Sample menus
Grilled quarter-pound hamburgers and hot dogs (1 of each sandwiches per guest)
Condiments (relish, pickles, onions, ketchup, mustard and mayo)
Choice of Two Sides: Memphis Baked Beans, Creamy Cole Slaw, Southern Potato Salad or Assorted Chips
Disposable Dinnerware
Cost: $7.75 per guest
Grilled 6-ounce chicken breast with Choice of Marinade (Classic, BBQ, Teriyaki, Rosemary Garlic)
Choice of any 2 Classic Sides
Assorted Bread and Butter
Disposable Dinnerware
Cost: $9.65 per guest
Grilled 6-ounce filet mignon
Choice of 2 Classic Sides
Choice of 1 Salad
Assorted Breads and Butter
Disposable Dinnerware
Cost: $18.35 per guest
Source: Little Miami River Catering Co. web site at www.lmrcatering.com/menus/
The food service and drink choices that couples and parents make as part of their wedding planning can be the single costliest component of a wedding. But it’s also the component that contains plenty of options and provides couples with substantial flexibility.
Officials at both Little Miami River Catering in Bellbrook and Rudy’s Catering Services in Springfield said couples and families appear to be more cost-conscious than ever, and catering companies have become more flexible to accommodate their customers’ desire — or necessity — for frugality.
Some couples and families are still opting for the full-service wedding experience, which includes a sit-down dinner served by the catering company’s staff, with appetizers, entrees and sides, on China dinnerware and glass stemware atop a linen tablecloth, and with an open bar serving beer, wine and spirits throughout the dinner and reception. But for those looking to cut costs, there are alternatives, according to Lynn Hill, operations and events coordinator for Little Miami River Catering. Here are a few of her suggestions for careful wedding-reception frugality:
Serving dinner buffet-style rather than by table service of plated dinners saves money, because the catering company does not have to hire as many staffers to serve the meal. About 90 percent of her clients choose buffet-style service, Hill said.
Using disposable dinnerware — these aren’t paper plates, but are attractive, sturdy, yet disposable plates — also cuts cost by about $1 per guest, since the caterer’s staff will have fewer dishes to wash.
Stay in the lower price tiers on the menu, and consider offering only cold appetizers rather than hot hors d’oeuvres.
Use lap-length, rather than floor-length, table linens.
If possible, families should consider doing some of the set-up — putting linens on tables, for example.
Little Miami offers menus that range from “very casual to very fancy,” Hill said. One package that calls for hamburgers and hot dogs starts at $7.75 per person, while a higher-end alternative that includes New York Strip steaks or filet mignon and grilled tuna or chicken can reach price points of $14 to $20 per person, depending on accompanying options. The Bellbrook caterer — which serves a multi-county area, including Montgomery and Clark counties — can grill or smoke meats on-site, and can do pig roasts either on-site or off-site, Hill said. A roasted hog service starts at marginally more than the hot dog-hamburger option at $8.85 per person, Hill said.
Bill Fischer — vice president of operations for Rudy’s Catering Services, which is affiliated with Rudy’s Smokehouse restaurant in Springfield — said his company’s mid-level package runs about $14.49 per person and includes buffet service of two appetizers, two meats, and three side dishes, with guaranteed leftovers.
Cutting back on or eliminating appetizers and side dishes can bring the cost down to $10 to $11 per person, while adding full sit-down dinner service, china dinnerware and an open bar with premium liquor can boost the cost to $22 to $27 per person, Fischer said.
One further cost-saving measure that Fischer offers — but does not recommend — is for customers to pick up the food themselves (or have it delivered), then for the families to handle the setup, service and cleanup themselves.
“I’ve heard from a lot of people after the fact who said they regretted doing it that way,” Fischer said. “They tell me, ‘We did nothing but run the buffet for two hours.’”
Still, he recognizes the need to work with families to keep the wedding on budget.
“We’re seeing a lot of people in economic need right now,” Fischer said.
• For more information about Little Miami River Catering, go to www.lmrcatering.com or call (937) 848-2464. For more information about Rudy’s Catering Services, go to www.rudyssmokehouse.com/special-events.html or call (937) 605-2402.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2258 or mfisher@Dayton DailyNews.com.
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