Splurge vs. Save: Food

As you prepare for your wedding, one of your main concerns will probably be which foods to serve and whether you should splurge or save. This can be a difficult decision – after all, you want to provide your guests with the very best, but you don’t want to use the majority of your budget on catering. By considering a few different questions, you can make the decision to splurge or save on food for your wedding.

What Time of the Day Will Your Wedding Take Place?

In order to determine whether you should splurge or save when planning the wedding menu, think about the time of day that you will be having your reception. For weddings and receptions that take place around dinnertime (usually 4pm to 8pm), you may need to splurge. Most of your guests will probably have a good appetite at this time.

However, if your wedding will take place before lunch (between 9am and 10am), or after lunch (around 1pm to 3pm) you can save more when planning the menu. It is safe to assume that guests have already had breakfast or lunch during these times and won’t require a full meal. At these times, you can serve less expensive foods, such as elegant finger foods, light snacks or hors d’oeuvres.

Will You Be Having a Casual Wedding or a Formal One?

Typically, formal weddings require a more expensive menu – which would require you to splurge a bit on foods. In fact, most formal weddings feature catering for the wedding guests. If your wedding will be on the formal side, you may want to budget with entrees and catering in mind.

More casual weddings, such as a relaxed beach-side setting or a charming backyard celebration would not typically demand catering or full entrees for guests. In this case, it would be easier to save on wedding food. Consider a ‘serve yourself’ buffet or ask a few friends to act as servers – providing food to guests. Some brides-to-be even prefer the more traditional method of asking friends and family to bring dishes, which is a great idea as well.

Ask Yourself What YOU Want

It’s your big day, and you should consider your own idea of perfection when it comes to the wedding food. If you prefer catering, place more of your budget in the food section. If you would rather have a casual light snack or even a dessert buffet, you can save more and allocate more of the wedding budget to other areas. In the end, it should be what you want!

Serving food at your reception is a nice way to show your gratitude to the guests for helping you celebrate your new marriage. It also provides a sociable atmosphere for mingling with guests and enjoying their company. Use the information above to determine whether you should splurge or save on food for your wedding!