CAKES
Lindsay Hollomon, wedding coordinator with Rick’s Bakery, says the number one way to save on your wedding cake is to do a smaller decorative cake to show and serve, then make up the difference in sheet cakes. This is especially nice for large weddings with 250 or more guests. And if cake isn’t really your thing, Hollomon says many brides are opting for a dessert bar with donuts, petit fours, cupcakes or cookies. “This is a fun and unique dessert option that people love and will remember!”
CATERING
Anne Foster, Catering Director for K-Mac Catering, shared six sure-fire ways to slim down your catering budget.
1. Non-dinner time reception
One good way to get around the cost of serving a whole meal is to time your wedding at a non-meal part of the day — brunch for a morning wedding, hors d’oeuvres or even a dessert reception are all totally appropriate options if you have a wedding ceremony and reception at a non-dinner time of day.
2. Self-serve bites
Skip the hand-passed hors d'oeuvres altogether and set cocktail tables with beautiful spreads of crudités and dips, artisan cheeses, baskets of gourmet crackers and fresh breads, and fruit. This will help you save money on food preparation and serving staff.
3. Three is good
We suggest you select a maximum of three prepared hors d'oeuvres to serve during the cocktail hour. Remember, you're just giving guests something to nibble on before the main culinary event, so an abundance of food at this point adds an unnecessary expense.
4. Limit entrée choices
There's no rule that says you must give guests a choice of entrées. To stay within budget, ask your caterer to create one widely appealing main course, like a savory chicken breast with an assortment of sauces or a crowd-pleasing pasta dish.
5. Supplement with stations
Make a budget meal seem sumptuous by adding one or two cost-friendly “stations" to your reception menu. Consider a self-serve pasta bar with different sauces or a loaded mashed potato station with fun toppings.
6. Three-course meal
A three-course meal that includes a soup or salad, entrée, and finishes with wedding cake is plenty of food for your guests. Especially after those self-serve bites (refer to No. 2 above).
