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But dont pay menu prices without negotiating first. Remember to: Ive been to plenty of weddings with partial open bars. Use artistic presentations and complex sauces and dressings to keep things interesting. Casserole (a cheap filling dish even if you don't have lots of A signature cocktail wont save as much as a signature mocktail, but having it as the sole liquor option at your reception and limiting other alcoholic drink choices to beer and wine helps control costs. Another option is to have a dessert and candy table for your guests, which doubles as your favors too. Instead of a formal, sit-down dinner service, break out heavy apps during the cocktail hour and keep them flowing until toast time. Its not trying to be overtly fancy or impressive just delicious wintertime food that suits everyone. some flasks for tea. picnic table with all of your yummy food. If you need to Then the wedding party will go off to take pictures, family members will put up their feet for a couple hours at the hotel, and after that everyone will come back to the church for dinner. the foods that would be in season for when you are getting married. Assuming the owner doesnt have acres of lawn space for guests to spread out, hosting at a private home probably necessitates a smaller guest list too. be able to bulk out the food by buying extras. No matter where you shop for wedding alcohol, look for advertised bulk discounts. Heres what Im planning. You may need to negotiate buybacks individually since retailers dont always advertise them. In your wedding invitations and on your wedding website, invite guests to sign up to contribute homemade or store-bought apps of their choice. But the same guidelines apply. So of course the next question is how will I get all this done? Warming hot desserts would be a perfect end to your cosy winter wedding! For those of you who want to provide the food here are some great wedding menu ideas for all of the seasons. But it can help to have a general sense of the cost of various types of vegetables, meats and fish, and common sides. have cold chicken or a poached salmon. tomatoes. Faith is the Editor-in-Chief of Kitchn, and the author of three cookbooks, including the James Beard Award-winning The Kitchn Cookbook. Make your wedding Compared with a take-it-or-leave-it main course, a six- or eight-course tasting menu means greater logistical complexity and higher prep costs. wedding and no one wants their guests to leave early looking for Heres a bold idea: Why not skip the full dinner entirely? But if a pit-roasted pig doesnt sound like perfection to you, there are many other ways to cut costs. (This is so helpful!). For a more formal summer menu then look at a salad starter, followed by I really wish there was an extra oven. the key family members, you know the ones that like to be involved! Get inspired with vegetarian wedding menu guides from Bon Appetit, The Knot, and WeddingWire. Use thematic food and drink menus that rely on fewer, cheaper ingredients to save money. Meat is expensive so look at buying As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. the budget slightly (Venison can be cheaper than Beef). The chicken and beans will come out on platters and bowls to about 15 tables, and people can pass and serve themselves. the meats so you already have your chefs in place. them with a twist! My weddings total alcohol cost came in just shy of $1,000, about $7 per guest, the price of a single open bar drink. It was easily one of the five most memorable meals of my life. The best one has to be to use your wedding cake as your dessert. Even if you opt for a traditional start time, theres no need to drag out the festivities. They include practical changes to how you purchase and serve drinks as well as creative ideas that engage and entertain your guests without breaking the bank. As long as you clearly communicate your open bar policies, your guests should play ball. You want every guest to have easy access to every station and to avoid bottlenecks as much as possible. Hopefully, whoevers giving the toast is saying something so interesting no one will notice the lack of bubbly. that you are catering for the kind of numbers that will be at your If guests want to turn things up after your reception, they can always host an after-party and supply their own booze. Additionally, forgoing alcohol ensures guests leave early, which is ideal for daytime weddings at venues booked for a night session. Compensate for the lack of choice by dressing up the drink by: Martha Stewart and Brides magazine have some tantalizing signature cocktail ideas, including low-alcohol options. soup, you could serve these with big chunks of crusty bread and with a Popular ideas include: If you go the build-your-own route, set up at least two double-sided stations to allow up to four guests to serve themselves the same ingredient at once to reduce bottlenecks. Make the most of cost-effective, colorful app options by: Follow these tips to cut the cost of your wedding receptions dinner service. The good news is the cuts neednt stop there. If you can crowdsource elaborate appetizers, you can surely crowdsource desserts. If venues require in-house catering, eliminate them from your list. Break out old family recipes for sauce and topping ideas. Of course, your reception doesnt have to be completely dry. If youre not sold on a BYOB cocktail hour, keep things simple and offer just one drink between the ceremony and reception start time. They include sensible menu and service changes made to control costs as well as out-of-the-box ideas that could leave guests positively buzzing about your wedding for weeks to come. Many are likely to moderate their drinking as the reception goes on, anyway. A Homemade Wedding Dinner Menu for 120 People, Pre-dinner snacks Homemade White Cheddar & Rosemary Crackers Roasted Herbed Almonds, To drink Citrus & Rosemary Spritzer Water with citrus slices, Dinner Roasted Chicken Thighs with Bacon & Parsley Braised White Beans with Rosemary & Tomato Potato Dough Rolls & Whipped Salted Butter Lemon-Dijon Slaw, Dessert Butterscotch Pudding with Whipped Cream Cookie Platter of Butter Sabls & Chocolate Peanut Butter Chunkers. Think of this as a creative alternative to heavy app-only dinners. Just make it clear on your wedding invitation or website that you wont be serving alcohol during cocktail hour. While we do our best to keep these updated, numbers stated on this site may differ from actual numbers. The latest styles at great prices. If you dont want to forgo a special cake for yourself and your wedding party, purchase a small, off-the-shelf layer cake (6 or 8 inches should do). with fresh herbs would be prefect. These ideas could reduce your final beverage service bill a massive, often overlooked outlay for most nuptials. My brother and his fianc are getting married at a local church, one which much of our family attends. Ice creams in a cone add a touch of Dont break out the heavier reception menu fare like pigs in blankets or meatballs until guests are in the room where you plan to serve dinner. Even after implementing every cost-cutting strategy that makes sense for your special day, food and drink costs are sure to account for a significant share of your wedding reception budget. dessert that could be all your guests will need. Your signature cocktail doesnt need to be the same as your happy-hour cocktail if youve gone the one-drink route before dinner, though its logistically easier to do it that way. For instance, well-marinated flank steak or sirloin tips are nearly as tasty as your basic filet mignon at a fraction of the cost. Spring is the time for fresh new vegetables and what better and easier glamorous enough for a wedding remember it is all in the description! Ive never seen more varieties of canned beverages, including in my supermarkets soft drink aisle. Crunch the numbers on popular desserts and sweets, such as: Stick to a handful of options at most enough for guests to sample them all without gorging. Spring desserts could be lemon meringue pie and light fruity puddings. Should you need such advice, consult a licensed financial or tax advisor.
Among other things, we may receive free products, services, and/or monetary compensation in exchange for featured placement of sponsored products or services. When all else fails, exercise portion control. are the true traditional wedding reception. The church has a decently equipped kitchen adjoining the hall where the reception dinner will be. (Much of this will be provided by the church, which is why, again, getting a venue with a lot of extras included is so incredibly helpful.) Engage your guests and cut down on ingredient costs with a build-your-own meal bar thats heavy on low-cost sides. and then let your guests help themselves to the salads. A pumpkin centerpiece can look classy for a fall wedding and they are a really cheap decoration. Each adult gets a prescribed number of tickets maybe two per person (instruct whoevers tending bar to rip them in half as guests redeem them). The surest way to reduce your total food and drink bill is to cap your guest list, even if it means making some tough choices about who to leave out of your big day. Sell guests on your creation by: For inspiration, look to mocktail recipe guides from Offbeat Bride and Elle Decor. you would love it if they could bring a dish to share, ask them to get Daytime wedding guests also tend to welcome lighter, simpler fare like tea or club sandwiches, basic grillables (hot dogs and burgers), or even snack foods (chips and salsa). It also looks equally fancy. Steer clear of cake altogether. How it works varies. But why spring for a fancy and costly three-tiered cake when most of your guests would be happy with sheet cake anyway? Meat is expensive so If you decide to forgo dinner altogether, your soup option could be the centerpiece of a lighter food service that stretches into the window when dinner would typically occur. Asking guests to bring their own booze isnt as tacky as it sounds. If you can clean out your local liquor warehouse on the morning of your reception, you can surely head next door to the supermarket and grab a couple dozen prebaked cakes. You pay for anything you drink after that. Joking aside, the budget is small but also, I think, similar to the kind of budget many people have when theyre doing their own wedding catering. Well, its this weekend, and its fast approaching, so I finally nailed down the details. Besides, when push comes to shove, how many guests are going to turn down free pizza? You want your wedding food to be yummy and easy, you need menu ideas that will let the conversation flow and that is just right. If you or someone you know has a membership with a warehouse store like Costco or Sams Club, shop there if you can. How will the food be cooked in such quantities, and be presented hot and on time? vegetarians) or Venison and red wine casserole if you can afford to push Swap these pricey proteins for hearty vegetables and plant-based proteins like tofu, seitan, portobello mushroom, eggplant, and cauliflower. She lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband and two daughters. are delicious and you could have then cooking for a few hours before. It feels very all-in-the-family this way, as I know this venue well and all of the people involved are very supportive and generous. Depending on party size, each contributor might need to make 50 or 75 servings to ensure every guest can try more than one bite. Serve sparkling wine, fruit juices and if you can have someone bring White wine or hard seltzer is a safer choice since many drinkers avoid beer or hard liquor (and some prefer not to knock back cocktails before dinner anyway). MyRecipes has an article on less expensive beef substitutions, for example. Theyre also needlessly expensive. Traditional cocktails, which may contain two or three 1-ounce liquor servings, are particularly pricey. Early in our wedding planning marathon, my now-wife made a rather novel menu suggestion. You dont need an encyclopedic knowledge of ingredient pricing or availability. for about 300 people. The idea was to get guests full enough that they wouldnt care about the skimpy dinner (I certainly didnt). you have no control on how much food each guest takes, so it would be a The wedding ceremony is early in the day, and it will be followed immediately by a cake and punch reception (which I have nothing to do with, thank goodness!) Summer is the most popular time to get married and with a better guarantee on the weather it is not surprising. Cold meat platters and salads - if you are catering your wedding you can pick up platters quite cheaply at places like Costco. Now put it to work for your future. It helped that we chose a venue that didnt charge corkage fees. These tips could reduce the cost of appetizer service at your wedding reception, whether youre passing out hors doeuvres during cocktail hour or waiting until guests take their seats for dinner. Its common for houses of worship to rent out their kitchen facilities for nominal fees, for instance. Your BYOB cocktail hour can look however you want it to look. Make it worth their while by assuring them the venue more than suffices as their gift. The signature mocktail is an alcohol-free twist on the featured cocktail idea. Barbeques are also a great relaxed summer wedding reception, everyone Toast with whatever you and your guests are already drinking instead. cheaper cuts of meat and slow cooking them with onions, herbs and (Image: My friend Michelle, from my own wedding). in your wedding colors and then have paper plates and paper napkins on a that doesn't mean the two of you up all night cooking and then serving For instance, fried chicken, fried okra, and macaroni and cheese are a lot more appealing as part of a Southern-themed menu than as an apparent afterthought at the end of a long buffet table. I remain impressed by the beverage selection at the only booze-free wedding Ive attended. Make sure you have some later too. your guests, there are bound to be lots of people that will be happy to So I have a substantial amount of time in the middle of the day to finish off the meal. Try these tricks to elevate your off-the-shelf offerings: Although passing apps having servers walk through the crowd offering individual appetizers to guests invariably reduces consumption compared with buffet-style apps, its not necessarily cost-effective. I am not sure yet how well I will stick to this budget; I am planning on kicking in a little of my own money as a gift to my brother. Corkage policies are likely to be laxer for single-serve containers, such as beer cans. the best bit is that they are becoming more and more popular and they Wedding Spot has plenty of daytime wedding food ideas. You might not have to pay to serve your own beer at all, though you should check with the venue to confirm. Label stations clearly and optimize station placement for flow. And at four or five glasses per bottle, depending on the pour, even a modestly sized weddings dinner wine amounts to a 12-bottle case or more. If you can find a venue that offers bulk pricing to parties pouring venue-supplied drinks, jump on that deal. For state-specific guidelines, contact your states alcohol control authority, which you can find on the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau website. Even after accounting for corkage fees, buying alcohol in bulk at your local liquor outlet dramatically reduces your bill.
As long as its not sweltering outside, offer a hearty soup option to fill guests up before dinner. And I wish I would have the time and space to do a second vegetable, something cooked. start would be a picnic wedding celebration. seafood or a chicken dish and then summer fruit desserts. Remember to do your research so you can counter your caterers suggestions with cheaper alternatives. If youre apprehensive about sending out an open call for dessert contributions, you can ask each member of your wedding party to supply a dessert. We strive to write accurate and genuine reviews and articles, and all views and opinions expressed are solely those of the authors. }body .novashare-buttons.novashare-inline .novashare-button-icon { width: 100%; }.novashare-inline .novashare-button .novashare-button-block { background: #000000; }.novashare-inline .novashare-button .novashare-border { border-color: #000000; }.novashare-inline .novashare-button .novashare-inverse { color: #000000; }. One way to avoid these choices is to skip a reception on the day of your wedding. (Think shrimp cocktail, bacon-wrapped scallops, warm goat cheese and beet sliders, and miniature savory pies.). Its a sensible, visually engaging way to split guests who prefer chicken or pulled pork and those seeking grilled tofu or eggplant, reducing congestion. Family-style service means seated guests serve themselves from communal dishes placed on their tables an instant conversation-starter and opportunity for portion control. Its always hard to know exactly what will be spent on groceries ahead of time, but this is the planned budget so far. Private reception venues generally charge less for daytime events as long as the party can clear out in time for the evening block. To get the idea to your guests it is a good to mention it to a few of Whatever you do, dont let anyone tell you the wedding of your dreams has to cost a fortune. When he's not investigating time- and money-saving strategies for Money Crashers readers, you can find him exploring his favorite trails or sampling a new cuisine. Theres no need to draw out cocktail hour if you can get wedding photos out of the way before guests arrive. OK, ready for the menu? Or print them in your wedding program to save the trouble of physically distributing them. Many restaurants are willing to charge less to move perishable product. Why not crowdsource your appetizer options? casseroles and stews are great for this and although they don't sound On top of the substantial labor required to pour and measure dozens of Champagne servings, the booze itself is incredibly costly at least $5 per bottle for bulk-bought, bottom-shelf sparkling wine and $5 or more per glass for venue-provided stuff. Instead, host a smaller celebration (dont even call it a reception) days or weeks after your ceremony, perhaps at your house or in a neighborhood park. But smaller portion sizes and slower pacing may justify these drawbacks. Takeout is an excellent accompaniment for casual daytime receptions. But you dont want your guests to think youre phoning in the appetizer round. If you feel you would like to serve more food then lamb and chicken If you can eliminate one of the 10 cakes you planned by reducing cake slice size by 10%, you reduce your total cake ingredient costs by 10%. 2021 Money Crashers, LLC. If you cant avoid that, at least try to negotiate the per-bottle cost, perhaps in exchange for a guaranteed minimum bottle count. You have probably already started to look at the wedding menus that Instead, put out nonalcoholic beverages between the ceremony and dinner. Forgo the kitchen altogether with a selection of relatively low-cost store-bought apps, like crudites trays, pita and hummus, and cheese plates sans exotic or fancy cheeses, which quickly add up. Cake cutting is an egregious example. It has a large refrigerator and floor-to-ceiling freezer. Ideas to provide a single drink on the cheap include: Your guests tastes wont be uniform, so dont agonize about choosing a drink that pleases everyone. A stack of takeout pizza boxes on the wedding buffet may not be the most elegant visual, but its cost-effective. reception a retro chic celebration. salads, relishes and rolls as well. something to eat! Local, in-season menus often cost less than luxe menus with ingredients sourced from the four corners of the world. That includes: If you plan to use a catering service, ask for a youth discount. And retro foods are the fashion food in these economic times, just do Instead of multiple themed self-serve food stations or a traditional sit-down service, why not offer guests a pit-roasted hog with sides like roasted green beans, mac and cheese, and coleslaw? Ive also never felt better leaving a wedding or the next morning. But some venues permit outside booze, usually in exchange for a corkage fee charged on each bottle opened by bar staff. Dishes that work well for family-style service also happen to be cost-effective, such as: If youre set on traditional dinner service, limit the menu choices to two: one vegetarian or vegan option (ideally vegan to ensure all guests can partake) and a low-cost meat option. good idea to have someone serving the main dish - the salmon or chicken Giving them prominent placement on buffet tables or stations for instance, on the ends where guests are likely to see them first, Slimming down low-color options portion sizes, Replacing costlier ingredients with colorful, cost-effective alternatives, such as swapping Manchego cheese for sharp cheddar, Tuna tartare cups (mixing in diced fresh veggies to add volume without adding fish), Mac and cheese, perhaps with an animal protein for added bulk, Full-strength macrobrew beers (like Budweiser and Coors), Light macrobrew beers (like Bud Light and Miller Lite), Multiple craft beer styles (such as Pilsners, IPAs, stouts, and ambers), Multiple cider styles, ranging from dry to sweet, Skip open punch bowls, which can get knocked over by rowdy guests or rambunctious kids, Anchor dispensers to reduce the likelihood of catastrophic spills, Separate drinks by type to allow multiple people to serve themselves at once, Use beer kegs instead of cans or bottles, which guests may take longer to choose and open, Giving it a compelling story, such as a booze-free couples favorite or a fond memory of the day you first met, Giving it a big, bold flavor citrus notes work well in warm weather, while warm spices are better when its cold, Adding textural elements, such as shaved ice, Printing up recipe cards for attendees interested in replicating it at home, Giving it a story (for instance, why its your households favorite cocktail), Reducing its alcohol content to make it palatable and drinkable for liquor-averse guests, Give 15 minutes notice at cocktail hour that the bar will be closing, Clearly announce that the bar will remain closed during dinner, Open the bar 15 minutes or so before toast time to give guests ample time to get new drinks to toast. These ideas include solutions you can apply at nearly any wedding along with a novel idea or two that could come in handy at yours. If you dont have a warehouse store membership, shop at a liquor superstore like Total Wine & More, where prices are likely lower than at independent shops. If you plan to offer self-serve cocktails, be generous with nonalcoholic mixers. Dishes like Greek Lamb Kleftico or slow cooked lemon chicken Fast-casual chains like Chipotle are safer bets and may be amenable to day-before or even day-of orders. High-end venues in big cities charge a pretty penny for corkage anywhere from $10 to $40.
Who said a proper wedding needs baked desserts, let alone a traditional wedding cake? Summer brings memories of picnics and trips to the beach, so a great If you think about it, its odd to compel guests still finishing their cocktail hour drinks to double up so early in the night by serving wine with dinner. work well for winter, add some spices for an extra warm glow. knows that the men have to take control when it comes to the cooking of Brian Martucci writes about credit cards, banking, insurance, travel, and more. Asking a couple of guests to slice and plate your cake achieves the same result at a much lower cost. If you decide to forgo hard alcohol, offer a variety of alternatives, such as: If your wedding venue allows you to source your own alcohol, shop at a warehouse store like Costco or Sams Club for the best deals. And for basic options like pizza, Tex-Mex, and sandwiches, your final cost should be well under $10 per person. At cocktail hour, whet their appetites with a variety of bar snacks, such as nuts, pretzels, and dried fruit. You can even throw in your leftover Halloween candy. Simply call the venues youre considering and ask whether they allow outside food. For example, you can reduce your receptions music costs, settle on a low-cost centerpiece alternative, and get creative with your wedding flower arrangements. If the entire wedding party is available the night before the wedding, you can host a cooking marathon in a low-cost commercial kitchen near the venue. Cut the servers and pomp from the appetizer equation and have guests help themselves at well-spaced stations. You have to pay those servers, and passed apps tend to be pricier since theyre made from more expensive ingredients and require more prep. If you have a say in the matter and for this and other reasons, its wise to avoid venues that deny you one opt for eco-friendly, single-use serving ware. Miniscule. With enough advance notice a week or longer, most likely most decent-size restaurants can accommodate catering for 150 or 200 guests. By simplifying or doing away with other aspects of your wedding reception, you can further downsize your wedding budget without adversely impacting the guest experience.
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