Save Money on Your Wedding Reception

Many couples nowadays are opting to pay for their own wedding, and even if you have parents who want to contribute to the wedding, you should aim to keep within budget. Your wedding day is the first day of the rest of your lives together, so it’s not a good idea to submurge yourselves in unneccesary debt.

The largest portion of your wedding budget will be allocated to your reception, so consider these money saving tips to help eliminate extra expense at your reception.

Cut out the extra’s

Unless you can get a great package deal that includes all the bells and whistles, you don't need them. Have your reception earlier in the day so you don't have to provide guests with a sit down dinner. Alternatively provide hors' d'oeuvres and finger foods along with your wedding cake. You can also skip the alcohol and just provide champagne for the toast and perhaps one or two bottles of wine per table. Another option is to have a cash bar for the alcohol, and provide water, juices, tea and coffee for the guests.

Bon appetite!

If you decide on a dinner reception and your venue will allow an outside caterer to provide the meal, check your area for culinary arts schools or cooking schools – they sometimes cater events for just the cost of the food!

Buffet is better

A buffet meal works out less expensive per head than that of a three course plated meal. You can get away with providing your guests with a variety of meal choices instead of one expensive meal option.

Keep it simple

Skip the hiring of fancy linen, china and silverware settings. Make use of what the venue has to offer - use their plain white linen and add colour with your flower arrangements and the stationery placed on the tables.

Don’t go overtime

When meeting with your service providers, such as photographers and musicians, make sure that you are aware of their contracted hours and what they’ll charge if they stay late – and try not to have them stay longer than what you’ve paid them for.