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These days, when you're planning your wedding, you'll be lucky if you can find food for your reception guests for under $50 per person. You have some choices if you're on a budget.

Do you choose not to feed them, or do you invite less people? How about this: Why not find some wedding recipes so that you can make your own reception food?

Making your own wedding food comes with plenty of benefits. For starters, you have more control over costs. Second, you can control the ingredients. If you want to follow specific dietary guidelines for your reception, making your own food and choosing your own ingredients is a guaranteed way to do that.

But you'll need plenty of time to plan ahead, because your wedding day is going to be busy. Be sure to test all the recipes first. Choose recipes that freeze well, or that will stay fresh in the fridge for a few days.

Get your friends and family involved. If you give them plenty of notice, several will be happy to set aside time a few days before the big day to help you make your wedding recipes.

The toughest part could very well be choosing which recipes to serve to your guests. You have thousands of choices. Peruse cookbooks at the book store, and perhaps buy a couple that each have several good ideas.

The internet might be the best resource, though. There are literally thousands of recipes on dozens of recipe sites. You could put together a fine menu with just a few hours of research.

Some things to consider serving at your reception are tea sandwiches (cucumber & cream cheese, carrot, pimento, etc.), skewered meats with elegant sauces, dips with wedges of pita bread, crackers with smoked salmon, potato skins with out-of-the ordinary toppings, etc.

You want your recipes to be tasty, but be careful that they don't resemble the ordinary kind of food you might serve at a Saturday night party. You want to serve food that will stand out in the memories of both you and your guests.