat the cake anyway! So, invest all your money and effort in a great wedding cake!
Mix DIY with Professional Cooking
If the catering costs are still too high, why not mix DIY options with professional catering? Ask friends and family to bring along their own dishes to the event, and then you can have the best of both. This is a way to make the guests feel more engaged and is also a great conversational starting point.
Say No To a Bar
OK, so most wedding venues have a bar, but if you want to save money, don’t put any money behind it. Ensure that all of the guests are aware that there is a bar, but if they want a beverage, they have to pay for it themselves. Alcohol for a wedding event is expensive in Utah due to the laws that surround it, and even a seemingly large amount of money behind the bar, like $500, won’t go far, so don’t waste it!
