Venues & Menus Colleen McCarthy Venues & Menus Colleen McCarthy

Cake and Punch Wedding Reception: For Weddings on a Budget

Got a tight budget for your wedding? Or maybe you’re not into big weddings. If you want to keep it short and sweet - and affordable - a cake and punch wedding reception could be perfect for you. You’ll have time to make an entrance, have a few toasts, then cut the wedding cake. If you’re into it, you can even toss the bouquet or garter and open the dance floor for an hour.

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Venues & Menus Colleen McCarthy Venues & Menus Colleen McCarthy

Taco Bar Menu: DIY Wedding Menu for a Taco Bar

If you’re looking for a way to serve a meal on a budget, a taco bar menu is a great choice for a DIY wedding. There’s a lot of tasks when you plan to make your own wedding food, but if you stay organized, a food bar is doable for any couple. Especially if you get help from your family and friends.

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Venues & Menus Colleen McCarthy Venues & Menus Colleen McCarthy

BBQ Wedding Reception: How to Plan an I Do BBQ

Whether you’re planning classy or casual, BBQ is a great way to feed your guests. It’s delicious, filling and fun. With barbecue, you can choose a menu that fits your wedding style - and your budget.

BBQ food is an affordable option when you’re hiring a caterer. If you’ve got a smaller budget, you can order BBQ from your favorite restaurant and semi-DIY your wedding meal.

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Venues & Menus Colleen McCarthy Venues & Menus Colleen McCarthy

Cheap Wedding Food: Sample Menu Ideas for Your Reception

The most expensive part of your wedding is usually the meal at your reception. If you need to save money, there’s a few different ways to lower your costs. The best way is to choose a simple, inexpensive meal and have it served buffet style. Whether you’re hiring a caterer or doing it yourself, the food you choose will have a big impact on your bottom line. Filling your menu with inexpensive food that’s easy to prepare is the best way to save money on your catering bill.

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Venues & Menus Colleen McCarthy Venues & Menus Colleen McCarthy

Best Wedding Cocktails: Signature Drinks For Your Reception

Offering a signature drink is a great way to add style and color to your cocktail hour or reception. It has a lot of practical benefits, too. Signature drinks are faster and easier to serve. If your bartenders can simply pour wine, beer and signature drinks instead of mixing individual drinks, you’ll avoid long lineups at the bar. If your cocktails are pre-made, your guests can get them quickly and start enjoying the cocktail hour. If you’re trying to save money, offering them as part of your limited bar is a great way to save money, too.

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Venues & Menus Colleen McCarthy Venues & Menus Colleen McCarthy

Cash Bar Invitation Wording For Your Wedding Reception

If you’re going be horrified by a cash bar, stop reading now! Cause I’ll be honest - I’m a fan. When I go to a wedding, it’s to celebrate a marriage and show support for people I love. If they can’t afford to pour free drinks all night, I’m ok with that. The only time it’s a problem is when I don’t know ahead of time. Common etiquette has a lot to say about including cash bar on the invitation. But common sense says that if it’s on the invitation - I’ll know to bring some money

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Venues & Menus Colleen McCarthy Venues & Menus Colleen McCarthy

How to Serve Alcohol at a Wedding: Booking a Bar Package or DIY?

Once you’ve figured out your menu, you need to start thinking about the drinks for your wedding. How you serve the alcohol at your wedding depends on your venue and the type of food service you’ve booked. If you’ve booked a full service caterer or venue, you’ll need to purchase your bar package from them. If your wedding is at a space that allows DIY you’ll have a lot more options.

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Venues & Menus Colleen McCarthy Venues & Menus Colleen McCarthy

Self Cater Your Wedding: How to DIY Your Wedding Food

Most wedding experts say that 50% of your budget should go to your food and venue. But what if your budget is smaller than average? If you’re only spending ten thousand dollars - is five thousand enough to rent a venue and pay for a caterer? What if your budget is even smaller? Maybe your budget isn’t big enough for a traditional caterer. But don’t get discouraged - there’s lots of other options.

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Venues & Menus Colleen McCarthy Venues & Menus Colleen McCarthy

Tips For Planning a Brunch Wedding Reception

If you’re looking for a way to plan a casual, fun wedding without ruining your budget - a brunch wedding reception could be the perfect choice. A great venue, gorgeous light and a delicious meal are some of the highlights of a brunch wedding. If you want a wedding that’s unique and fun for your guests, you can’t go wrong with a brunch.

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Venues & Menus Colleen McCarthy Venues & Menus Colleen McCarthy

Best Food Bars For Your Wedding

If you need a budget friendly option for your wedding menu, think about serving a food bar. A build your own ramen bowl or taco station can be delicious, fun - and inexpensive. The service and ingredients for self serve food costs a lot less than a full service, sit down meal.

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Venues & Menus Colleen McCarthy Venues & Menus Colleen McCarthy

What Do You Need For a Backyard Wedding?

A backyard wedding is super flexible. You can make your plan as elaborate or as simple as you’d like. You can keep it small or make it big. And you can choose any style you like: formal, semi-formal or casual. If you want a theme, a backyard wedding can be anything from an elegant garden party to a casual, rustic barbecue.

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Venues & Menus Colleen McCarthy Venues & Menus Colleen McCarthy

How to Plan a Brunch Wedding

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.

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Venues & Menus Colleen McCarthy Venues & Menus Colleen McCarthy

Finding Cheap Wedding Venues: For a Wedding on a Budget

Normally we try to avoid the word “cheap”. We’ll say we want an inexpensive venue. Or we want to be practical, thrifty, sensible. We want to stick to our budget! All true. But really: if you’re on a budget, you need a cheap wedding venue. The real trick is finding one that doesn’t look cheap. See an idea list of affordable wedding venues, typical prices, and easy ways to save money.

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Venues & Menus Colleen McCarthy Venues & Menus Colleen McCarthy

Affordable Wedding Venues & Menus

Are you struggling to find a wedding venue that fits your budget? If you’ve been looking at wedding venues, you’re probably surprised by how much they cost. And when you start doing the math, the food and drink packages add up fast! If you don’t have a big budget, you’re probably wondering how to find a great venue that’s still affordable.

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