The food at a wedding reception is a big part of the party and the memories your guests will take away from it. But feeding a big wedding gathering can get expensive. While you don't want to appear cheap, most couples do need to save a little on their catering. How can you accomplish this without guests noticing? Here are a few ideas to consider.

1. Avoid Cocktail Hour

Cocktail hour is a diversion for guests while the wedding party either take photographs or turn over the wedding and reception hall. But if you choose the right location and wedding day schedule, you can skip it entirely. This means no budgeting for catering a secondary party and you can spend all your budget on the main meal. 

2. Schedule a Daytime Wedding

Did you know that hosting an earlier wedding is a subtle way to save money? The primary reason is that guests usually expect daytime meals to be lighter, more healthy, and shorter. You can also have a more casual — and less expensive — food style than what's often expected at a sit-down evening meal. 

3. Make Sure You Can Shop Around

If you want to get the best prices on catering, you'll need to shop around. But some venues prohibit — or make it difficult to — use outside vendors. Ask potential venues their policy on allowing outside food and beverage catering. Then focus on the ones that allow the most bargain hunting. 

4. Skip Some Add-Ons

The choices you make when deciding what services and food to purchase will go a long way toward saving money invisibly. A simple move like having a couple of friends cut your wedding cake versus paying someone to cut it or buying your own alcohol can save money that can be put toward a fancier meal — but guests are unlikely to even notice. Look for added services you can work around. 

5. Keep It Simple But Good

You don't want the wedding meal to feel cheap, but that doesn't mean you have to go all out with steak and lobster. Couples on a budget should focus on simpler, more readily available fare like chicken and pork, while using a caterer that will bring unique and delicious flair to the meal. A clever caterer might even be able to help you avoid the cost of meat altogether. 

Where to Start

Want to know more about controlling the costs of your wedding food without being obvious about it? Start by meeting with a catering company in your area today.