My mother is helping pay for the wedding and she said that most weddings don't have food, they just serve the cake and drinks. The wedding is at 2 pm so most people shouldn't be that hungry anyways. We are trying to save money, is having just cake and cocktails okay?
All wedding guests should be offered some sort of refreshments. If you are planning a wedding on a tight budget you can certainly have an elegant reception following the ceremony by serving cake and champagne and/or cocktails. This works well if the ceremony is performed in the early afternoon since people typicaly eat and drink less during a daytime event. Along with the champagne, coffe, tea and sodas are typically offfered as well.
Ways to cut cake costs:
· Get a smaller cake. Show off the beautiful wedding cake for everyone to see, then have a sheet cake of the same flavor cut in the back.
· Make mini cakes. Instead of one large cake, split up the cost and ask your baker to make every guest a cupcake of your favorite flavor instead. Top each with something pretty, and build a 'wedding cake' tower of your fabulous cupcakes.
· Offer a dessert bar. Another great way to offer dessert while having a smaller cake: set up a dessert bar with mini pastries and coffee to offset a piece of wedding cake.
If you'd like to offer just a bit more, appetizers and hors d'oeuvres can be served. Background music adds a nice touch to the reception. If you can't splurge on a DJ, consider setting up your home stero , playing compliation discs of a mix of different background music. Enlist the help of a teenage family member or friend to help change discs.
More information on how to plan a wedding on a budget. Top Wedding Questions Forum Moderator - "Write your sorrows in the sand, your blessings in stone".
(This post was
edited by TWQadmin on Apr 26, 2007, 8:04 PM)
Maybe you could say on your invitations that it's going to be a cake/cocktail reception so people aren't coming hungry and expecting food. Something like, "Cocktail reception at 2pm." People get really upset when they expect food and there is none. Can any of the etiquette experts here tell us if this is appropriate?
(This post was
edited by TWQadmin on Sep 8, 2004, 11:53 AM)
You absolutely could just serve cake and champagne, or even tea and punch (no alcohol) at a simple reception following your wedding. The time you chose is great because you can serve very little as long as the reception is not lengthy. You might even consider 10 am for the same reason.
Because you wish to save money, you may wish to send non-traditional invitations, which many times are more warm and personal. On the invitation you could invite all of the guests to join you for a cake and (beverage) reception following the ceremony (location).
Reception woes!
