Budget food and drink for a wedding reception

> Food

A sit-down dinner with 4 courses and silver service can soon make you want to prune down your guest list.

The budget version
- A finger or fork buffet is much cheaper than a formal sit-down meal. Your guests serve themselves before returning to their seats, creating a great opportunity for people to mingle!
- Although it requires a lot of organisation, self-catering is an option. Enlist the help of friends and family and stick to a simple buffet.
- Where there's a catering college, there's an army of catering students eager to practice their catering skills. Contact your local education authority and find out if there are any catering colleges in your area who would accept lower fees!

> The wedding cake

A 3-tier traditional cake decorated with ribbon and fresh flowers is a costly affair!

The budget version
- Once your guests have got through the meal/buffet, many won't have much room left for cake, so if you're having a sit-down dinner, you could always serve the cake for dessert and save on a course!
- Another money-saving option is to make your own wedding cake (using a simple Victoria sponge base that you decorate, for example).
- If you do want a traditional cake, you can always stick to a flat one rather than a complicated tiered version.
- Ready-made cakes are also much cheaper. You could always buy plain cakes and either put together and decorate them yourselves or get a cake decorator or florist to do it for you. Visit www.marksandspencer.com for more ideas.

> Drinks

Your guests will expect to be plied with free drinks all day and all night long, right?!

The budget version
- Ask if you can bring your own bottles of wine and champagne to the venue rather than buying the bottles from the venue, and if so, check whether they charge a corkage fee (though even if there is a fee, it may still work out cheaper to bring your own)
- Non-French champagne such as cava and sekt is usually cheaper than the French variety. You could always replace the champagne with sparkling wine, too.
- At an evening reception, it’s perfectly acceptable to expect your guests to pay for drinks at the bar.