When you are planning a wedding, you may be a bit surprised to find that nearly 30 percent of the budget that you have for the wedding can go for nothing but the food. If you happen to be on a small budget then you will find that being able to cut down the amount spent on food will really be critical in remaining on budget.

Don’t Try to Do It Yourself

If your wedding will be held outside then a potluck sort of thing might — keyword here is might — work, but it also can add to your stress levels and can actually turn into a bigger expense that catering. Even if all of the food is made by your friends or family, you will still need to deal with heating or chilling it as well as serving it. You might find it necessary to either rent or purchase a refrigerator or two as well as serving dishes along with hiring people to serve it. This holds true even if it is laid out buffet style.

Hiring a caterer with experience can help you in the avoidance of these costs as well as the stress that is involved. The caterer should be able to tackle the issues of the drinks, flatware, table linens and can even help keep the reception schedule on track.

Don’t Serve an Entire Meal

Scheduling your wedding for late in the afternoon will nearly guarantee that your food bill will be expensive. This is because at that time of day, people will be expecting a full dinner. However, don’t forget that there are always other options. If you want a casual wedding, consider having it in the morning and then the reception fare could be things like coffee, wedding cake and champagne.

If you want something a bit more formal then consider planning your wedding to be held in the early afternoon followed by a reception with hors d’oeuvres that are passed around and cake. For those who want a funkier, more hip type of wedding you might think about having it in the evening followed by a reception with a dessert buffet.

Finding the Right Caterer

Chances are good that there is more than just a single catering company in your area. This means that you should be able to find a caterer who fits your needs perfectly. In order to find the best one for you, schedule tastings with at least 3 of them and in varying price ranges. You might come to find that the food might not be the deciding factor. It might be the uniforms that the wait staff wears or even the reputation that the catering service has.

That being said, don’t just go with a caterer because “everyone else does”. Be sure that you choose the one that is ideal for you. The right caterer can help make this the perfect day while the wrong one can mar the memories of what should have been the best day of your life.