Expert Advice from wedding guru, Sharon Naylor

Answer:

A cocktail party will be economical IF you choose the right foods for it!! Some couples start off planning a cocktail party thinking they'll save a certain % off the reception, and the menu choices quickly add up to an expense of more than a sit-down dinner!! So talk with your caterer about dressing up the more inexpensive menu items like pasta and chicken -- such as using a great, gourmet sauce -- having one moderately-priced station such as a sushi bar with veggie sushi and one seafood-filled sushi choice, and keep in mind that a sit-down dinner with a salad and a combination platter [grilled shrimp, grilled beef medallions with a mushroom sauce, fab veggies and garlic fries] costs *less* than the give-each-guest-a-choice entree. So you may be able to do the cocktail party AND a lovely sit-down dinner that looks like you spent a lot but didn't.

Fill your cocktail party stations and buffets with great, lush salads and noodle dishes that allows guests to add their own crab or lobster garnish on top of a noodle dish, fresh veggie dishes like Mediterranean kabobs with hummus dipping sauce, spoonfuls of diced mango and shrimp -- guests love these non-fried, non-greasy foods because they don't get them at every wedding, and they don't feel sick afterward!! Skip the cheese cube station and the raw seafood bar [guests get their seafood in salads and as garnishes], and ask your caterer to tell you about which seafoods and meats are priced well right before your wedding according to market conditions and pricing. It may be that the tilapia costs a LOT less than salmon, or that there's so much crab on the market that you can serve crab claws on a station for far less than you expected.

Work with your caterer to choose individual menu options that all work out to a nice, low budget and give guests enough to eat without it being too cheap-looking with a pasta bar, mashed potato bar and not much else!!