5 Food Ideas for a Wedding on a Budget
Planning a wedding with a specific budget in mind can be difficult. However, if you approach it with a fun attitude, ready to take on a creative challenge, then you’re sure to put together a celebration to remember.
Follow our guide to find out where you can cut costs with your wedding catering!
Food Trucks & Mobile Bars
Long gone are the days when the only food you could get from a street van was a kebab at 3am. The rise of food trucks has been astronomical in the past decade with the unique mobile restaurants a crowd favourite for outdoor weddings.
With a wide range of cuisines on offer, food trucks can provide anything from simple street food to gourmet banquets. Every budget is catered for and can be customised to suit your individual needs.
Your guests will love the relaxed approach to your catering choice with many food trucks able to offer a wide selection of gastronomical delights to please everyone.
Check to see if the food truck vendor offers a BYO bar service. This can save you money on your drinks as you can buy in bulk and reduce your costs considerably.
Choose a beautifully fitted out van that you can incorporate in your wedding photos. There are many retro inspired food trucks that would add a cool, vintage aesthetic to your scene
Grazing Tables
Another culinary trend which has gained enormous popularity from a Sunday afternoon snack to fully catered large-scale events, is the grazing table.
While there are amazing catering companies offering this service, many people know a creative friend who loves to dress up a table with bite sized delicacies. Recruit them design and construct a beautiful grazing table filled with all your favourite sweet and savoury snacks.
Don’t limit yourself to just cheese and crackers. Include robust and filling foods that can satisfy your guests. Baked goods, meats, pastries, seafood, fillable flat breads, etc, will give your guests the energy to dance the night away.
You can create a separate sweet table for dessert, which will save money and provide your guests with a variety of delicious options that they will love.
If you are smart and creative about sourcing your ingredients, a grazing table can save you hundreds. Or if you do need to outsource this service, it makes a more affordable option than a full sit-down dinner.
Pizza Oven or Mobile Roast
Everyone loves pizza and freshly wood fired pizzas are the best. Hire a company that brings mobile pizza ovens to your venue and cooks your dinner right there in front of you.
A pizza feast is fabulous for guests with different dietary requirements, as most pizza companies provide gluten free and vegan options.
The aroma of freshly cooked pizzas will have your guest drooling and the abundance of food will ensure they won’t go hungry. Pizzas are perfect if your guests are frequenting the bar or conversely if you have children at your wedding.
Just like the theatre of an onsite pizza oven, a mobile roast or smokehouse adds a visual and olfactory element that will impress your guests. Many roast companies provide a full banquet of different meats and sides to keep your guests full and satisfied.
Don’t fear if you have vegetarian guests, as most will offer a vegan or vego option that will be just as delicious as your roasted meat.
If you look around, you’ll be sure to find an affordable mobile pizza or roast vendor to fit into your wedding budget. Most affordable wedding venues will have suggestions for food vendors
Finger Food
Finger food is often a huge hit at a wedding. If your theme allows for a more relaxed vibe, feel more than welcome to serve your guests a selection of hot and cold delights that they can select themselves throughout the night, or have wait staff serve them for you.
Think sliders, noodle boxes, skewers, tartlets, rice paper rolls and sushi, or try a gourmet version of the classic party pie or sausage rolls. Believe me, your guests will love it. Less time eating, more time mingling and dancing. Perfect.
Continue this approach with your dessert selection, offering treats that can easily be eaten by hand. Think donuts, slices, macarons!
Wedding Cake and Dessert
A classic budget wedding hack is to use the wedding cake as your dessert, instead of offering both the cake and an extra sweet course.
This is a fabulous cost cutting option if you have your heart set on a beautifully baked and professionally decorated wedding cake. The time and expert artistry of a stunning wedding cake comes at a price but can certainly be worth it for the wow factor.
However, if you wish to save when it comes to cakes and desserts, there are so many creative options that will allow you to free up money to spend elsewhere.
Consider an alternative to the traditional wedding cake. Savoury cheese stacks are becoming increasingly popular as an after-dinner treat. Serve them with a variety of crackers, fruit, chocolates to satisfy your guests tastes.
Donut and cookie stacks are also a popular choice, with couples choosing their favourite sweet snacks to share with their guests. Simply decorate your stack of delicious goodies with flowers or other decor that work with your theme.
A sweet grazing plate or dessert bar are also unique and cost-effective ways to serve up dessert. Guests can help themselves to a variety of sweet and savoury delights which adds a fun and interactive element to your celebration.
As you’re planning your wedding and discovering affordable wedding venues on the Gold Coast, check their recommendations for food vendors. Wedding venues will have worked closely with different caterers covering all budget options and they will only recommend quality providers.
Above all, have fun with your planning and be creative as possible to save money and got the most out of your special day!
Want more wedding tips? Read our previous blog on How Much Should I Spend On A Wedding Venue?