By Aaron Hu

A word to the wise, always shop around, even if you are pleased with the first food caterer you find, when it comes to your wedding you really need to do some shopping to ensure the very best price for the very best service. Here are just a few of the charges you can expect from many of the food catering companies that service weddings.

The dreaded carving station charge. That is right, if you serve roast beef or anything else that has to be carved off the carcass of any dead animal, then you will be paying for a carving station. This is the part of the serving line that carves the cut of meat your guest will be consuming. As human beings, the ratio of meat eaters to vegetarians is approximately ten thousand to one so be prepared to serve meat. Caterers charge $2.00 to $3.00 more per head to any function that serves carved meat. To their credit, they will try to talk you out of serving anything that needs to be carved on the spot if they think it will hurt your budget, (you can't afford it) and will go to great lengths to offer alternatives.

Many people do not realize that besides the food and miscellaneous charges, like the carving station, the cook or chef receives $30.00 per hour. This is included in the final tab minus gratuity. Tipping is optional but once you have seen these professionals in action, you will probably want to tip. These chefs are amazing at what they do an d how they contribute to the success of your wedding reception.

Bar service is an extremely expensive part of your wedding budget. This statement is sad, but true. Prices rarely go down but very often go up and unless you are willing to serve everyone yourself, be prepared to pay $25.00 bucks per hour for the bartender. Another $22.50 per hour if you hire a server to run drinks to the guests who prefer to remain seated. This, on top of the bar tab and set up fees will be a HUGE part of your budget. (18% off the top, of course)

You can cater your wedding to include an appetizer, a main course, plus a salad and dessert for a reasonable amount of money, however, when you add hors d oeuvres, the price per head starts going up. A simple meal with a salad/soup combo may be sufficient for your needs depending on your guests and what you would deem to be suitable venue. For the record, chicken is still one of the least expensive and tastiest ways to go.

These were just a few of the charges you can expect to see when planning your wedding. There are many, many small charges that add up to one great big bill. Even your wedding favors can be expensive so rather than go with glass or crystal, try some really neat coffee and tea wedding favors or chocolate wedding favors. There are many small shortcuts you can take to keep that wedding from growing out of proportion and out of your budget. Especially if you have family members who have the special talents you need and are willing to work for less than you would pay an outside professional. Trying to save a few bucks does not make you cheap, it makes you smart!

Looking for discounted beach wedding favors? After doing some price comparison and research, I found that E-WeddingFavors.com has the biggest selection of cheap wedding favors, bridal shower favors and much more, all at the best prices online.

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