Weddings are expensive.
But you can cut costs without anyone missing, well, what's missing.
Reception
1. Cut the guest list. This will slash your catering costs and save on invitations and even the number of centerpieces.
2. Think off-peak season and save thousands! In Ohio, off-peak is November - February.
3. Hold your ceremony and reception in one spot -- it will cut travel time for vendors you pay by the hour.
4. Skip the Saturday wedding. Have a Friday night wedding or an early afternoon Sunday wedding!
5. Have bigger tables so you need fewer centerpieces and tablecloths.
6. Shop the off-season for extra decor -- get modern black vases on sale after Halloween and pretty pink ones after Valentine's Day.
Flowers
7. Use more greenery than flowers.
8. Swap out costly flowers -- did you know peonies can be five times more expensive than roses?
9. Stick to just one or two kinds of flowers.
10. Buy flowers that are in season. Ask Enchanting Flowers about what flowers are in season for your wedding!
11. Include non-florals, like lanterns.
Food & Drink
12. Serve entree duets.
13. Skip the main course -- apps and drinks are fine too.
14. Offer beer, wine, and a signature cocktail instead of a full bar.
15. Serve comfort foods like barbecue chicken, mac and cheese, and corn. It's fun and often cheaper.
16. Skip the champagne toast.
Cakes
17. Order a small one or two-tiered cake and then supplement cake with a larger sheet cake (hidden back in the kitchen).
18. Keep the add-ons simple.
19. Use fresh flowers, not sugar ones.
20. Reuse ceremony flowers for the cake table.
21. Skip exotic fillings like guava and mango.
Stationery & Favors
22. Make your response card a postcard.
23. Give out one favor per couple.
24. Make your cake the favors.
25. Have favors double as escort cards.
26. Order save-the-date postcards. Your Perfect Day offers 100 custom made save the dates for $35.
27. Have a candy table. This can be cheaper than individual favors and buy your candy after the holidays (Easter, Halloween, etc)
Photo, Video & Music
28. Have a photographer you love but can't afford the prices? Ask them if they have a hourly package instead of a full-day package.
29. Hire a band or DJ who can do both the ceremony and the reception. (like Ultimate Nights)
30. Ask you band or DJ if you can play a CD during the dinner hour instead of having them work it.
Planner
31. Meet with Your Perfect Day as soon as you get engaged or half way through your planning. We offer FREE advice for all your wedding needs.
Thank you to The Knot for this article!
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ReplyDeleteBeautiful guide thanks for sharing. I think that wedding reception needs to be perfect and it is so easy to make it. With so many guides like this you can do that for free, I'm also sharing some Wedding Reception Decorating tips on my blog.venues
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