Weddingbee

Food can be a huge portion of the cost of a wedding. Depending on a number of factors, couples have a multitude of options to choose from when it comes to feeding their guests.

Time of Day Often, couples are able to save money by having their wedding at a time of day that does not coincide with a large meal. Having a brunch reception after a morning wedding allows the hosts to offer a larger variety without breaking the bank (an assortment of fresh pastries, fruit and juices will typically be cheaper than a four-course steak dinner.)

Alternatively, scheduling a wedding between meal times will alleviate the costs of food as well. Having a mid-day wedding that falls between lunch and dinner ensures that guests have already eaten one meal, and will shortly be eating another. In this case, a cake-and-punch reception would be enough, or light hors d'oeuvres would also be sufficient.

(Note: while there is no obligation to feed your guests no matter what time of day your reception is, many guests will typically assume that a reception during a meal time will provide them with a meal. If you are not planning to have food, a line on the reception card such as "cake and punch to follow" will sufficiently let guests know they are expected to feed themselves on their own time.)

Reception Venue The style in which the food is served may be determined by the venue at which the reception is held. If at a restaurant, there may be little choice in how meals are presented. At venues with a more open floor plan, choices include:

Buffet All the food is set out on long tables, and guests go through the line single-file to fill their own plates, though attendants may be present to serve the main dish. Many buffets offer guests the opportunity to go through the line more than once to refill their plates. This may not always be the most economical option, however; a larger amount of food may be necessary to provide a better looking spread, as well as to ensure enough for guests to have more than one serving.

Seated Dinner A seated dinner is much like going to a restaurant. In this case, a meal card insert is usually included in the invitation suite. When guests RSVP, they also indicate their meal preference from a given list. At the reception, they will be seated in such a way that waiters will know which plate to deliver to which guest. Each guest will be served their chosen entree, but there will not be an opportunity for additional servings.

Another type of seated dinner involves the serving of multiple courses. The hosts will choose the menu, beginning with appetizers, moving to soups and salads, an intermezzo (palate cleanser) followed by the main course and possibly dessert. Each course is served by waiters, and will be the most formal of the dining options available.

Family Style Family style is somewhat similar to a seated dinner. The hosts will choose the menu, and each table will be served from large platters of food, taking some for themselves and then passing the platter to the next guest. This option may be cheaper than the seated dinner because it will require less work of the waitstaff.

Stationed Setting up food stations may be the best option for hosts wanting to serve a variety of foods without going over budget. Each station will offer a different item, such as carved meat, pasta, or vegetables, and guests can watch as the food is prepared. With this option, guests are encouraged to mingle and to try a little of each food. Creative stations include mashed potato bars (offered with all the trimmings) and ice cream or dessert bars.

Head Count The larger your guest list is, the more consideration needs to be made for the menu. For a large wedding, a seated dinner may be more appropriate, to allow the kitchen staff the time to prepare enough food so that everyone may be served at once. Having several hundred people stand in line at various stations may not be practical if you have to stick to a timeline.

Smaller weddings may have more freedom in the manner in which the food is served, but you may encounter minimums for how much of each item must be ordered, especially if you are hiring kitchen and waitstaff for the evening. Minimums ensure that the company providing the food earns enough money to offset the costs incurred, but may not be economical if you have to over order on every aspect just to meet the required minimums.

Formality of the Event The food that you serve at the wedding should match the formality of the event. Messy finger foods may not be appropriate for guests dressed in evening gowns and suits, just as filet mignon would not pair well with a picnic in the park.

Options for Attaining the Food How to get all of the food you need to feed your guests can be a daunting task. Here are some of the ways in which you can ensure everything comes together.

Catering The easiest way to have food at your reception is to hire a catering company. These companies prepare all the food and deliver it to your reception site. Depending on the type of company and your contract, catering companies may also do all set up and take down duties, as well as serve your guests and wash dishes. Each caterer will offer different options to you and may have packages that also include the wedding cake or decorations. There are two types of catering companies:

In-house catering is the staff that is permanent at a venue. All events that occur at the venue are handled by the same people. Some venues may require you to use their in-house staff, giving you a list of menu options to choose from. While the exclusivity of in-house catering allows the venue to make the price more expensive, they do have the advantage of being familiar with the venue.

Independent caterers do not work for any particular venue. They are hired for their expertise in a particular type of catering, and will deliver all of the food to your venue. While they may not be as familiar with a venue as an in-house staff, the variety of catering options allows you to customize exactly what you want, and be comfortable with the pricing before signing a contract.

Potluck A potluck reception is one in which guests are each asked to bring a dish to share with everyone. This works best for weddings where most guests are local to the area, so that they have access to their kitchens and utensils. While there is no telling what type of food you will get, or how vast the variety, this option is cost-effective as well as allowing your group to bond over homemade simplicities.

Volunteers Some churches or other organizations will get together to provide the food for a reception. This is entirely dependent on the people you know and your surrounding communities.