Slashing Wedding Food Costs

With rising gas costs and other expenses through the roof, the following ideas are great to save money planning your wedding reception.

The cost for food and drinks for your wedding can easily climb to several thousand dollars, but it doesn't have to. Here are several tips that will save you money and still provide you with the classy wedding you've dreamed of:

1. The biggest cost saver, whether you are using a caterer or planning the food yourself, is to schedule the wedding and reception at a time of day when a full sit-down meal won't be expected by guests. An afternoon/evening cocktail or dessert reception can save you thousands of dollars when compared with an elaborate dinner.

2. Next, be smart when planning beverages for your reception. An open bar can break the bank. Consider a classy champagne punch or a wine instead (or even an alcohol-free punch). And remember that it is always less expensive to purchase and serve the drinks yourself than to pay a caterer or bartender to do so.

3. Second to alcohol, the biggest food and beverage expense is usually meat for the wedding reception or dinner. Keeping meat to a minimum is another easy way to trim your wedding food costs. Choosing a vegetarian entree, a dish whose main ingredient is not meat, or a less expensive cut of meat are all wise decisions that will positively impact your food budget.

4. Another easy place to save money is on the wedding cake. Bakers and caterers often charge anywhere from $2-6 per slice to make and/or serve the wedding cake. For about $1 per slice, you can purchase a nice cake at a bakery and have a friend cut and serve it at the reception.

5. If you are well-organized and have a good support system of friends and family willing to help, you may wish to consider planning and making your own food for your reception. You can save several thousand dollars by doing so. And it's not as difficult as you may think. Food for a dessert reception, for example, can be made ahead and served cold the day of the wedding with little effort on anyone's part. For many brides, the extra work is worth the savings if it means more money to spend on the honeymoon or being able to afford a designer wedding gown.

The food for your wedding is one of the easiest expenses to slash, while still allowing the smart bride and groom to host a very nice affair. Be creative, ask questions, don't be afraid to ask for cheaper menu items, and do as much yourselves as you can handle, and you will be able to trim hundreds (if not thousands) from your wedding food costs.

WedAlert tip: In certain locations some of the above suggestions are not feasible, but many catering halls/reception sites offer much cheaper price per plate (which include food and drinks) depending on the date and time of your reception. So while the reception hall may not permit you to bring in your own food, a Friday night or Sunday afternoon reception will be substantially less that a Saturday night.