Colorado-Denver

Inexpensive Catering

My fiancé and I are getting married 6/13/2010, but are having a terrible time trying to find caterers that fit our budget.  Our entire wedding budget is about $6000 as we are paying for the wedding ourselves as well as buying a house...so finding an inexpensive, but good caterer is important.  We would like to do a medium to heavy appetizer buffet due to the time of the reception (4:30-7-ish).  Does anyone know of any good caterers in the Denver area?  We are getting married at the Richards-Hart Estate in Wheatridge - which has no cooking facilities, but there is refrigeration.  We thought about doing BBQ or even a luau type theme with a pig roast, but haven't decided if it will fit the budget and if a roasting pig would terrify the daylights out of the children who will be attending.  Suggestions?  Any help would be greatly appreciated.  We are also in need of inexpensive rentals: chairs, tables, linens, outdoor tents, etc.???  Any help?    

Re: Inexpensive Catering

  • edited December 2011
    It often depends on how many people you are talking.  We went with Bennett's BBQ- they are doing an awesome buffet for us- complete with beef brisket sliced on site, turkey or chicken, spare ribs all with sauce on the side, rolls and butter, mac and cheese, mashed portoes, cole slaw, BBQ beans, non-alcoholic bevs, etc, etc.  They also have menay other choices.  Rheannon is their catering contact and she is AWESOME!  For all of this for 150 adults cost us about $2300! 
  • edited December 2011
    I don't have suggestions for rentals since I have to use the exclusive linen company of my venue. However, I, too, am on a strict budget and found two companies that had amazing food within our budget. The caterer we chose is The Gourmet Kitchen. They are based in Arvada. We are paying $19.99 per person for two entrees, a veggie, a starch, and a salad. Our appetizer was complimentary. They offered other buffet options for cheaper prices, so I'm sure you'd be able to get something delicious and affordable for an apps reception. They specialize in multicultural and organic food, Hawaiian food being one of their popular menus, so if you went the luau route, that would work out well. They are BBB accredited, have many community ties (i.e. farmer's markets), and many satisfied clients which made them a great choice for us. The second caterer was a top contender to be our caterer, but we did not choose them because they did not have a menu as diverse as The Gourmet Kitchen. The second caterer is Canon Catering, based in Englewood/Littleton. They travel and do not charge outrageous delivery fees. They, too, offered a buffet menu with the same elements for about $19.99. They also have other menus for cheaper prices. Their apps menu was very impressive, so if you do an apps only reception, I'm sure they will not disappoint. The chef has more of a flair for contemporary American and Southwest cuisine, so I cannot vouch for how the Hawaiian luau would play out. They are a preferred vendor for Hudson Gardens and a few other places. Good luck!
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  • edited December 2011
    Our caterer, Rocky Mountian Catering, was really flexible and willing to work with us on our budget of $2000 for 80 people. Gordon is sometimes hard to get a hold of and doesn't respond to email consistantly, but their food is good, and they will work with you on your budget, so I think it's a pretty fair tradoff. They also offer pretty nice plasticwear instead of renting silverwear and china (this saved us hundreds of dollars). Gordon also knows many different options for rentals and can work that into your budget as well. If you end up calling them, let them know Jessi Foreman sent you, I don't get anything from that, I just want them to know I appreciate their help on our limited budget. www.rockymountaincateringcolorado.comGood luck! I know how challenging it is to pull off a wedding on a small buget.
  • edited December 2011
    Oh I forgot to say that Bennett's was about $10-13 per person depending on what you get.  :)
  • edited December 2011
    Jubilations Catering!!
  • princeatudeprinceatude member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I went to a wedding this summer that did a Qdoba bar and it was very tasty and inexpensive. They come and set it up and then you just throw the mess away. The nice thing about that is also that you can save all the racks the food sits on and take them back for free food!
  • edited December 2011
    Our total wedding budget was $5000. We had a pretty casual wedding, and we went with a Qdoba burrito bar. It cost us around $700 for 60 people. Although they provide plates, napkins, and plastic cutlery, we used vintage china, then bought our own high-end plastic cutlery and napkins. We bought appetizer trays from SuperTarget. Going this route allowed us to avoid paying all sorts of service fees and we had enough money to have an open bar all night, which was important to us.I have seen quite a few caterers who do BBQ for around $12-15 per person, although I don't have any specific recommendations.
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