Budget Friendly Food Options

Hi! I tried sending you a message but it won't go through. What did you end up doing? I'm lost on my end for inexpensive food.

The most affordable options I've seen are:

1. BBQ - if you're outdoors, having a barbecue is pretty fun and not too difficult, but would require the space and equipment with probably at least two people to serve.

2. Taco/burrito buffet - I've been to a wedding that had a self-serve taco bar with the exception of some people to serve the meat from slow cookers. It wasn't hard to set up, and just required a few friends of the family to help with preparation and serving. It's also good if anyone is vegetarian, has allergies, or is fussy because then they can pick what they want.

3. Potluck - designate people you know to bring dishes. This works best when you have some specifics in mind that you know people do well and ask for that, and won't end up with 5 potato salads. One wedding I was at did that where people were asked ahead of time if they'd be willing to make a large batch of something, and then it was coordinated so there weren't any duplicates. Also works well if you say bring food instead of a gift.

Mind you, these were all at weddings with 40-100 people, and the more people, the more expensive it is. There's a concept in business and tech called the iron triangle, that says you can only have two of the following, quality, speed, or affordability. Buffets are cheaper and usually pretty good, but take much longer to get everyone through. If you've been to an event that used a cafeteria, you'll know what I mean. It will probably take at least 45 minutes for everyone to go through line, so that will impact your day of timeline quite a bit. My mom said she was recently at a wedding that did buffet and they'd started giving speeches before people were done eating, and the last two tables didn't get a chance for seconds.

The cheapest option is to not do a full reception and just have some snacks. One I was at had fruit cups, cheese and crackers, veggies and dip, some sandwiches, and cookies as well as punch instead of doing a full meal as it was outside in a park and that wouldn't have worked. I believe the parents made the food for it, but I've seen catering companies that do more simple stuff like that too. There's a place near me that does affordable sandwiches and soup, and another one that does Indian food like pakoras and samosas, so perhaps that type of thing would work.

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Have you looked into grocery based caterers? They have economical options but the only caveat is they don't have staff, which won't be a problem if your venue has them. Catering costs a lot not just because of food costs but also because of the labour so if your venue has staffing included in your package, that can save you on catering costs.

My opinion on food trucks still stand, even if the space can make them work. Trucks inherently have a small space to prep food than a standard kitchen and can only staff so many people due to said space. It'll be tough to make 160 portions of a multi-course dinner from scratch. It's one thing at things like carnivals and festivals where the expectation to wait is there, but I feel that's not the best solution for a wedding. And if they come to the venue with all the food pre-made, you might as well order from a restaurant itself, which will likely have bigger portions for lower cost.

Has your venue offered any food vendors as suggestions based on your budget? That's another avenue to explore.

View quoted message Hi hank! My venue has everything needed for an outside caterer to prep in as they have built their venue with the knowledge that they won’t have in house caterers, the owners have made sure to have a space available for any vendor. As well as my venue also has a area where a food truck can go that will not be a far distance for my guests to walk,it is actually quite close to the reception space where it doesn’t seem like a huge task. The reason I posted my poll on this page was to seek out outside ideas, I work in the wedding industry and have seen hundreds of weddings so I am aware of the extra costs that could come with some caterers based off of that my venue provides. Being that I work in this industry I am aware that food is a huge cost and just looking for outside options that I may have never seen done before or not truly familiar with that someone else may be more knowledgeable than. As well as my fiancé and I are paying for the our wedding while also saving for a home on top of this already high priced economy so I was just reaching out for ideas! I appreciate your earlier comment and your questions and I hope this answers any more questions you may have on my venue choice! 😊

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Do they have a proper kitchen facility for people to prep food in? If caterers have to schlep in their own heating and refrigeration equipment on top of your meal, it will cost you a bit extra. Same if they have to provide the cutlery and plating instead of using what's provided by the venue. Something to consider.

View quoted message Thank for your opinion!

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The only thing about a food truck is, they likely can't park directly by the reception area so your guests will have to trek quite far compared to normal to get their food. And depending on how many trucks you have, it can be a long lineup unless you have them serve the same thing to everyone. Even then, food from trucks don't cost that much less than typical restaurants and I find their portions to be smaller.

View quoted message I have been looking into the food truck idea!! I’ve been loving it and think it just a creative way to deliver food outside of traditional sit down meals

View quoted message Our venue doesn’t have catering it will have to be outside catering. And we are doing a dinner recently not a brunch that is not our style. I like the cocktail style idea for food

Have you already signed with a venue? If so, check to see if they allow outside catering. If not, this is something you should've discussed with them before signing.

But if you're stuck with a venue, you can always opt for a cocktail wedding reception over a full meal to save on costs. Lunch/brunch receptions also cost less than dinner.

Hi! Just like the other reply, I also went to a wedding that had a food truck. Obviously whether or not this sort of thing would work will depend on your venue, vision etc., but it was a real hit with guests. Everyone had a lovely time and enjoyed the simplicity of the dinner. Was really nice that people could eat when they wanted

Hi! I’ve attended a wedding who hired a food truck that served chicken and sides, guests all were very happy about it. The couple purchased meals from a restaurant for the vegetarians/ vegans.
Some caterers also offer food stations.
Someone else had a brunch wedding and said the costs were kept drastically low compared to dinner options.