Planning Tools, Ideas, & Advice
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For Wedding Pros
So, you’re planning a small wedding and now you’re wondering what to do about the food. Food is an important aspect of your special day so you’ll want to be sure to plan carefully and ensure whatever you choose fits in with the overall vibe of your event.
There are so many options when it comes to serving dinner at your small wedding, from hiring a private chef to hosting food trucks to supplying the food yourself, and we’ve rounded up some of the best small wedding dinner ideas so you can be sure you’re considering all your options as you plan this part of your wedding.
When I was planning my wedding I really wanted something special for the food. My husband and I really enjoy good food and I always imagined an amazing meal would be a part of our day. Unfortuntately, my private chef dreams didn't come through but we still had amazing food (see how we did it for less $500 below!) that our friends and family still talk about today. Hopefully this guide will give you some of the guidance I didn't have so you can be sure to have the an amazing wedding dinner.
First, many couples wonder, what is a micro wedding? A small wedding is generally defined by the guest list size, specifically when an event is 50 guests or less. Smaller, more intimate gatherings are gaining popularity as more and more couples look for a way to reduce planning stress and costs, and to have a truly meaningful wedding.
Food is one of the first things you should consider once you have your venue booked. It’s important to know that food and beverage are typically one of the biggest spending items for a wedding and while having a small wedding can offer huge cost savings in terms of your overall budget, you’ll want to plan carefully to take advantage. Follow these steps to plan your small wedding dinner.
First, you might be wondering what to even serve at your micro wedding. Just because you’re having a more intimate celebration doesn’t mean you need to skimp on food. In fact, cutting your headcount can make your dollar go much much further in terms of food and beverage (spend the same amount of money for something really special), or you can choose to go with a less expensive option which we’ll cover below. Here are some examples of what you could serve.
Before choosing your small wedding dinner, consider the overall wedding theme you have in mind and if you’ve chosen food as one of your non-negotiables when planning your small wedding budget. While a lot of people say that your guests won’t remember the meal, it’s also possible that choosing something totally offbeat from your overall vibe could make it make it more memorable than you’d like.
Commonly we see couples choose to have their small wedding ceremony in a unique location that’s not suitable for a reception and if that’s the case, you’ll need to begin exploring the best venue for your small wedding dinner. Fortunately, with a small guest list, you’ll have many options to choose from:
Once you’ve nailed down your reception location, you’ll need to understand your food options. If food is an important factor in your wedding, I recommend considering what your options are before you book your venue. Quick sidebar: we did not do this. We rented our VRBO in the mountains without considering the food choices would be incredibly limited (if not completely unavailable) within our budget. Whoops. See how we handled it below.
If you’ve chosen a more traditional wedding venue, chances are they’ll provide a caterer or a list of preferred caterers and food options. If you’re hosting your reception at a non-traditional space, such as a private home, a bowling alley, then your options may be more open depending on the location.
You’ll want to decide what serving style fits your wedding vision, as well. Some options include:
Having a sense of your headcount is crucial. A ballpark is ok, but there’s a big difference between feeding 10 people and 50 people so you’ll want to narrow down your guest list by the time you get to this step.
Now that you’ve nailed down your small wedding dinner venue, explored your food options, and considered your theme, you’re ready to choose what you’ll serve for your intimate wedding dinner. Here are some things to take into consideration:
Dinner is one way to make a very small wedding special. There's something so memorable and intimate about sharing a good meal with your closest family and friends. Here are just a few ideas you might consider for your intimate wedding.
I love how creative some couples get with their seating arrangements. Having a small wedding allows for tons of variations in how you set up your tables if you’re planning on having a seated meal. Here are a few ideas for your dinner seating arrangement.
You also get to decide whether you’ll sit with your guests or at a sweetheart table at the front of the space.
Food can be a major expense, even if you’re having a small wedding. As I mentioned above, we ended up in a situation where our best bet for good food was to cook it ourselves (our options were really limited and mostly out of our budget). We ended up doing a taco bar for our guests and it was totally a hit (and cost us less than $500 for 40 guests). If you’re looking for affordable ways to feed your guests, consider these cheap wedding food ideas.
Now that you know what your options are, you can start planning your food! By following the planning steps above you’ll be able to pull off a small wedding dinner that fits your budget, suits your wedding theme, and is something that you’ll remember for years.
