Who doesn't want to save money on their wedding? Happily, there are tons of ways to trim your reception costs.
Learn how to have an elegant wedding on a budget by taking advantage of these great money-saving reception ideas.
Is there a person alive who does not love dessert? Nope, didn't think so! A fantastic way to cut your reception costs is to host a dessert reception instead of the cocktail hour and dinner.
The wedding cake will be the centerpiece, of course, and you can also have some other delicious sweets like brownies, tarts, pies, and lemon squares.
Serve a couple of signature cocktails, Champagne or sparkling wine, soft drinks, coffee, and tea to complement the desserts.
The best time to have a dessert reception is in the late evening so that guests will have already eaten dinner.
Be sure to note "dessert reception to follow" on your invitations so no one skips dinner in anticipation of a seated meal at your wedding.
Whenever possible, try to save money on your reception by making items do double duty.
Tie a leaf shaped tag with a name to the stem of a perfect pear and you have an elegant combination place card and favor.
Decorate the ceremony site with baskets of flowering seasonal plants like mums or geraniums, and move them to the dinner tables at the reception.
Your bridesmaids' bouquets can be popped into waiting vases of water at the reception to be used as centerpieces or decorations for the gift table, guest book table, or cake stand.
If you pinned a fancy brooch to the bouquet handles as the bridesmaid gifts, be sure each girl removes her pin before putting her flowers in water.
You would be amazed at how much you can save just by leaving some little things out.
Do you really need fancy chargers, napkin rings, or engraved dinner menus for the reception tables? Nope.
Will your guests notice if you don't use top shelf liquor for cocktails? Probably not, so instruct the bartender to serve premium label liquor only if the guests requests a specific brand.
Opt for fewer passed hors d'ouevres and more self-serve stations to cut back on the number of servers needed.
If you have a creative side, consider making some of your own reception decorations to trim costs.
In some cases, just sourcing your own items will make them less expensive.
How much does your florist charge to supply ivory taper candles, and could you buy your own online for less? For that matter, would you be better off purchasing your flowers online or from a grocery store and making your own centerpieces? If you like the look of decorations suspended over the reception tables, make strings of festive paper flowers (handcrafted decorations are very trendy right now), instead of renting chandeliers.
You might need to enlist your bridesmaids to help you out if you have a lot of diy projects; just be sure not to overwork them and to show your appreciation with gorgeous bridesmaid gifts.
You can also save money on your reception by running a tight ship.
Instruct the d.
j.
or band not to stay overtime, and ask that they play a couple of wind-down songs to give people the hint that the party is about to end.
Be aware of things that could incur penalties from your venue, and take steps to avoid them.
These could include the reception running late, items being left behind, smoking in unauthorized places, or even ladies with high heels putting holes in the golf course at a country club reception.
Inquire about expenses like delivery fees for rentals, and see if a friend with a truck could pick them up for you instead.
If your venue allows it, bringing in your own cases of wine and paying a corkage fee may still be less than buying wine through the venue or caterer.
Before you know it, you will have saved so much money on your reception that you will be able to splurge on a great romantic honeymoon!