How Much Does Wedding Catering Cost?
Wedding catering is such an important aspect of planning a wedding. Luckily, there are countless ways to cut your wedding catering costs and still stay on track with your wedding budget. Here, experienced industry experts share everything you should know about wedding catering on a budget. From how much to serve, what kind of food to serve, and how much food to serve per person, they’ll show you how to get it all under control for your wedding day. You can have the wedding of your dreams and still find a way to keep it on a budget. Keep reading to find out more.
It might be difficult to imagine how you can go about finding a wedding catering provider that fits into your wedding plans, but it doesn’t have to be. There are options available for just about every kind of budget. Don’t let your wedding get away from you by paying over the odds with a wedding caterer that will leave you dissatisfied. Choose carefully and make sure that you know exactly what you’re getting when you hire the caterer.
Finding a Caterer
The bottom line is this: when it comes to wedding catering, it’s about the food. There are so many different options when it comes to what kind of food a caterer can prepare for you. Let’s start with hors d’oeuvres. Look for a caterer who makes its bread with local butter and gouda or smoked salmon that’s been freshly made using wild-caught salmon.
You also want to look for a wedding catering provider who offers a variety of different types of food. For example, if you and your soon to be spouse are going to have an outdoor wedding, you can pair the food truck with a fantastic buffet spread or even the wedding cake.
Food Trucks
Food trucks are great wedding catering options because they offer flexible hours. The food truck can come and go as needed making it easy for you to change your mind when it comes to menu choices. In addition, food truck vendors typically give you plenty of creative and unique ideas for food and drinks to make the event memorable.
Formal Weddings
On the other hand, a more formal wedding might require a full sit down dinner. If that is what you’re planning, be sure to find a caterer who can prepare a full seated meal and then deliver it in a very casual way that still conveys quality and style. A catering business that offers wedding menus in traditional, modern, or casual styles is ideal because it’s easier to impress your guests. The classic style wedding catering menu will go over well with more formal guests while the modern menu will fit well with less formal guests.
Buffet
Another thing to keep in mind when trying to determine wedding catering costs is whether you want a sit-down meal or a buffet. Buffets offer a selection of food from various locations around your country which gives couples several different options to enjoy different tastes. Couples who decide to have a sit-down meal receive everything from appetizers to dessert at a more reasonable price than a buffet which helps couples break their wedding budget.
Other Considerations
Other wedding catering costs include per person service fees. Some companies base their fee on the number of people in attendance which can result in very expensive food costs for large wedding receptions. For smaller receptions that may not need as many guests as larger events, a per person service charge is fine.
It is important to figure out how much catering is going to cost when you begin planning the wedding. Many couples find that hiring a wedding planner can help them to save money and remember that wedding consultants often work for a fee.
If couples can plan and budget well they may be able to save money when the wedding is completed by paying the wedding catering cost out of pocket. Whether couples choose to pay out of pocket or consult a wedding consultant regularly, they should take into consideration wedding catering costs when planning their wedding.