Weddings are fun but they can be a tedious affair too, especially for the bride and the groom's family. Indian weddings are known to be elaborate and grand and there's a lot of effort that goes into making them special and a whole lot of money too. People tend to spend huge amounts on decoration and food so as to make sure that their guests have a memorable experience. Your catering bill can put a big strain on your budget but it doesn't have to be that way. Here are six clever tips that can help you save money spent on food on your big day without comprising on the quality while making sure your guests are entertained.1. Cut back on the number of courses: Keep a variety of cuisines and foods but you can definitely cut back on the courses. Include wholesome and filling snacks in the first course instead of small bites to avoid overspending on mains. For instance, you could skip salads and soups and keep a live counter for khao suay instead that serves the purpose. Similarly, don't get carried away with a number of cuisines, focus on a limited but delicious menu instead of having a whole lot of dishes that end up tasting the same.2. Don't be obsessed with desserts: You may have a sweet tooth but you don't need to go overboard with desserts from across the world. No one will have the appetite to try them all, so why waste your resources? Keep few, bite-sized desserts to limit your budget and also cut down on food wastage.
(Also read: 6 Wedding Food Blunders and How to Avoid Them)
Bite-sized desserts help you to limit your budget3. Swap some ingredients: You know that seafood such as lobsters and crabs tend to be more expensive and are also more suited for a sit-down meal versus a wedding buffer. Swap these ingredients with shrimp or some affordable cuts of fish.4. Serve what's in season and is locally available: Everything that's exotic may not taste delicious and there's always an issue of quality. It is better to opt for fresh seasonal food instead of expensive yet low quality exotic ingredients. Seasonal and local food is the best quality produce that you can get. The fresh flavors of seasonal food can be transformed into delicious dishes that your guests will definitely appreciate. Experiment with the dish and the presentation instead of the ingredients. The simplest ingredients can make the greatest dishes.5. Have more live counters: With live counters for pasta, pizzas or teriyaki you tend to cut back on food wastage and thus, you can save money as the food is prepared fresh only when ordered by the guest.6. Do away with the fancy stuff: Expensive cheese boards and canapes may seem fancy and opulent but you don't really need them and neither do your guests. Instead of these pretentious bites, add some wholesome and satisfying snacks that your guests will enjoy more.
Wholesome and satisfying snacks are enjoyed better at weddingsMake sure you decide your catering budget before and share it with your caterers so that they can prepare the menu keeping the costs in mind. Do you have any more ideas?