Today, we’re talking about wedding food ideas on a budget. After all, this celebration is one of the most important parties you’ll ever throw, but that doesn’t mean you have to spend your whole life’s savings on it.
If you’re looking for practical, fun, and inexpensive wedding catering options, we prepared some great ideas for you! Let’s make sure together that your wedding will be the one to remember!
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
- Ditch the one-size-fits-all plated meal. For your wedding menu, opt for appetizer stations, themed food stations, or even food trucks to offer a wider variety that reflects your personality and caters to different dietary needs.
- Don’t be afraid to break away from traditional wedding fare. Consider comfort food classics for a familiar and affordable option or a brunch wedding menu for a delicious and cost-effective daytime celebration.
- Peak season and Saturdays come with a premium price tag. Explore having your wedding on a weekday evening or during the off-season to potentially reduce venue rental costs.
Affordable Wedding Catering Ideas
Wedding catering is one of the most expensive parts of any wedding. However, there are some strategies you can choose to lower these costs and still keep everyone happy, well-fed, and even entertained.
Here are our ideas for affordable catering for a wedding!
#1 Food Trucks
This option certainly will appeal to those who like to break traditions and think outside of the box. A food truck for wedding catering is not an entirely new idea, but it’s one we think has lots of potential to save you a handsome sum.
We love this catering option for its versatility. You can order any type of food truck your heart desires. From gourmet tacos to wood-fired pizzas, you have the chance to select cuisine that reflects your and your future spouse’s personalities and wows your guests.
Additionally, this catering option injects a dose of laid-back fun into your wedding. If you’re having a party for your close friends and family, and you want to get away from the seriousness that often accompanies weddings, this is a wonderful way to do exactly that.
#2 Appetizers
Another thing you can incorporate into your affordable wedding catering plan is appetizers. This is a fantastic way to keep your guests happy and your budget in check!
In our personal opinion, serving appetizers instead of traditional, plated meals is the way to go if you want to save money. Oftentimes, a plated menu is the most expensive wedding catering option because it requires the most time, care, and usually more expensive ingredients to prepare.
Instead, you can offer your guests plenty of smaller appetizers that are delicious, filling, and easily accessible throughout the celebration.
You can set up a few appetizer stations with or without catering service and let your lovely guests decide what they want to consume. With our mini cups for appetizers, it’s so simple to distribute them among your guests. Big plus – you can choose both cold and hot appetizers, so there’s no need to panic that those invited won’t feel satisfied with the meal.
Just give them a heads-up beforehand that this is the catering you provide, so there won’t be any surprises!
#3 Themed Food Stations
Our next proposition is quite similar to what we’ve talked about above. Another great inexpensive catering for a wedding involves setting up themed food stations. This is an especially interesting idea for those who wish to offer their guests a diverse culinary experience.
From international flavors to classic comfort foods, you can personalize the stations to reflect your tastes and cater to your guests’ preferences. This ensures everyone finds something they love, including picky eaters and those with dietary restrictions.
From rustic Italian station overflowing with vibrant antipasti to a luxe sushi bar or a comfort food haven, you can take your guests on a culinary adventure around the globe.
And thanks to our plastic serving trays, the food can be transported and stored in impeccable conditions and displayed for your guests to enjoy not only through their taste buds but also their eyes.
#4 Brunch Wedding
Who doesn’t love brunches? We certainly do. Granted, this catering plan will work best if your wedding takes place early in the morning or if you’re planning to host a small gathering for family and friends the day after the ceremony.
Still, wedding brunch is a fantastic way to enjoy some good moments with delicious and really affordable food. We’re thinking sausages, scrambled eggs, omelets and pancakes!
After all, wedding catering alternatives don’t have to be boring and uptight. They can beautifully depict the true essence of the love you share with people in your life – the love that is simple, filling, and full of joy.
#5 Comfort Food Classics
In the same fashion, we can talk about choosing a wedding menu that includes comfort food classics, like mac and cheese, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes with roasted chicken, and so on.
Familiar comfort food classics create a warm and inviting atmosphere, and if you care about serving plated meals, they are also more affordable.
Don’t be discouraged from taking this route because you think comfort food is boring and plain! Choose a good catering service and enjoy the delicious comfort food classics prepared with a twist.
This can be the most pleasant surprise for your guests – finding new joy and quality in old and beloved flavors!
#6 Off-Peak Season Wedding
Finally, a good way to do wedding catering on a budget is to choose your wedding date and time carefully. You may be able to save some bucks when hosting your celebration in off-peak seasons like late autumn and winter.
Saturdays are the undisputed prime time for weddings, often resulting in inflated prices for venues, catering, and vendors. Opting for a weekday wedding, like a Friday evening or a Sunday afternoon, can lead to significant savings.
Affordable Catering For Wedding – Conclusion
So there you have it. Our premium tips on how to save money on wedding catering options and do it in a way that still leaves you and your guests happy and well-fed. As you can see, there’s always a way!
If you want to find more inspo for wedding catering, be sure to check out our Blog. We have plenty of informative guides on how to construct a perfect wedding menu!
Resources
- Company, The Cooked Goose Catering. “Affordable Wedding Catering Ideas.” Cooked Goose Catering, 17 Feb. 2022, www.cookedgoosecatering.com/blog/affordable-wedding-catering-ideas/. Accessed 11 Mar. 2024.
- Bride, The Budget Savvy. “Affordable Wedding Catering Ideas to Feed Your Guests on a Budget.” The Budget Savvy Bride, 20 July 2021, thebudgetsavvybride.com/affordable-wedding-catering-ideas/. Accessed 11 Mar. 2024.
- “Affordable Wedding Food Ideas – 360SiteVisit.” 360sitevisit.com, 360sitevisit.com/blogs/7-affordable-wedding-food-ideas-that-wont-break-your-budget. Accessed 11 Mar. 2024.