Reception Budget Tips:
Compliments of: www.yourweddingkit.com
Budget Tips For Your Wedding Reception
Author: Andrea Britt
Wedding receptions are expensive affairs and can set you
back a pretty penny. However, most brides have their heart
set on an all out wedding reception. Here are some ways to
cut back the costs, without compromising on the quality of
the wedding reception.
Alcohol is probably the largest expense at any wedding
reception. There are several ways you can cut short the
liquor budget at your wedding reception.
Offer punch – virgin and spiked - instead of having a bar.
This works really well if you are having a summer luncheon
wedding reception.
Offer only wine and beer along with soft drinks, coffee and
tea at the bar. Ask the staff to pass around glasses of
champagne especially for the wedding toast.
Close the bar an hour before the wedding reception ends.
Serve only cold drinks, tea and coffee afterwards.
If possible, choose a venue that allows you to bring your
own liquor. Once you are bringing your own liquor the rates
go down considerably and you can consider having an
open bar at the wedding reception.
The venue is another large expense for the wedding
reception. Think about having your wedding during
off-season. Most wedding venues will be available for
discounted prices during the off-season.
Also, booking a wedding venue for your wedding reception
well in advance gives you the leverage to try and bargain
for a good discount. If you cannot get a monetary discount
try and wrangle some perks like valet parking at the venue
for your guests.
Wedding cakes can get really expensive. Instead of having
one single large wedding cake, order a smaller wedding cake
to be cut at the wedding reception. Use this cake for
display and for the cake cutting ceremony. Let the guests be
served from sheet cakes inside the kitchen, which are a
whole lot cheaper. You also don’t need any other dessert
other than the wedding cake.
If you are on a really tight budget, plan a cocktail wedding
reception instead of one that includes a full meal. Also,
discuss with your caterer, which foods are in season. Using
foods that are freely available also means they are cheaper.
Strawberry shortcake in the middle of summer costs a whole
lot more than it does in winter!
Wedding photographs and wedding photographers can be
expensive too. Hire a wedding photographer to take only
special moments of the wedding reception. Restrict the
wedding photographer right from the beginning and put him on
a budget. Instead, get someone in the family or a good
friend to click photographs all through the wedding. Even if
you have to click 5 rolls of film to get a few good photos
of the wedding reception, it will save you big bucks.
Disposable wedding cameras placed at each reception table
can also help you capture those special moments. Have your
guests use the wedding cameras through out the reception for
some wonderful candid wedding photos for pennies a photo.
At the end of the day, money won’t make your wedding
reception a success. How much fun you and your spouse have
at the wedding reception will determine how much fun the
guests have and how many memories you create!
Copyright Andrea Britt, 2005. All rights reserved.
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