9 Ways To Cut Down Wedding Food Costs

Somebody once remarked that Indian weddings seem to be more about the guest’s experience than about the bride and groom. While this statement may be exaggerated, it’s not entirely wrong either. After all, no Indian wants his guests to walk away unsatisfied with the manner in which the ceremony was conducted and most importantly, no guest should walk away dissatisfied at the spread of food laid out either.

So what have you? Indian weddings where not less than 100 dishes are served are the norm in many cultures across India, but the amount of food that goes wasted is just as huge too. So how can you curb your wedding food costs? We take a look at 9 ways to bring down your caterer bill:

wedding food costs

Image courtesy Memory Crafters

1. Tone down the menu

First decide between serving a number of courses vs serving a variety of cuisines. There’s a difference between both and you’ll find that serving everything from appetizers to after dessert coffee is likely to be more expensive.

wedding food costs

Image courtesy Naresh Das Photography

2.Eliminate the fancy stuff

Do away with the frills. And by that we mean, say no to that all tempting cheese platter, ice-cold seafood bar, exotic desserts and other fancy sounding bites. You’ll be doing your wallet a favour.

3. Re-consider your non-veg options

Assuming you plan to serve non-veg, considering poultry and other varieties of meat will prove to be a money saver vis-a-vis serving only seafood.

wedding food costs

Image courtesy Sigman Photography

4. Treat your guests to seasonal produce.

For example, jackfruit in Kerala is a seasonal fruit and any dessert made using jackfruit will be better appreciated than the usual crowd favourites.

wedding food costs

Image courtesy Naresh Das Photography

5. Live food counters

Another brilliant way to cut down wedding food costs is by having live food counters. This way the guests get to choose what they really want and waste is minimal.6)Don’t be afraid to go with desi fare. Samosa chaats, paani-puri, sandwiches, spicy peanuts and the like are much loved favourites and help to cut down wedding food costs too.

wedding food costs

7. Bite sized treats

It’s said that guests feast with the eyes first before actually tasting the food. Which could explain why we naturally pick out food that’s been served beautifully. Talk to your caterer about plating any food that is going to be served in bite size or mini portions more aesthetically.

wedding food costs

Image courtesy Shine Studio

8. Cut down on the liquor

So, you’ve decided to really let your guests enjoy themselves by keeping the bar open. Instead of having a wide range of liquor served, how about going with just two signature cocktails? Feature the groom’s and the bride’s favourite drinks and we guarantee your guests will love it.

wedding food costs

Image courtesy Sigman Photography

9. Go easy on the desserts

Who doesn’t like desserts? But when there’s a whole mind-boggling selection on display, sampling everything becomes impossible. Have a maximum of 4 desserts which can be served to guests in mini portion sizes so that there is zero wastage.

Main image courtesy ND Photography