When it comes to planning your wedding, the expenses can be overwhelming. Catering alone can cost you over $50 per guest at your reception. If you are trying to plan within a budget but want to make the most of your catering options, your options aren't as limited as you might think. Here are a few tips to help you maximize your catering budget and still provide food that's worthy of the big day.

Skip the Plated Meals

If you're planning a mid-afternoon wedding, your reception is probably going to run through dinnertime hours. This often means planning a full plated meal for your catering service. If you want to have the same elegant reception without the plated dish prices, consider an early afternoon ceremony so you can offer champagne, coffee, hors d'oeuvres and cake instead.

You can really shake things up by planning an evening ceremony and late reception. Then, your guests can arrive for your wedding after dinner and enjoy a reception that features a dessert buffet with the wedding cake, cupcake displays and other sweets.

Serve Lunch Instead

If you have your heart set on serving a sit-down meal for your reception, you can still make it affordable. Plan your ceremony for late morning, and offer a lunchtime meal for your reception. You'll have a lot more flexibility to offer affordable plates for a lighter lunch menu than you'll have at dinner. And, you may find that people drink less from the open bar if your ceremony is mid-day than they would if the reception runs late in the evening.

Offer an Affordable Buffet

Buffet services can help you present more affordable meals at your reception, but only if you are selective about what you offer. If you're providing a buffet with a lot of costly entrees, you may find that your final costs are much higher than you'd think. And, you'll have to have a full staff maintaining the buffet table and carving meat.

If you enjoy the buffet idea, but don't want the significant price tag, you can work with a caterer to make it a more affordable option. Consider more home-style meal choices like pastas and casseroles. You can then include a couple of elegant salad choices and other dishes that won't require constant attention by catering personnel.

The more you can limit your stress on the day of your wedding, the more enjoyable the day will be. With these tips, you can take the worry out of your reception meal plan and cost by providing great catering options at an affordable price. To find out more about catering, contact someone like Barbagallo's.