When planning a micro wedding, there are many ways to reduce your expenses and still have a luxurious day. Of course, you’ll want to feed your guests, but between canapes, sit-down meals, favours and evening buffets, food options can feel overwhelming (and expensive) to organise.
Luckily, there are lots of creative options which may be a great choice for your micro wedding. Remember that most wedding food is typically wasted, so you really don’t need to offer it all if you don’t want to. But if you do want to feed your guests, should you hire a catering company or do your own catering?
Here we take a look at how to reduce your stress and costs when catering for your micro wedding.
Consider the cake
Most weddings feature a wedding cake, but whilst they look lovely in photos, in reality, they can be extremely expensive. With some bakers charging up to £1000, wedding cakes can severely cut into your budget. However, if you have a family member or friend who is a good baker, why not ask them to make your cake for you? If you are happy to pay them for the ingredients, they’re likely to be honoured. Even though it may not be professional quality, it’s sure to have a personal touch that will add a special touch to your wedding.
Perhaps you simply love cake baking yourself and feel more than capable of creating the cake of your dreams. The good thing about wedding cakes is that they can be made in advance and even frozen, so you’ll have plenty of time to perfect your creation before your wedding.
Even supermarket cakes can be decorated and made to look wonderful with little effort, and no one can tell the difference. You could even opt for cupcakes, brownies, or any other sweet treat if you prefer not to have a traditional wedding cake.
Opt for local businesses
Now more than ever before, there are lots of small businesses offering catering services for small numbers of people. Supporting local businesses is a great choice for micro weddings, as small companies are less likely to have minimum numbers, as well as potentially offering higher quality food at a better price.
Depending on your numbers, a couple of local food trucks may be all you need for a relaxed and potentially more budget-friendly dining experience on your big day. Buffets are another good option for small weddings, as people can help themselves and less food is typically wasted than with a sit-down meal.
For a super relaxed vibe, why not ask your guests to all bring a dish to share instead of a wedding gift? This would work well for couples who already live together and don’t need the typical wedding presents of household items.
Don’t do it all yourself
Even if you are having a micro wedding with a tight budget, don’t try to do all of your catering by yourself. If you are trying to cook for all your friends and family, plus bake your own cake, there’ll be little time for you to actually enjoy your wedding day. Equally, as much as your relatives love you, your mum won’t want to be charged with cooking a roast dinner for 50 people.
Ultimately, what works best for your wedding will depend on your expectations and aesthetic for the day. Whilst it’s more than possible to cater to certain elements of your wedding food yourself, choosing one area to focus on is more realistic than hoping to do it all yourself.
Images: Unsplash
