Food & Drink Tips
<b>What it Costs</b> Prices are usually quoted per head. A dinner can range in cost from $40 to $300 a guest. Make sure you know exactly what is included in any estimate: taxes, gratuities, rentals, and so on. If gratuities will be included in your final bill, ask whether they are calculated before or after taxes.
<b>Ways to Save</b> Serve tea or cocktails instead of dinner. Cut down on dinner courses. Keep your menu simple. Avoid expensive ingredients (wild mushrooms, salmon steaks, and so on). Opt for pasta and chicken as entrées. Savor specialties of the season and region. Buy your own alcohol. Limit your bar.
<b>Try Ethnic Eats</b> Wedding food doesn't have to be boring. Find a caterer that serves (or is inspired by) festive cuisines such as Italian, Caribbean, Mexican, soul, Cajun, or Greek. It may be more economical, and it will certainly be more interesting. Just beware if there are picky eaters among your guests.
<b>Tasting Tips</b> Don’t choose your caterer based solely on your tasting. (It's easy to cook a good meal for two people. Checking references will let you know whether a caterer's skills extend to large groups.) Also, try at least two items for each course so you'll have an alternative if your original idea doesn't pan out.
<b>Be Careful with Restaurants</b> Serving a group of two hundred and preparing plates one by one are two different things. If you choose restaurant catering, make sure the place has wedding experience, the appropriate equipment, and service-oriented staff,
<b>Make a Printed Menu</b> If you're serving intriguing foods or using ingredients with special significance, explain them on a printed menu placed on each table. Make sure it matches your caterer's final list.
<b>Focus on Service</b> Good food is only half the battle. Ask references whether the staff went the distance to ensure guests were served in an appropriately beautiful, friendly, fast, and attentive manner.
<b>Curb Corkage Fees</b> Purchase a set amount of liquor yourselves if you can; if bartenders simply open new bottles as needed, the cost per bottle opened (the corkage fee) can get astronomical. Also, have someone watch over the bottle counting; it is easy to make a mistake.
<b>Beware the Beer and Wine Option</b> People often limit drink options to beer and wine to help contain costs, but keep in mind that wine may well be pricier than hard alcohol-you'll get about five drinks out of a bottle of wine and twenty out of a bottle of alcohol.
<b>Serve a Specialty Cocktail</b> A great way to add color and festive flair is to offer a special drink in addition to (or in lieu of) champagne. Consider something thematic: spiked eggnog or cider during winter; rum punch or piña coladas for island flavor; cosmopolitans or martinis for an urban-lounge-like feel.
Courtesy of <a class='navitem2' href='http://theknot.com'>The Knot </a> via <a class='navitem2' href='http://scrippsmedia.com'>Scripps Media</a>
