Basic wedding Event Reception Menus
Planning a wedding reception on a budget can, at first glance, appear to be difficult, if not impossible. In truth, this is a possibility with a little legwork and careful thought.
The very first consideration you need to make is to determine how many people you're likely to have at your reception. Once you have an idea firmly in mind, the next step is to consider what kind of place you would like to hold the reception. There are innumerable options like fire halls, church social halls, and other places that can be rented for occasions like this. The key here is to search for them as early as possible to make sure that your date is open for rental. If so, you need to discuss whether or not they can provide food for your reception guests, and if so what sort (full sit-down meal or just finger foods).
If you are expecting to have a sit-down dinner as a part of your wedding reception, be sure to discuss the food options they can offer. Discuss the cost of feeding your expected number of guests. Quite often this kind of hall offers family-style buffet lines, and does not provide individual service at a table. Most of these places also offer a place where dancing can take place. A DJ might be able to set up for the night. It is also extremely important to determine whether these sites are wet (allowing alcoholic beverages) or dry (allowing no alcohol whatsoever). In the event where they offer alcohol, is it in the form of a bar (where drinks are either purchased by the guests or unlimited amounts are paid for by the bride and groom)? If they do not provide alcohol, what are the rules that are in place if you are to bringing your own?
If you find out here that having a formalized sit-down dinner is too expensive, even at reduced rates these locales offer, is it possible to simply rent the hall with chairs and/or tables for your guests to sit down? Again, in this case, if you have a large family who can help out, is it possible to bring your own food for service. What are the options? Could it be done either in the form of a full dinner or a buffet of finger foods like little sandwiches, cookies, or simply some place where you can bring and serve a wedding cake?
If you are regular member of the church where you are married, chances are you can rent the social hall inexpensively for your wedding reception. This can either be to serve food that you brought in yourself, or if you're lucky, foods prepared by members of the congregation who are responsible for cooking in the event that the hall was rented for such a purpose.
Another alternative is to have some sort of outdoor event, like a family barbecue, at the home of a friend or relative. In some cases this form of a wedding reception on a budget can prove to be quite fun and relaxing because it allows your guests to get out of the formal clothing they may have worn for the wedding, itself. This will give everyone, including the bride and groom, a chance to relax somewhat and enjoy the experience even more.
To your beautiful wedding!
