Unless you are serious about inviting just a handful of guests to your wedding, preparing vast quantities of food at home to serve a large number of wedding guests is honestly not a feasible idea at all. Yes, it will work out cheaper but hey, it is your special day, and do you really want your family members sweating it out in the kitchen instead of enjoying every moment with you, by your side? In this article, we focus on the art of negotiating with the one person whose creations your guests will either praise or complain about- your wedding caterer.
Wedding caterers are expensive, no doubt, but unless you are willing to go with one of their set menus, putting together your own unique menu allows you to decide on the cuisine and also on the number of dishes to serve. In other words, these factors do play a big role in determining how much you will eventually pay. This is what you need to do:
Decide on the cuisine to serve. Indian dishes will be cheaper compared to other exotic cuisines like Italian, Mexican, Pan-Asian and the like. The Indian menu you put together can feature two dishes each from all four corners of the country, if you are keen to present an array of flavours.
Meet at least three wedding caterers in person. Go with a caterer who is willing to cater for a smaller guest list because the prepared food is likely to be better in quality and taste. Besides, you won’t have to worry about large quantities of food being wasted either.
Instead of serving individual portions at the table, opt for a buffet spread. This way, you allow guests to decide what they want to eat, and you can also simultaneously cut down on wastage as well. Have a minimum of two buffet tables so that guest management becomes easier.
Look for any hidden costs. For instance, if you ask the wedding caterer to supply waiters or servers for the occasion, the cost for the same will be added to your bill. Minimize the number of such hired staff and you will find that the difference does reflect in your bill. Similarly, work out the costs involved in hiring extra furniture, table linen rental rates etc.
Next week, we’ll take a look at a few practical ways to reduce your wedding reception catering bill.
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