If there’s one thing that is certain to be on the minds of your wedding guests, it’s the question of what kind of food will be served at the reception. Food, without doubt is the showstopper at weddings and although you can bet that a lavish wedding will be talked about for weeks, there’s also the heavy wedding caterer expenses involved to think about. In this two part article, we give you tips that will encourage you to look and think beyond a wedding caterer’s menu. Often, it’s not the wedding caterer menu that adds up to a huge amount but the other smaller and often unnoticed factors that prove to be the real money-burners in the end.
If you plan to serve alcohol, it’s better to make your own arrangements instead of relying on the wedding caterer to do so. It will not just be cheaper, but you get to keep any leftover bottles as well. Keep one hired waiter to serve drinks and limit the number of glasses served to around two per person.
Allowing guests to mix their own drinks is without doubt more convenient, but in that case be prepared for a heavy bill as well. If, you don’t really want to have an open bar as such, then give guests three options to choose from- beer, wine and a non-alcoholic drink, which can be served to them at their tables itself. It’s unlikely that guests will ask for more than one refill, this way.
An alcohol free wedding need not be boring at all! This is your chance to get creative and to concoct a never-seen-before mocktail, smoothie or punch. For more inspiration, read our article on DIY Wedding Beverages and we will bet your guests won’t mind not having a drop of the real thing.
Indian appetizers are truly lip smacking and it’s not unusual for couples to serve an array of such starters either. Practically speaking, it is unlikely that guests will be able to do full justice to both a huge spread of appetizers and to the main course, so it makes sense to downsize the number of dishes and save money! Order a maximum of three appetizers (spicy peanuts are always a crowd favourite!) which appeal to guests of all age-groups.
Want to save even more? Then, go with potato chips, flavoured popcorn and namkeens which will serve as light snacks. Put together a few bowls containing dips and sauces as well as a few diced vegetables so that the guests can make their own mini chaats.
We’ll be back with even more ways on how you can save heaps on your wedding caterer’s bill!
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