10 Ways To Cut The Cost of your Wedding Catering

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Cut the cost of your wedding catering with a buffet.

Catering a wedding is one of the big costs associated with planning a wedding, which is why it is important that you do plenty of research and planning before hiring a wedding caterer. Following is 10 tips that may help you save money on your wedding catering. Feel free to add any more tips to help fellow brides and grooms in the comments box below.
1. Find out upfront if childrens meals will be cheaper than the adult rate. At most restaurants and venues this is always the case and it shouldn’t be any different for a wedding.

2. Get an itemized quote to ensure that you are fully aware of any ‘hidden charges’ and to ensure that the cost includes the price of labour.

3. Find out what the minimum guest count is for the caterer as if you do not have the required amount you may be charged additional fees.

4. Is there a local restaurant that you frequent that has delicious food?  Why not ask them if they would be willing to cater your wedding?

5. There are many home-based part-time catering businesses run by retired chefs who want to earn a bit of extra money by offering their services to special events and weddings. They usually offer their services at a heavily reduced price and offer one-on-one service ensuring that they know exactly what you are after.

6. Many reception venues and caterers will charge you a cake-cutting fee, which means that you will be charged ed for every slice of cake! This often only applies for cakes brought from outside venues as it is supposed to entice you to buy your wedding cake from the venue where you reception will be held. Find this out upfront as it can work out to be quite costly (typically around $1.50 per guest) You may be able to negotiate  a cheaper price.

7. Buffets are a popular choice at weddings for both the savings it can bring, and the option of allowing guests to choose a meal that they want.  This also saves the hassles of trying to find a wedding meal that will be well received by everyone.

8. If you are having an open bar, prearrange with the venue what the tab will be. Additionally, consider having a limited bar and if your wedding guests would like to drink anything outside of the allocated drinks, they have the option of purchasing it themselves.

9. Buying champagne for your wedding around New Years Eve can often lead to savings, as this is the time of year that bottle shops have their greatest sales.

10. Does your reception venue allow you to bring in an off-site caterer independent of the wedding venue itself? If so, this can offer significant savings, as you have the luxury of choosing your preferred caterer that fits within your wedding budget.

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