Oct 29, 2013 | Posted by: abi s

Food is the one element of a wedding that will be discussed by your guests for years to come. There are those who have been to lots of weddings and they will be expecting the typical wedding food. This means they expect to be served lukewarm food that is bland and overcooked. You can make sure this does not happen to you by hiring the best wedding caterers in your area and you can save money by following the tips below.

1. One of the most inflated costs on the wedding menu is the appetizer. If you are having a cocktail hour before the reception you could save by providing the appetizers yourself. This savings could be equal to up to half of the entire wedding catering costs. Choose appetizer recipes that are quick and easy and can be prepared early on and frozen until you need them.

2. Keep the appetizer menu simple. Your guests will be hungry but they do not need enough food to fill them up, just something to take the edge off. Simple is best, a spread with savory crackers, peel and eat shrimp, crostini's and mini crab cakes would work splendidly.

Drinks are another area that will drive the cost of wedding catering through the roof. There are ways to save money here, one is to provide your own beer, liquor and soft drinks. The wedding reception venue or wedding caterers will charge you over inflated prices for these items not to mention the cost of the staff to man the bar. You can cut this cost by 50% by providing the drinks for your guests.

Wait staff is another huge wedding catering expense. To save money, consider a buffet style dinner instead of a sit-down dinner. While the prices of the buffet versus the sit-down meal may be debatable it is worth considering. Check with your wedding caterer to see which option is cheaper. You could also forgo a meal altogether and only serve appetizers, choose appetizers that are bit more substantial for this option.

Ask for help with the meal. The great cooks in both families will feel honored that you trust them to make their signature dishes and to be a part of your wedding. This idea can be great served buffet style or as a family styled sit down dinner.

Look for more ways to save on wedding catering on iwedplanner. You will also find tools that will help you plan the wedding such as a wedding budget calculator and copious amounts of to-do lists. While on the site be sure to download your own free wedding planner apps for iPhone, iPad and Android.