We’ve all been to a memorable wedding reception. The dancing and socialising is what makes most weddings special for the guests. I once heard it described by a groom as the perfect party, where ever you turn round there is someone you want to speak to.
Many little girls grow up dreaming of their perfect wedding day. Then they grow up, get engaged and are shocked at how expensive planning a wedding can be. The planning stage becomes a crazy time and they would find it hard to organise the perfect wedding while sticking to a planned budget. Debt should not be the first you have to worry about after your marriage. You should never start your life in debt with the person you love.
The wedding reception can be the most expensive section of your budget; the location rental, the alcohol and other drinks, the food, the band or DJ, the flowers, etc. There are ways to save money. Firstly, you are planning the reception so do not worry about pleasing your guests. They are not there to critique your decorations and food, they are there so that you can share your special day with them.
Unless you can get a great package deal that includes all the extras, it is best to just cut them out in order to reduce the cost of your reception. You would have the option to start your reception earlier in the day so you would not need to provide guests with dinner. You can provide everyone with finger foods and hour devours along with your wedding cake. You can have a champagne toast or just skip the alcohol. You can even have the option of providing a cash bar, and let the guests pay for their own alcohol while you provide free soft drinks, coffee or tea.
If you’re really looking to have a dinner reception, research and find cooking schools or culinary arts schools in your area, as sometimes they will cater an event for just the food prices. You could even have close family and friends each cook a dish for your reception. You know you would receive great food without the cost of the catering fees.
It is pretty expensive to rent fancy linen tablecloths, china, and silverware settings. Additionally, you would have to wash every item before returning it, except the tablecloths. Paper plates and plastic silverware would be a practical option as you would not have to deal with extra rental costs.
You could match the napkins, plates, and silverware with your wedding colours in order to enhance your reception settings. You could also use paper or plastic or tablecloths. Everything would be disposable so you wouldn’t have to think about returning rentals after your wedding.
If you’re still looking to save costs on your wedding reception but want great entertainment, check out local colleges and Universities for DJ’s or bands. A majority of college and University students have excellent music skills, which are assisted and developed with modern computers and technology. You could download online music and copy the playlists onto an mp3 or burn them onto a CD.
You can get a techno-savvy person that you personally know to play music at your reception. You would just need to give a playlist of your favourite music and let provide music that you know all your guests would enjoy. Make sure to give them a list ahead of schedule so that they could make some changes to the playlist if you decide to change your mind on certain songs.
You’ve just got to find ways to be creative when planning your wedding and reception but at the same time, you’ve got to cut the costs. Remember it is your wedding and if people have problems with the way you’re planning it, ask them if they would like to chip in and pay for your special day.
