Event Catering Without Breaking the Bank

Hosting a wedding, party, or special occasion can be expensive. Even a small group of people have needs that will quickly add up to a substantial bill. On the top of these costs is event catering, which is nearly unavoidable if you want to be a host that people aren't going to snipe about in the coming years. Fortunately, there are ways you can save a few dollars in this area without coming off as a cheapskate.

Alcohol

One of the easiest ways to drain your event catering budget is to have an open bar, giving away free alcohol to hundreds of guests. Some people decide to charge their guests for drinks, but this comes off as rather tacky. Instead, put some limitations on the choices available to the guests. Taking away the liquor is one of the best ways to save some money. Few guests are going to gorge themselves on glass after glass of champagne, and you can get away with serving inexpensive wine and beer.

Stick With The Basics

Once you start talking with an event catering company, you'll soon find there are ways to feed your guests that are even more expensive than you ever dreamed. Stick with the basics if you're on a budget. A pre-dinner salad, an entree, and a dessert should be plenty for almost all occasions. It's perfectly understandable that some will want to splurge on appetizers, hors d'oevres, and other niceties, but your party won't be held in contempt if you skimp on these extras. As long as your guests are fed a proper meal, there should be little room for complaints.

Limit Choices

Remember, you're hosting a gathering, not opening a restaurant. In all likelihood, the guests are there to celebrate an occasion, not have their tastes catered to in every possible way. While it's nice to offer your guests a choice of entrees, providing an elaborate menu is going to be much more expensive than just offering a single choice. Even offering one or two alternatives will be more affordable than trying to please everyone. It's also a decent idea to have a kid's selection if younger ones will be in attendance.

Event catering won't be the cheapest thing you do this year, and nor should it. Nonetheless, by sticking with these tips and not getting carried away with the possibilities, you can do it without taking out a loan. As long as everything else is in place for a night of fun and you hire a catering company that knows what they're doing, no one should complain about cutting a few corners.