Image Credit: As far as Indian society has come, weddings still carry immense social pressure, pushing people to showcase their wealth through extravagant celebrations.

“FOR US, FOOD EQUALS RESPECT,” says to-be bride Suhasini Jha. The media professional got engaged in January and is set to get married on 24 February in Purnia, Bihar. Every other cost —venue, décor, even her clothes must take a backseat in the preparation since the food must flow freely and heartily. That’s how locals will evaluate the bride and her family. It must be a large and extravagant feast, with various food options ranging from traditional dishes to international foods, including good non-vegetarian options like mutton and fish, and many dessert options. In Bihar, guests don’t like queuing up for food at a buffet, so there are servers taking food around. The caterers also don’t charge per plate, preferring to make large quantities of food depending on the number of guests invited. “This is the culture of Bihar, so we’re trying to follow it. We can’t offer anything less to the groom’s side. The food must be of great quality and in great quantity. My dad’s reputation depends on this,” she adds.

Wedding planner Hardik Bhanushali, owner of The Planning Paradise, talks about how prevalent this thought process is across the country. “Out of 10 [clients], two will agree to use cost-cutting tricks, but eight will say that they have to spend on food and that they don’t have any other option,” he says. As far as Indian society has come, weddings still carry immense social pressure, pushing people to showcase their wealth through extravagant celebrations. And the thing that primarily defines the success or failure of the wedding, in the public eye, is how lavish the food offerings are. The food must be delicious and constant — after breakfast, there’s lunch, then snacks, dinner and then midnight supper. Depending on the cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds of the couple, there might also be the need to have a constant flow of alcohol. “More than half the budget goes in just showing people how well off they are,” adds Bhanushali.

This need to show off means that in the Indian wedding space, there’s a grotesque amount of food wastage. For many people, like Jha, challenging these norms isn’t an option, since the wedding is a family affair and the bride has only a limited say in such matters. However, for those getting married in less traditional spaces, who have the option to make their voice heard, here are a few tricks to lower food and catering costs at your wedding or reception. 

Reduce plate count

For events like sangeets and cocktails, where the night runs late, it’s a must to have starters and beverages doing the rounds. Many people fill up on these alone. So Vartika Chandani, founder of The Vara Weddings, who has been in the industry for over five years now, suggests that for such events, one can have a lower plate count. If there are 200 guests, having 150 plates is enough since not everyone is going to eat a full dinner afterwards. “You can always add more plates later if needed. But if you’ve got a count of 200 plates from the start, there’s nothing you can do to save that money later,” says Chandani.

Make food an experience

For many couples today, food is a space of creativity. They’re concerned with the food’s presentation and they want it to look appealing. They’re also interested in making food a spectacle in itself. For this reason, many people choose to have several appetisers, about five vegetarian options and five non-vegetarian ones, and live counters serving pizza, pasta, dosa, chaat and so on. If you’re also looking to make food experiential, then follow this plan, and instead cut down on the number of items on the main menu. “People can’t eat more than eight to twelve varieties of food anyway. You don’t need to have too many options,” says Bhanushali.

Source locally

When planning your menu, consider the time of year and the place you’re getting married. What foods grow naturally in the area, especially if you’re doing a destination wedding? What dishes and desserts is the area known for? Given the time of year, what is naturally growing? Make it a point to hire a local chef and, together with them, design a menu that focuses on locally available foods. Thus, the menu will be unique and authentic, and at the same time, the food will also taste better since it will be fresh and local. And of course, it’s going to be cheaper. Instead of having a set menu in mind where you look to have all the popular food items, crafting a personalised menu will mean that you can take your guests on a culinary adventure and also support local businesses.

Have star dishes

Instead of having a large number of food options and having your wedding look like a replica of every other big fat Indian wedding, focus on having a few quality dishes. Highlight them as the star dishes and along with the food, offer the guests some information about the food they’re about to eat, either through write-ups on the side or through an announcement. By highlighting certain dishes, you’re encouraging guests to be more open to eating that dish and also ensuring that they eat more mindfully. “Nowadays, there are so many homegrown brands doing unique things in the food industry. Some of them offer discounted prices just to have their brand promoted at the wedding,” says Chandani. 

Limit desserts

Having two to three dessert items of different types is often more than enough. One can be a traditional Indian sweet, one can be a cake or some other Western dish, and the third can be an ice cream or sundae bar. “You can have a dessert table where you lay out your options. It’s much cheaper than opting in for the pastries and other items that hotels offer,” says Chandani.

Aftercare

Find and partner up with local NGOs so that leftover food can be donated to them instead of it just getting thrown away!