Trimmign down the catering budget

Is there anything in the BBQ you can cut out, or exchange for a cheaper item? Ie rather than steak (for example) have something vege?

Maybe consider having cake as your dessert (assuming you are having a wedding cake)? Then you could have cheese and cake (or ice cream and cake, or just cake). I imagine cheese is relatively pricey?

Are you providing drinks too? Is there anything you can cut from the drinks package that would help (ie changing from champagne to prosecco for example)?

We are in exactly the same boat!

Our venue is in a local barn who do the catering themselves for the day, however the lady running the place wants us to use one caterer for our evening food. They cost £420 before we've even got to food, that's BBQ hire & plates etc, with a cut going to the barn (which we are already paying to hire!) I then spoke to the lady and said, would it be possible to bring in my own food (was thinking m&s style buffet) and she slammed it down with a quick 'no we don't do that'.

The evening caterer isn't actuallŷ that expensive with BBQ food working at about £5.50 per head but it's the hire costs and surcharge he pays to the barn! Aggh! Tips/advice please?!

If the hog roast is non-negotiable and expensive why not make that your main meal and go for a cheaper option for evening?

We attended a wedding last year where the main course was a huge platter of carved hog roast with stuffing, apple sauce and potatoes roasted in the fat of the pig, served with bowls of salads and veggies in the middle of each table. It was (really) delicious and we haven't had anything like it before or since: like a delicious sharing roast dinner. Loads of fun and everyone really got to get to know each other squabbling over the crackling!

You could stick with a sharing starter or go for something simple served individually. Serve cake for dessert, then in the evening serve simple hot dog barbecue and ice creams.

You'd save on cheese and the more expensive barbecue choices.

I agree. Generally hogroasts are a fixed price, whereas you should cater for just 75% of your guests for the evening food.

Plus if theres meat left over you can use it for the evening meal.

This was my original thought, when discussing with the caterer he said he believes it isn't as good during the wedding breakfast as they haven't had enough time to do it on site (it obviously needs a long time) and have to roast it on their catering site then transport it and keep going. I said at the time that if it wasn't practical blah blah but he did say they could do it. Just more awkward. Having now seen the bill i think i will have to just be awkward!

I think i will mention again to OH about serving hog roast at lunch. It does make more sense!

And you are right about the cheese, as much as i would love it we don't really need it! *sigh*

For some reason i thought i had to keep cake for evening food for people to see but it doesn't really matter does it?

The booze we are doing ourselves, just paying his costs for taking fridges and serving staff. we take it on the morning and he chills it all, we just need to provide a plan for what and where and at what time!

Are you having sharing platters and bbq for the day guests? Do you really need the sharing platters as well?

Yes, they would have been in place of a starter each. We probably don't need them. I think my main concern is people having enough to eat! But a BBQ with cake and ice cream for dessert is probably ok without the starters.

I'm finding it hard to break free from the 'but what will people think?' trying to please everyone thing despite me knowing you cannot please everyone!

What type of food are you all having/had?

I agree with the others about having the hog roast earlier in the day.

As for the sharing platers, I dont think you will need them, especially if you are swapping them round and having the BBQ second, but even you still stick to having the BBQ first, I think you still wont need them as BBQ's are filling anyway. From what you have put there will be more than enough to eat so I wouldn't worry too much. I would opt for either cake or icecream though, a lot of the time the desserts get wasted though especially if it's a "help yourself" instead of table service.

Try not to worry about pleasing people, people will still find a reason to complain about what you do, as long as you and your OH are happy with your choice it doesnt matter.

We are having a BBQ during the day and a hot & cold buffet for the night, at the moment, to feed 180 people twice in the day its working out less than £19 per head, it all adds up up quite quickly though.

Have whatever you'd like however you'd like. We didn't have a sit down meal at all: no table plan, no speeches. The food was served from stalls in the farmyard outside the barn over an extended period and some people sat on blankets, some in the barn while the musicians were on, some in the bar. My Mum was horrified at the plan but we had the day we wanted and everyone seemed to have a good time! Having said that it wasn't a cheap option, but it definitely gave the vibe we were after.

If it was me I'd go for day BBQ and ice cream then evening hog roast, cheese and cake. Not everyone likes hog roast so the cheese will be there as an alternative. That would be more than enough food for everyone.

A wedding I recently went to had canapés of sausage rolls followed by a bbq.

the bride and groom had gotten family members to make lots of cakes which was pudding and they did the proper wedding cake later on in the evening. It was great!

Our evening do is at our house and we're doing jacket potatoes with different toppings.

Thanks for your help everyone! It's nice to hear what other people are doing, i've only been to 4 weddings and they were all a formal sit down dinner with 3 courses!

I've been doing some maths and think i can save 1k on the food by shaving off the sharing platters and cheese as it reduces crockery hire too. Will serve the BBQ and then tea and coffee with cake and ice cream for dessert. I am happy to keep the hog roast in the evening which H2B is unsure about. It was his main thing that he knew he was keen on so i am reluctant to let him change it for something else!

I wouldn't worry about the "what will people think" element - we are having Paella and salad cooked onsite outside served in a buffet style with tapas bits whilst people have their drinks it works out at £15 a head which for 120 I'm happy with. We also have a few friends which have intolerances and paella is gluten and dairy free.

My guests are going to get a little suprise anyway as I don't eat meat so all the food is fish or vegetarian - I want to try everything at our reception and have been to so many weddings where the veggie option is either aweful or none on two occassions!

Yup in exactly the same position. Having a sit down meal plus evening food and of course drinks. Have to use the venues food and can't bring in outside caterers. I knew this before I book (130 people) and worked the budget. It all adds up though! We are have kids options and adult meals which there is no scrimping. Evening food we are having 80% food as this was what was suggested which i didn't anticipate when I worked it out so I have made a big saving there. Prosecco corkage we have saved although it's £11 corkage I managed to get a deal in morrisons on my fave prosecco for £4.80 a bottle which has saved me £3.50 per bottle £100 saving. Wine again my friend is getting from France for £2.50 and corkage is £9 so a saving of £4 a bottle. We've been lucky and got a winter deal so ceremony charge and first drink is included in venue hire. As it's all in same place we don't have to get transport. Everything else is up to you. Mums friend making cake. BM dresses from the high street. Sister paying for hair and make up as wedding present and EBAY has been a saviour! Not having a band only a DJ flowers are roses but centre pieces only 3 in each with a beautiful vase found from weddingmall.co.uk. Favours are £80 for 130 people as I got them all on ebay. Groomsmen gifts (12!) all bought from Lightinthebox (china website) they are very good! Peach coloured ties bought online for £7 each. Suit hire the men are getting themselves if they want it only immediate family will have the morning suits. H2b gets his free if 4 suits are bought. Making my own ohotobooth and props. Flower girl dress bought on ebay and all te stationery I'm making myself with a little help from hobby craft. Dress was over budget but I felt that couldn't be scrimped on. Shoes were from very.co.uk for £20 and jewellery was Jon Richard debenhams but got 20% off bridal jewellery. All decorations have come from the range or b and m bargains and ikea and matalan and just hours of internet searching. There are lots of ways to save you just have to prioritise what means most to you and your family. I was going to have fake centrepieces but was having panics about the way they looked so thought I would splash out. Not having a videographer but here's to hoping I don't regret that afterwards! Let us know how you get on xx

Hey

we have a hog roast at our wedding and we had it as the wedding breakfast. the caterers served a starter, then the hog roast with salad/baked potatoes etc. then a pudding. then in the evening there was so much food left over we just had hog roast butties. i think my parents are going to be eating pork for the next month! if we'd done it differently and had the hog roast in the evening we probably would have ended up with even more left over.