Tips for getting the best Wedding Catering Prices

Nailing down the best wedding catering prices can be tricky! There are a number of catering options out there - and wedding caterers who are willing to help you with your big day. So how do you know that your catering plan is the best one available, at the best price available?

First, you need to know what you're working with.

Pick a budget and be realistic. If you're scrimping in some areas of your wedding - including the catering event - so you can have, say, the perfect dress, don't expect that all inclusive wedding catering prices will be something you can afford. On the other hand, the opposite holds true. If you're willing to go all out on the catering menu, you'll be able to get a lot more.

Now that doesn't mean that you can't still get what you want at any budget! If you're looking for cheap wedding catering prices, don't despair! Just because your service may cost less than someone who has a bigger catering budget doesn't mean it has to look cheap.

Shop around, shop around, shop around!

It may sound basic, but you're bound to get overwhelmed with wedding planning at some point. Don't let it get the best of you! Be persistent in your search for perfect wedding packages and don't settle if you're not comfortable with the wedding catering prices you've been quoted.

Think outside the box, too!

There may be an ideal caterer in town that you'd love to have, but if their catering prices are too sky high, you may have to do something more unconventional:

Hit up your favorite, economically priced restaurants and ask about their wedding catering prices. Many places take catering orders. You may even be able to work out a deal where you pick up the food they've prepared and take it to the wedding site, rather than have them bring it. Cutting down on labor always helps to cut costs.

Go Small

Smaller catering companies, and individuals who do catering are likely to have lower wedding catering prices. They have lower overhead, fewer people to worry about, and don't have to mark things up unnecessarily. 

How caterers respond to your needs is a big selling point, and often with smaller catering companies, or individuals who offer catering services, will actually be able to offer you a more focused plan, and will be able to spend more time with you.

Another "think outside the box" idea: Go to your local culinary school and see if a promising student would be available to cater your event. No doubt they'd be thrilled to get any kind of income, so their wedding catering prices will likely be pretty low!

Know when to re-evaluate

If you have a budget and an ideal of what you want your catered event to look like, and just can't get the two to go together, it may be time to re-evaluate. If you feel you can't cut back on your idea of what kind of reception you want, you may need to cut back elsewhere so you can afford the wedding catering prices for the type of service that will make you happy.