Deborah Chan
Planning a wedding can be expensive, and food is often a major contributor to the overall cost. However, there are many ways to reduce the cost of food and drink at your wedding reception. From choosing the right time for your reception to opting for a buffet instead of a plated meal, you can keep costs down without compromising on taste and quality. Whether you decide to go for a simple country buffet, a pasta station, or a crowd-pleasing s'mores station, there are plenty of options to ensure your wedding is both memorable and affordable.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Time of day | Hosting a morning or afternoon reception can save money as it is a less sought-after time to party. |
| Day of the week | Getting married on a Friday or Sunday is cheaper than a Saturday wedding. |
| Venue | A backyard wedding means you don't have to pay a venue fee. |
| Food type | Simple country food, pasta, sheet cakes, cookies, and s'mores are all inexpensive options. |
| Catering | Get multiple bids from caterers and consider a student or two to help serve/present food. |
| Crowdsource | Ask each member of the wedding party to bring their favorite appetizer in lieu of gifts. |
| Appetizers | Bar snacks, nuts, pretzels, and dried fruit can reduce the cost of appetizer service. |
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What You'll Learn
Opt for a morning or afternoon reception
If you're looking to save money on food for your wedding reception, opting for a morning or afternoon reception is a great way to go. Daytime weddings are cheaper than afternoon-into-evening gatherings, as private reception venues generally charge less for daytime events. You can also save money by serving lighter, simpler fare that is more suited to the time of day.
For a morning wedding, a brunch spread with waffle and omelet stations, fruit platters, and pastries can be a fun and cost-effective option. You could also set up a coffee bar with fun toppings, like whipped cream, chocolate chips, or cinnamon sugar, and trays of desserts from your local bakery.
Afternoon weddings also offer opportunities for cost savings on food. You could serve soups and sandwiches, which make the perfect lunch combo, or go for a vintage-themed tea party with hot apple cider and donuts. If you're having an outdoor wedding, a s'mores bar with fire pits or sterno cans for roasting marshmallows can be a fun and inexpensive treat.
To save even more money, you can crowdsource some of the food for your morning or afternoon reception. For example, you could ask each member of your wedding party to make their favorite appetizer or contribute homemade or store-bought appetizers. Just be sure to check with your venue beforehand to confirm that outside food is allowed.
By opting for a morning or afternoon reception, you can take advantage of cheaper venue rates and serve less expensive, yet still delicious and enjoyable, food options for your guests.
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Choose a backyard wedding
If you're looking for cheap food options for your wedding reception, why not choose a backyard wedding? This option gives you the flexibility to choose your favourite dishes while sticking to your wedding budget.
A backyard wedding is a great setting for a DIY wedding menu, which can help you save on catering costs. You can prepare some of the dishes yourself, and even get creative with your wedding party by asking each member to make their favourite appetiser in lieu of gifts. This way, you can offer a variety of options to your guests while keeping costs low.
When it comes to the menu, there are endless possibilities for a backyard wedding. You can opt for a simple country-style buffet with dishes like baked pasta, lasagne, stuffed shells, or a pit-roasted hog with sides. These options are not only delicious but also cost-effective, as they require fewer dishes and can be prepared in larger quantities.
If you're looking for something more unique, why not try fried chicken, mac and cheese, and biscuits, or even waffles? These options are sure to please a variety of tastes and can be easily prepared in a backyard setting. For a more elegant touch, consider dishes like sausage chive rolls or pinwheels, which can be beautifully presented and are always a hit with guests.
For appetisers, you can offer a variety of bar snacks, such as nuts, pretzels, and dried fruit, which will not only satisfy your guests' appetites but also reduce the cost of the official appetizer service. You can also offer fancy appetisers like crunchy cups stuffed with a cheesy pork sausage filling or citrus-flavoured stuffed dates for a unique and elegant touch.
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Crowdsource food
One of the biggest expenses at a wedding is the food and drink for the reception. A simple way to reduce costs is to ask your guests to bring their own food. In your wedding invitations and on your wedding website, invite guests to sign up to contribute homemade or store-bought dishes of their choice.
If you decide to go down this route, there are a few things to keep in mind. Firstly, check with the venue to confirm that outside food is permitted. Secondly, you may need to prep food on-site at a private venue, which may not be practical. Thirdly, cap the total contributions at a number you’re comfortable managing – you may need to field questions from contributors in advance and accept their submissions on the day.
A more manageable twist on this theme is to ask each member of your wedding party to make their favourite appetiser (or an appetiser you assign) for the reception in lieu of gifts. Since you'll have fewer contributors, take extra care to confirm a sufficient supply. Depending on the party size, each contributor might need to make 50-75 servings to ensure every guest can try more than one bite. 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. It's common for houses of worship to rent out their kitchen facilities for nominal fees.
If you're looking for cheap food options, consider a simple country buffet instead of a more elaborate meal. For example, a pit-roasted hog with sides like roasted green beans, mac and cheese, and coleslaw. Other cheap options include finger sandwiches, veggie trays and fruit, lasagna, Italian bread, and salad.
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Serve cheap pizza
Pizza is a great, affordable option for wedding reception food. It's a crowd-pleaser and can be served in a variety of ways to fit your wedding style and budget. Here are some ideas for serving cheap pizza at your wedding reception:
Choose a Pizza Bar
Set up a DIY pizza bar where guests can customize their own pizzas. Provide a variety of toppings, sauces, and cheeses, and let your guests create their perfect slice. This interactive option will keep your guests entertained and well-fed. It can be a fun twist on the traditional buffet, and guests can choose exactly what they want. You can even provide a variety of pizza bases, such as classic dough, flatbreads, or bagels, to add some extra variety.
Pizza as Appetizers
Instead of formal finger foods or hors d'oeuvres, offer pizza squares or slices as appetizers. Guests can enjoy these as a comforting and familiar option, especially if they are not adventurous eaters. You could also provide a variety of dips or sides to accompany the pizza, such as a fresh summer salsa or a classic tomato soup.
Pizza to Go
Provide to-go boxes filled with mini pizza slices or squares for guests to enjoy on their way home or back to their hotels. This is a thoughtful way to end the night and ensures your guests have a late-night snack. It's also a great alternative to a more formal, sit-down meal, and guests can enjoy their pizza as they dance the night away.
Presentation is Key
While pizza is typically a casual food, it can be dressed up for your wedding. Serve the pizza on trendy acrylic trays or with unique presentation ideas, such as a taco wall. Get creative with your toppings to make the pizza feel more upscale, like charred peaches, basil, and mozzarella, or grilled grapefruit, mint, and avocado.
Crowdsource Toppings
To save money, you can ask your wedding party to bring their favorite toppings or make a certain type of appetizer in lieu of gifts. This will reduce the cost of food and create a diverse spread of toppings and pizzas. Just be sure to confirm with your venue beforehand that outside food is allowed and ensure there will be sufficient supply.
By choosing pizza for your wedding reception, you can create a fun, memorable, and affordable experience for you and your guests.
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Set up a buffet
One way to keep food costs low for a wedding reception is to set up a buffet. This requires less staff to prepare than a traditional sit-down meal and is a good option if you don't want to go down the route of a BBQ or hot dogs.
Buffet service can be adapted to fit your wedding theme and can be as simple or as elaborate as you like. For example, you could have a country-style buffet with a pit-roasted hog and sides like roasted green beans, mac and cheese, and coleslaw. Alternatively, you could serve pasta, which is one of the least expensive entrees and can be made colourful and visually appealing. You could also mix in some protein, but use less than you would need for chicken or beef.
If you're looking for something simpler, finger foods like sandwiches, veggies, and fruit are a good option. You could also serve individual portions in boxes, which can double up as a gift for guests to take home. If you're having an early wedding, baked goods, fruit and cheese are a romantic option, and you can buy canned Bloody Marys for $3 or less.
To save money, you could ask your wedding party to make their favourite appetiser instead of gifts. This option requires careful planning, and you may need to rent a commercial kitchen near the venue to prepare the food.
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Frequently asked questions
Hosting a morning or afternoon wedding reception can save money as vendors tend to charge less during off-peak times. You could also serve tea and bite-sized eats, or have a brunch reception, which is usually cheaper than dinner.
If you're looking for a casual option, pizza is a great budget-friendly choice. For something more substantial, you could try a simple country buffet with a pit-roasted hog and sides like roasted green beans, mac and cheese, and coleslaw. A pasta station is another affordable and delicious option.
Yes, you could have a tea reception with light snacks or a sundae bar with cakes and punches. If you're having an outdoor wedding, a s'mores station is a simple and inexpensive option that your guests will love.
Get multiple quotes from caterers and choose one that fits your budget and vision for the day. You could also ask your wedding party to contribute a homemade appetizer or dish in lieu of gifts.
Appetizers such as nuts, pretzels, dried fruit, hummus and veggies, cheese and crackers, and finger sandwiches are inexpensive and easy to prepare.
