1. The season. People are less likely to eat heavily in the summer and more likely to stuff themselves to the brim during the winter. Also, make sure you are aware whether or not the food you choose to serve will be in season during the time of year that you are getting married. Choosing an out of season item doesn't always mean that it will not be available, but it does however mean that you will pay more for it.
2. Choose what you want! Most brides, and even groomes diet long before their wedding date, so when that day finally arrives...eat! In addition, it isn't necessary to be overly worried about whether or not everyone will be excited about your selections. As long as your menu isn't too "out there" everyone will be happy. If you and your fiance do desire foods that are far from the norm, consider serving them in small portions as maybe an appetizer in order to get what you want without it costing a fortune only for it to go to waste.
3. Plan of action. What kind of approach will you take to serving you food and drinks?
Sit down dinners imply formality and take up time. It seems like this would be the more costly approach but that is not necessarily the case. When having a sit down dinner the food is prepared for the number of guests, with a buffet however, it is unknown how many trips one guest could end up making.
Buffets generally allow the guests to move around the venue as well as around their meal at their own pace. Since buffets are less formal, it isn't necessary to serve such formal food. Buffets take up less time, but more space. Several buffet stations may be needed to keep your guests from waiting in line like they are in an elementary school cafeteria. Buffets also only have a shelf life of about 2 hours.
A cocktail party, if kept under 3 hours, can be an easy and classy way to save money on your wedding. Passed hors d'oeuvres are less expensive than a sit down meal, but the timing of your party needs to be a signal to guests that they will not be receiving a full meal. If your cocktail reception begins at 5pm...people will be hungry for dinner, but if it begins at 8pm hopefully your guests will have already eaten.
Casual BBQs are good for informal couples who plan to have a very intimate wedding. These can be catered or done by friends.
Puff N Stuff, The Summerlin House's exclusive caterer has won numerous awards and is known for "passionately perfecting life's events". Puff N Stuff can easily produce any of the events described above. Be sure to check out their website using the link above for more details. Bon Appetit!!
