If your eyes are bulging at the cost per guest for your wedding, you may be eager to find a way to cut down the cost of your catering so that you can invite the amount of guests you’d like without going broke. One main way to do that is to examine your reception menu and see what you can cut out to save some money. Here are 5 tips and trick to cut wedding costs starting with your reception menu.

1. Pass on the Passed Apps

You can save a lot of money by going easy on the passed apps. You might want to give guests something to munch on before their main course, so instead of picking a handful of apps, go with just a few. Instead of having people walk around and pass them out, consider having designated tables throughout the cocktail hour for them to grab the appetizers themselves.

2. Offer a Buffet Option

Instead of doing a traditional sit down dinner, opt-in for a buffet instead. That way, you don’t have to pay for a serving staff and you don’t have to have staff behind-the-scenes platting all of your food.

3. Cut out the Big Cake

A cake can cost you a couple of hundred dollars and may not even be the dessert of your choice. Instead of splurging on a wedding cake, find a dessert that’s much less expensive (such as cookies or even cake pops) that fits your style and budget much more.

4. Skip the Fancy for the Comfort

Instead of doing steak and fish for your main course, go for more of a comfort style of food instead. This is big wedding trend and something that will impress your guests. If you have a love for Mac N’ Cheese, pizza or BBQ, you can serve that as your main wedding dish.

5. Think Seasonally

When picking vegetables to serve as side dishes or with the salad, pick ones that are in season and can be found locally. You’ll save some cash this way and the meal you serve will be much more fresh.