Cheap Wedding Reception Food Ideas & Themes on a Budget
Cookies, cinnamon rolls and donuts, ready to be served to guests.
Table of Contents
- How to Pull Off a Cheap Wedding Reception
- Affordable Wedding Reception Foods
- Affordable Reception Appetizers
- Cheap Wedding Side Dishes
- Cheap Main Courses for a Wedding Dinner
- Wedding Desserts That Aren't Cake
- Affordable Alcoholic & Non-Alcoholic Reception Drinks
- How to Create an Affordable Reception Menu
- Unique, Low-Cost Reception Theme Ideas
If you need wedding reception food ideas on a budget, try planning a unique and fun menu. Instead of a cheap version of a traditional wedding meal, plan an unusual or unexpected theme, at a different time of day.
Lots of couples are planning non-traditional weddings. If you’re willing to let go of the conventional dinner and dance idea, you can get creative and have fun with an inexpensive menu.
You can offer any type of food and drinks that fits your budget. You could plan a daytime fall wedding, with hot apple cider and donuts for refreshments. Or you could plan a vintage-themed tea party for an afternoon wedding.
Let’s take a look at ways you can reduce the cost of your wedding reception and food theme ideas you can use for tasty and affordable wedding reception food ideas on a budget.
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How to Pull Off a Cheap Wedding Reception
Most couples don’t want to spend a ton of money on a wedding reception. They just want their family and friends to celebrate their new marriage for a few hours.
Luckily, most of our family and friends want the same thing. As long as you’re considerate of your guests, they’ll be happy to show up and enjoy your wedding.
Even if you don’t have the budget for a full dinner and dance, you can still offer your guests refreshments, and a chance to mingle. When you’re trying to pull off a cheap wedding reception, keep these tips in mind:
Be confident.
Don’t reproduce a traditional reception.
Revamp the wedding day timeline.
Serve your food at the right time of day.
Keep your guests in the loop.
Be Confident
No matter what you’re planning, the key to being cheap without looking cheap is to act positive. If you act embarrassed or ashamed, people will feel it. It’s absolutely fine to spend a small amount of money on your wedding. Plan what you can afford and feel good about it.
Once you decide to have a non traditional wedding, don’t second guess yourself. Be confident. Hype it up and have fun with your ideas.
Go all in on whatever you’re planning. Enjoy making your invitations or choosing cute decorations. Even if it’s inexpensive, your wedding will still be great.
Don’t Reproduce a Traditional Reception
If your heart’s set on a dinner dance, there’s a few ways you can make it fit your budget. You could choose an alternative venue, then figure out a way to DIY or semi-DIY your wedding food.
But in general, if you’re on a tiny budget, it’s best not to try and reproduce a typical, dinner and dance wedding. If you spend a bunch of money on a venue, a dress and flowers, then flake on dinner, your guests will be extremely annoyed with you. And you will look cheap.
Revamp the Wedding Day Timeline
If you want to be cheap without looking cheap, start by revamping the entire wedding day timeline. Instead of a Saturday night dinner, consider planning an afternoon wedding with a vintage tea party theme.
You can serve fancy tea, tiny sandwiches and petit fours. Or plan morning wedding, with a DIY coffee bar and desserts.
Serve Your Food at the Right Time of Day
As long as the food you serve is suited to the time of day, you’ll be fine. If you’re not serving a meal, don’t plan your wedding during a meal time. If you’re only having refreshments, desserts or snacks, make sure your reception will fall in between meal times.
Keep Your Guests in the Loop
You can also make sure your guests are prepared by including the information on your invitation. The timing of your reception will usually let them know not to expect a full meal. To make sure, you can include a line like:
Cocktail reception.
Picnic lunch.
Cake and punch reception to follow.
Coffee and desserts will be served.
Continental breakfast to follow.
Affordable Wedding Reception Foods
A buffet table of charcuterie food items, sauces, meats, and wooden platters. Image by Taylor Made Cuisine.
Affordable Reception Appetizers
Start off the evening right with some affordable reception appetizers! These can range from customizable tacos to a healthy crunch of veggies and hummus.
Mini tacos
Charcuterie board
Finger sandwiches
Deviled eggs
Mini hot dogs
Spring rolls
Veggies and hummus
Mini meatballs
Caprese skewers
Pizza rolls
Pinwheel sandwiches
Cheap Wedding Side Dishes
Side dishes are the perfect way to complement any good main course! Side dishes can be produced in large portions easily to cut costs. Make sure you toss in at least one vegetable with any carb-heavy or fatty side dish. Some reception side dish ideas include:
Roasted potatoes with rosemary
Baked mac and cheese
Green beans with sliced almonds
Roasted asparagus
Slices of sourdough bread
Baked potato
Pickled watermelon skewers
Roasted broccoli with grated parmesan
Cheap Main Courses for a Wedding Dinner
Your main course will be the star of the show! However, that doesn’t mean it has to cost an arm and a leg. Pasta-based dishes like baked ziti or affordable cuts of meat, such as slow-roasted chicken, can taste delicious without killing your budget.
Slow-roasted chicken
Baked ziti
Brisket
Pulled pork
Hamburgers
Pizza
Build-a-bowl
A white outdoor buffet table with cookies, brownies, and macarons. Image by Brides.
Wedding Desserts That Aren't Cake
If you’re feeling a little extra sweet at your wedding, consider adding a fun dessert that isn’t just your wedding cake or replacing your cake altogether, such as:
Cheesecake bites
Chocolate-covered strawberries
Donuts
Cookie bar
Candy salad
Ice cream
Funnel cakes
Fruit salad
S’mores
Affordable Alcoholic & Non-Alcoholic Reception Drinks
It’s easy to blow a large amount of your budget on reception drinks! After all, they are the centerpiece of developing conversations and the refreshments we seek when we’ve broken out in dance a little too hard.
However, there are ways to include fun alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink stations or pitchers without blowing your budget. Use these ideas below:
Infused water
Soda
Bellini mocktails
Sparkling punch
Flavored lemonade
Prosecco
Red wine
Pinot Grigio
Beer
Margaritas
Aperol spritz
How to Create an Affordable Reception Menu
Your reception menu will reflect your vision and unique tastes. So you’ll need to get creative if you want to impress your guests and stay well within budget. Don’t worry, you’ll still achieve your dream wedding feast!
First, decide what type of meal you’d like to serve. Breakfast and lunch are much more affordable than dinner.
However, if your reception occurs in the evening, you can serve a buffet or grazing table to satiate your guests without breaking the bank. You can also craft “bars” where guests can create their own meal by using a variety of ingredients.
For example, a taco bar or build-your-own sandwich bar is an affordable way to offer large quantities of food.
Once you know what meal you’ll be providing, choose affordable proteins and side dishes that everyone will enjoy. Chicken and ham are affordable cuts, as are deli meats.
You can offer beef and seafood, but in smaller portions, since these are typically more expensive. Then move on to side dishes that are filling and cheap, like potatoes, pastas, and seasonal veggies.
Offer one or two choices for each dish, ensuring you have options for gluten-free and vegan guests if needed.
Carry the savings over to dessert by buying a cake big enough for you and your spouse to cut. You can offer guests slices of sheet cake or cupcakes.
Looking for non-cake options? Craft a dessert bar complete with cookies, donuts, and other sweet treats for them to nibble on!
While food is your focus, also consider the cost of utensils, plates, and other necessities for feeding a crowd. You can purchase sturdy disposable plates and cutlery at Costco for pennies each.
This will go a long way to help expedite cleanup and curb your budget.
Unique, Low-Cost Reception Theme Ideas
Most of these ideas are for shorter and more casual weddings. You probably won’t have time for all the wedding stuff, like speeches, bouquet tosses, or an all-night dance party.
But you will have a fun and meaningful celebration of your marriage. If you’re a low-key couple, skipping a bunch of wedding stuff might even be a plus!
The best part: after paying for a small menu, you’ll still have cash left over to pay for the rest of the wedding things you’ll need. Here are fifteen wedding reception food themes on a budget you can use for your wedding!
1. Vintage Tea Party Cake and Punch Reception
A wedding cake with flowers and glasses of champagne. Image by Wedding Wire.
A cake and punch reception is a great way to save a lot of money. To make your day feel more special, go all in on the theme.
You can borrow teapots and teacups, then serve a variety of black tea, green tea and herbal tea. Add some tiny finger sandwiches and trays of mini desserts for a cute and fun reception table.
If you’re not into vintage, you can choose a different theme for your cake and punch reception:
Cake and champagne
Wine and charcuterie
Desserts and mimosas
Hot chocolate and cookies
2. Fall Wedding With Hot Apple Cider and Donuts
This reception can be planned the same way as a cake and punch, but your menu can be two fall favorites: hot apple cider and cinnamon donuts.
To DIY, you can follow this easy recipe from Amanda’s Cookin’. Serve your cider in crock pots to keep it warm. Set out your donuts on trays and platters, and your guests can help themselves.
Donuts, pastries and coffees set out for guests.
3. Wedding Coffee Bar and Desserts
A coffee bar with desserts would be great at either a morning or afternoon wedding reception. If you want to DIY, you can set up a coffee bar with fun toppings, like whipped cream, chocolate chips or cinnamon sugar.
Add trays of desserts from your local bakery or box store and you’ll have a sweet and fun wedding.
4. Continental Breakfast Reception
If you’ve ever stayed at a hotel, you’ve probably had a continental breakfast. It’s typically a mix of prepared food that’s easy for guests to help themselves to. The dishes will be set up buffet style and you won’t need any cooks or servers.
This kind of meal is easy to serve and inexpensive. Catering for a continental breakfast is very affordable for most couples. To save money, you can even DIY this meal for your guests.
You can buy pastries, fruit, yogurt and cereal from a big box store, then have your bridal party ready to set it up on the day of.
If you’re looking for more food variety, consider doing a brunch wedding reception instead so you can add lunch foods into the mix!
Continental breakfast usually includes:
Cereal and milk
Yogurt or cheese
Whole fruit, or a fruit tray
Toast and jam station
Bagels, croissants and pastries
Coffee, tea and juice
5. Picnic Lunch Wedding Reception
A wooden picnic tray of berries, crackers, meats, and nuts. Image by The Recipe Rebel.
A simple picnic lunch is inexpensive to order from a caterer. Some caterers can drop off a boxed lunch for you, or you could order from a local deli or grocery store.
If you’re doing DIY, it’s easy to prepare, store and serve the meal yourself. You can offer sandwiches, cheese, fruit and salads. Once you add wedding cake for dessert, you’ll have a filling and fun lunch for your guests.
6. Wine and Cheese Party Wedding
If you’d like an evening reception, but can’t fit dinner into the budget, you can plan a cocktail party wedding instead. Choose a time for your party that won’t overlap dinner time and you can serve wine and cheese to your guests.
If you’re doing DIY, it’s easy to set up wine in ice buckets, plus some cheese or charcuterie boards. If your budget is super tight, you could even ask your guests to bring the wine, in lieu of gifts.
7. DIY or Semi-DIY Wedding Dinner
If you want to offer your guests dinner on a small budget, you can semi-DIY by ordering from your favorite restaurant. Most restaurants can deliver family style trays to your wedding. Ask your bridal party ahead of time if they can help set it up buffet style.
If you’re organized and good in the kitchen, you can even DIY your own wedding food.
8. Themed Potluck Wedding Reception
Another option for a dinner wedding is to plan a potluck reception. Potluck weddings aren’t popular in some spots. But in other communities, potluck is a great way to plan a party. If you decide to plan a potluck, you can make it more fun by adding a theme.
Adding a theme will make it easier to plan a well rounded meal. Plus, there’s lots of options for cheap wedding decorations! Imagine bright colorful fans and flowers. Or an Italian themed dinner, with checkered tablecloths and wine bottles for decoration.
Theme Ideas For a Potluck Wedding:
Mexican fiesta
Cinco de Mayo
Italian dinner
Hawaiian luau
Tailgate party
BBQ cookout
Thanksgiving dinner
9. Pizza & Pasta Wedding Buffet
If you’re looking for some crowd-pleasing cuisine, pasta dishes and pizza can’t be beat. Pasta is easy to DIY and costs less than two dollars a box in some areas. And pizza is universally cheap.
Plus, it’s super easy to accommodate food allergies if you offer gluten-free pasta and vegetarian pizzas without breaking the bank!
Even though the food is simple, you can elevate the spread with impeccable decor. Buy elegant serving bowls and platters to hold the food. Offer a variety of options or offer a make-you-own style buffet.
Opt for fun flavors, unique sauces, and interesting toppings for an interesting meal. For example, you can offer pizzas themed after your favorite flavors or places you’ve traveled as a couple.
Contact your local pizzeria to see if they offer wedding catering or can give you a discount on large orders. They may even be able to deliver the pizza and pastas right to the venue, saving you valuable time you’ll need on your wedding day!
10. Rustic BBQ
A mini wooden canoe of buffet-style BBQ food and floral centerpieces. Image by Patio Pleasures.
If you’re hosting an outdoor summer wedding, embrace the setting by offering a rustic BBQ menu. The meat will be the most expensive part, but will be more attainable during BBQ season. You can save serious cash with inexpensive BBQ sides like potato chips, salads, and cut fruit.
While it may sound basic, you can offer unique flavors, like sweet chili potato chips or broccoli slaw salad, that guests will be interested in trying!
You can lean into the theme with checkered tablecloths and wicker baskets to display foods. So focus on BBQ chicken, smoked brisket, and grilled veggies with all the fixings.
Don’t forget to set out wet wipes and bibs so guests can keep the barbeque off of their nice clothes!
If you are considering a potluck wedding, this theme will make it easy for guests to bring a dish that will complement the protein you offer!
Potlucks are a great way to save money and easily feed a large crowd, especially if you have some good cooks in your family!
11. Fiesta Taco Bar
Tacos are budget-friendly and an easy wedding food bar selection on a budget. Offer a variety of ingredients so guests can build their perfect tacos. They can also opt for a fresh taco salad. This spread works well for any venue and occasion.
Stock up on shrimp, beef, pork, chicken, and even tofu are easy to prepare and guaranteed crowd pleasers. Then turn your attention to vessels and toppings. Here are some ideas:
A variety of shells ( corn, flour, hard shells)
A choice of meats (beef, pork, chicken, grilled veggies)
Shredded cheese
Lettuce and shredded cabbage
Chopped veggies (onions, tomatoes, jalapenos)
Sour cream
Queso
Fresh herbs
12. Charcuterie Board Spreads
Grazing tables are always in style. Wedding charcuterie board spreads make it easy to accommodate food needs, keep your guests satisfied, and lighten your budget.
They look stunning and attractive when set up. You won’t need servers either. Plus, you can offer higher quality foods since you are serving them in bite-sized amounts.
Focus on the foods and flavors that you and your spouse love. Use serving platters that fit your theme or line a table in parchment paper and display the food directly on the table!
This is the ultimate budget wedding reception food because it’s so easy to DIY, especially if you shop around for the best deals on meats, cheeses, and sides.
Stick with seasonal fruits and veggies for color and texture. You can also add affordable olives, pickled carrots, and other cured items.
13. Soup & Sandwich Bar
If your wedding reception falls in the afternoon, soups and sandwiches make the perfect lunch combo! You can offer your guests a nice variety and accommodate food needs.
Craft an assortment of pre-made sandwiches using different types of breads. Think ciabatta, sourdough, and rustic Italian. This is an easy way to elevate any sandwich to make it special enough for your special day!
You can save time and money by setting up a build-your-own sandwich station. Guests can choose their bread and fillings. This will save on serving costs. Serve fancy potato chips on the side along with
Soups are versatile too. Offer two flavorful soups for guests to eat on the side. A good rule of thumb is to offer one classic, like chicken noodle or tomato bisque, and one seasonal flavor, like pumpkin for the fall, to leverage affordable, seasonal ingredients.
14. S’mores Station
A rustic wooden smores bar with chocolate, graham crackers, and marshmallows. Image via Etsy.
Cake is nice, but guests will appreciate a few sweet treats they can snack on between songs. S’mores are the perfect finger food, especially if you are hosting an outdoor wedding!
Set up a station with all the ingredients, plus a heat source for guests to toast their marshmallows! You can even create a guide or menu of different combos for guests to try. Bonus points if you give them names that reflect the happy couple!
Here are some things you need to make an awesome s’mores station:
Graham crackers
An assortment of chocolate, including bars
Toppings, like crushed nuts, sprinkles, and chocolate chips
A variety of marshmallows, including different flavors and shapes
15. Appetizer Platters
Who doesn’t like appetizers? Bite-sized foods are budget-friendly, too. Source beautiful platters and choose a selection of fun appetizers to offer in abundance. You can connect the choices to your theme or go with the bride and groom’s favorites.
Appetizer platters are great for afternoon or evening weddings since guests can easily fill up on the yummy treats. You can set up the platters beforehand, meaning you won’t need anything to serve during the reception. Guests can grab a plate and serve themselves!
If you have helpers, they can keep the platters refreshed so guests can come back for more as they please. You’ll need to plan for 5-8 pieces per person, but since appetizers are so affordable, it won’t break the bank.
Here are some ideas for what you can add to your appetizer display:
Spinach and artichoke dip with chips
Pigs in a blanket
Fruit skewers
Meat and cheese skewers
Mini quiches
Taquitos
Mini roasted potatoes
Mini egg rolls
Read more about planning a non traditional wedding in the book Affordable Wedding Venues and Menus. You’ll see how to find unique and inexpensive venues and plan a wedding meal, on any size budget.
