Low Budget Wedding Receptions
November 8th, 2009
If you take the wedding ring out of the equation, the wedding reception is easily one of the most costly parts of any wedding. Venue costs, food costs, entertainment costs, and other expenses quickly add up, which is why many brides are trying to find ways to have a wonderful reception without having to spend an entire life savings on it. After all, that’s money that could go towards a down payment on a car or house. What’s great is that low budget wedding receptions can save you a ton of money – and you and your guests will still have an amazing time.
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The thing to remember is that when you’re off planning your low budget wedding reception, you need to make a few compromises to stay within your budget. If you’ve got your heart set on that destination wedding in Jamaica or Scotland, keeping within a reasonable budget could be mission impossible. You need to be able to keep an open mind during the planning process and consider the full spectrum of menu ideas, venue choices and even the timing. These small compromises could end up saving you a bundle, and when it’s all over, you’ll be patting yourself on the back for having some money left over.
Let’s look at a concrete example. Suppose you’re thinking about different venues for holding your wedding reception. Now, traditional venues like country clubs and hotels can get really expensive, so instead of that, what about considering the home of a close friend or family member if they have the space for a reception? Sticking to a budget could also mean scaling back the overall guest list you originally had planned and inviting only the closest friends and family members. Since a wedding is supposed to be very personal and intimate, many brides are opting for a smaller guest list and allocating more of the budget to ensure that this smaller group has an absolute blast, rather than holding a large but mediocre wedding for people that they may not even be that close to. If you hold your wedding reception at your home, you can save a lot of money by preparing food by yourself rather than hiring a caterer, and do your own decorating as well. There are tons of great decoration ideas for a wedding that you can try.
Now, when you’re planning your low budget wedding reception, don’t feel like you have to do absolutely everything yourself. After all, you should have some time to actually enjoy your special day! If you’re really not up to preparing food for so many people, then ask a caterer to prepare it and then just get it dropped off so you can set everything up and serve. Consider setting up a buffet-style dinner so that you don’t really need to hire a wait staff. If you really do need a wait staff, what about hiring some kids from the local college to help out? It would certainly be cheaper than hiring a company to do it all for you, and you’ll still have enough energy to enjoy the party.
Planning a low budget wedding reception by yourself isn’t easy unless you have a budget wedding guide. Consider picking one up and you can save yourself a bunch of headaches. It may not be as easy as getting a wedding planner to do it for you, but at least you will enter married life without a mountain of debt dragging behind you. Use the money you saved on a down payment on a house, an unforgettable honeymoon, or just sock it away for a rainy day. You’ll be glad you did!
From Other Wedding Blogs:
So besides saving money, a budget wedding can be more “you” and more meaningful for your guests. One friend’s wedding was on a beach at a state park in Massachusetts with the reception in a local art gallery.
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