Weddings can be one of the most expensive events you will ever arrange or be a part of. A wedding is also likely to be one of the most important things to happen to you and something that usually only comes around once. For this reason, it is an event that everyone wants to make special, but with dozens of things to arrange, costs can easily start to pile up, especially if there are a lot of people that you want to invite to celebrate with you. To make sure you can enjoy your day with as many of your loved ones as possible, here are some of the ways you can save on wedding evening food and free up money to let another friend or family member be a part of your special day.
1. Local Restaurants
For a cheaper bulk order, you could benefit from going to a normal restaurant near the venue. Opting for a smaller or family-run restaurant means you can more easily negotiate and set up your own pricing, based on the number of guests. If you avoid working with an extravagant catering service, you may find it easier to reduce the price per head, as long as you give the restaurant plenty of notice when it comes to dates and the number of people you are expecting to feed. You should also make sure to establish whether any cutlery can also be provided.
2. Make Your Own
One of the cheapest ways to cook is by bulk. Doing this yourself and setting up your own station is a very efficient way to save yourself money on your big day. The easiest way to do this is to batch-cook your desired food and freeze it in advance. This way you don’t have to waste any time in the lead-up to your event and can rest assured that everything is prepared. On the day, you can try arranging with the venue to have your food heated or recruit family and friends to do this for you.
3. DIY Stations
Similar to bulk cooking, bulk buying ingredients to create build-your-own food stations is a great way to avoid spending more than you have to. This is also an interesting way to liven up the evening and turn the food into a fun activity for your guests. There is a much higher chance that everyone will be able to enjoy the food when they have the chance to only add what they like to their plate. Great options for build-your-own stations include tacos, hot dogs, tortilla chips, or even smores around a fire pit.
4. Potluck
If you’re really on a tight budget and want to make sure all of your loved ones can be involved in your special day, one option is to host a pot luck style evening. This means that you can ask your guests to bring dishes to add to a buffet-style meal. This could take some organisation to ensure that there is plenty of food to go around and it may work best if you delegate most of the tasks to close, trustworthy friends or family to make sure everything goes okay on the day.
5. Desserts Only
As long as you warn your guests in advance, a desserts-only wedding could be a brilliant way to host a unique ceremony as well as save you some cash. Make sure guests know to eat before they arrive and then get started selecting your favourite desserts to serve after your ceremony. This is perfect for those with a sweet tooth, and you can adapt the desserts to be hot or cold depending on the time of year that your wedding is being held.
6. Food Vans
One option that always proves popular and means that you don’t have to waste any time preparing your own food or coercing your friends or family into helping out on your big day is to hire a food van. This means you can rest assured that the food will be delicious and served right on time. When it comes to food vans, it’s usually a good idea to choose an option that can be either pre-prepared or made very quickly to avoid guests having to queue. But the benefit is that there are hundreds of options to choose from.
At KK Catering, we can provide anything from pizza van hire to fish and chip van hire, and burger van hire to pie and mash van hire. For catering options that ensure you a smooth and stress-free day, make sure to check out our website for all the different food units we offer and choose your favourite today!
