If you’ve started pricing out your wedding reception, you might be shocked by some of the costs - especially the catering! The most expensive part of any wedding is usually the food. Feeding 100 or more people will never be cheap. But there are some ways to save money on your wedding catering. The best way is by choosing the right caterer and making the right choices for your menu. Start by understanding a caterers service and exactly what they’ll be charging you for.

A brunch wedding is a great choice if you’re trying to save money. Even if you go all out, the menu will cost a lot less than a full dinner. Another place you’ll save money is on drinks and alcohol. People will drink a lot less on Sunday morning. You can still have a champagne toast or a signature drink, but no one will miss a full bar at brunch time.

I’m going to be super annoying here and say - it costs however much you want it to cost! Before you kill me, though, keep reading. I’m going to give you the actual numbers and sample budgets for a few different price levels. You can have a great backyard wedding with any size budget - it just depends on your style. Here’s some ideas and sample budgets for a wedding at $10,000, $7,000 and $2,000.