The reception can be the most expensive part of your wedding; the location rental, food, alcohol and other beverages, the DJ or band, flowers, and the place settings, etc. However there are ways to cut costs. First of all it is your reception; do not worry about pleasing your guests. They are supposed to be there to share in your special day, not to critique the food and the decorations. We have been to many weddings and receptions and I can’t remember ever thinking that anything they did was tasteless or tacky. I don’t recall caring whether or not they had extravagant decorations or simple centerpieces. That was not why we were. One of the easiest ways to cut the expense of your reception is to cut all the extras. Unless you can get a great package deal that includes all the bells and whistles, you don’t need them. You can choose to have your reception earlier in the day so you don’t have to provide guests with dinner. You can have hour devours and finger foods. You can skip the alcohol (this alone will save a lot). Another option is by having a cash bar, let guests pay for their own alcohol while you provide just tea, coffee, punch or soft drinks. Someone wants to get toasted; they can do it on their own dime. If you really want to have a dinner reception check your area for culinary arts schools or cooking schools, sometimes they will cater an event for just the cost of food the experience they get is their reward. You could even have pot luck. Have your close friends and family each cook a special dish for your reception. You are bound to have great food without the cost of a caterer. Skip the fancy linen tablecloths, china, and silverware settings save your money for other areas of your wedding. I couldn’t believe how much the rental fee for those items would be. Paper plates and plastic silverware are fine. No one will be insulted because you didn’t have fancy table settings. You can coordinate the plates, napkins, and silverware with your wedding colors and it will look very pretty. You can also use plastic or paper tablecloths. Everything will be disposable and you won’t have to worry about returning rentals when you should be enjoying your honeymoon. If you want decent entertainment, check out local colleges for bands or DJ’s. With modern technology and computers many college students have excellent music skills. Music can be downloaded from the internet and saved on an MP3 player or burned onto a CD. Just give them a play list of certain songs you want played at certain times and make sure they have plenty of your type of music on hand. Give them a list a head of time so they can download any specific songs you may want. Be creative when planning your wedding and reception and find ways to cut costs. Remember it is your wedding and your loved ones will be thrilled just to be with you on your wedding day. Best Wishes and Congratulations!!
