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Average Wedding Catering Costs Per Person In Chicago

By January 16, 2013January 17th, 2013No Comments

Wedding Catering CostsIf you live in the Chicago area and plan on hosting a bridal reception, it is important to become aware of average wedding catering costs per person in order to plan accordingly for your future celebration. If you are on a budget, read on to learn about some catering options you may wish to consider to keep the cost of catering affordable for yourself and your family.

The average cost per person to eat at your elegant reception truly depends on the package or items you select from wedding catering menus. Traditionally, the average wedding catering costs for the greater Chicago area are in the $60-$80 per head, not including a beverage package.

Most venues require you to sign a catering contract and allow you to fully finance the dinner partially up front, several months in advance, and then require smaller installments up until the day before the wedding until a zero balance is shown. A week prior to tying the knot, food selections cannot be altered and neither can the number of meals being prepared. Most of these catered packages include appetizers for wedding reception, a soup and salad course, a choice of two dishes to serve as a main entrée, and a wedding cake.

If you feel you wish to forego a formal, traditional reception and that a contract is not for you, you may choose to host a brunch or early evening cocktail hour that boasts finger food catering. You will save thousands of dollars after all is said and done and will establish a friendly and relaxed atmosphere that will be filled with snack sized tidbits and flowing beverages.

When on a budget, choosing to host a less formal reception and serve appetizers can be an incredible money saving opportunity. You can save even more in costs per per person by serving pastries or cupcakes instead of a tiered or sheet wedding cake.

Cutting back on wedding catering costs and passing around a scrumptious, bite sized entrée during your celebration event is not only budget friendly during these difficult financial times, but also completely chic. In fact, many brides to be are taking this route, when a reception is concerned so they can save their money on other important aspects of a wedding, like a honeymoon, photographer, and band.

Before you go out and about the Chicago area, exploring venues and caterers, be sure to consider some information above about the average wedding catering costs per person to help you decide how much of your wedding budget you wish to spend on food, and how you can save or splurge in certain areas while wedding planning.

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