With the average cost of the traditional British wedding having skyrocketed to a new record high, more couples than ever before are actively seeking savings where they can be found. High quality marquee hire in South East London has never been more affordable, but by the time each and every additional consideration has been addressed, it’s difficult not to come out with a relatively enormous final bill.
Needless to say, one of the most extensive and inevitable costs is that of keeping guests sufficiently fed and watered. It isn’t exactly reasonable to expect guests to attend a wedding party and not provide them with plenty of outstanding food and drink, which is precisely why this almost always ends up being one of the most significant costs. Nevertheless, there are various ways and means by which wonderful wedding menus can be created on a budget, regardless of the time of year.
So for those who would prefer not to overspend and yet still put on an extraordinary wedding, here’s a quick rundown of just a few tips from the experts:
1 – Plan Early
First and foremost, early planning represents the single most important tip of all when it comes to cost savings across the board. The further ahead you begin making plans, the more time you have to make strategic decisions and secure the best possible deals. By contrast, book at the last minute and you might find yourself restricted to whatever is left over time, which usually means paying more than you need to.
2 – Go Seasonal
One extraordinarily useful tip when it comes to putting together menus that are both delicious and cost-effective is to go with whatever is in season at the time. Regardless of the time of year the wedding is to take place, there will be plenty of ingredients that are well and truly in season and others that are significantly more difficult and expensive to come by. It is therefore simply a case of being strategic and proactive with your approach, avoiding the latter and attempting to build your menus around what is seasonal and affordable at the time.
3 – Think Safe and Simple
Try to remember that it doesn’t state anywhere that wedding menus have to be elaborate or overly fancy. In fact, you’ll often find that guests respond most favourably to the kinds of weddings that put on the kinds of safe and simple menu items absolutely everybody loves. Think less fine dining and more the kinds of meals your guests would be likely to order if they were heading out for a family meal.
4 – Every Guest Covered
Regardless of your budget and no matter how you intend to cater your wedding, you need to make sure that the needs of every guest are covered without exception. This means finding out in advance if there are any vegans, vegetarians or individuals with any kinds of allergies or intolerances. The very last thing you want is to find yourself in a position where there are guests at your wedding having to go hungry due to there not been anything suitable available.
5 – Family Style Dining
Another great option for keeping costs down is to consider family style dining. It basically refers to an alternative to the standard three-course table service meal, where large platters of food are instead to the tables and the guests help themselves. Family style catering usually means cooking menu items in bulk, which in its own right constitutes serious savings.
6 – Ask the Experts
You might think to consult the experts and bring in high quality catering teams will inherently mean higher costs, but this isn’t always the case. The simple fact of the matter is that once you have combined the costs of hiring the equipment you’ll need, the ingredients, the manpower and so on, you might find yourself in a position where bringing in the professionals would have actually cost you less. What’s more, consultations are usually offered 100% free of charge and with no obligation, so it simply makes sense to ask.
7 – Snack Happy
Last but not least, it’s always worth remembering that the more snacks and nibbles you make readily available at any given wedding reception, the less you will need to serve up by way of the main meal itself. Simply by making sure that your guests always have something to nibble on at all times during the event, you will in turn not necessarily have to serve up an absolutely enormous multi-course meal to keep them satisfied.
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