Your Reception can be the most expensive part of your wedding - even more than your honeymoon, so there are lots of opportunities for saving money. Don't worry, though - economising doesn't mean you have to do without all the things that make a wedding beautiful.
Music:
Hire a DJ instead of a band; or limit the time the band is required - say for four hours instead of six. Reception venues often include the DJ and MC in their packages and insist you use them. They will tell you that it saves money and protects them (they know the DJ/MC are professional and insured); but do the sums... you could save a lot; maybe enough to make a different venue a better choice for you, especially if one of your friends would like to DJ - someone who's right into your music!Flowers:
If flowers are your thing, make sure to choose ones in season locally - hothoused flowers are not necessarily more expensive, but anything that has to be trucked to the florist will be, and they are not going to look as fresh if they have been transported or stored. Talk to more than one florist before you set your heart on a particular floral style.Not everybody enjoys flowers as much as you might think - and throwing away hundreds of dollars worth of blooms the next morning is pretty wasteful; alternatives to floral decorations could result in very real savings and be better for the environment.
The Right Day:
Weddings are traditionally held on Saturdays. Other days are relatively underbooked for receptions and many places offer discounts to attract business on these less popular days. Tying the knot on a weekday could reduce your venue costs by 50% or more. A Church Reception:
If you are having a church wedding, the church may also be interested in hosting your reception. Many churches will decorate their halls for wedding receptions. They do it beautifully, they often do not even charge for the flowers, and the cost savings are significant - especially if it is your own church! You can usually opt to have the church members do the catering, hire a caterer or do it yourself - well, not you personally: you are getting married! But you know what I mean.
Food:
Consider two courses instead of three. Make the entree or appetizer a simple finger food and keep the more expensive meat/fish dishes for the mains. The wedding cake makes a really special third course.Photo Booth
My number one piece of advice to a bride and groom: hire a good photographer and have lots of family photos taken. Ten or twenty years down the road those photos will be much more important than what colour the ribbons were, or what music was played. A photo booth is a nice adjunct to the official photographer's work, but since they start at about $1000, I have fallen into the habit of setting up a mini-studio for guests to use - a camera on a tripod, a set of studio lights, a plain background with lots of fun props. I just keep a whether eye on it or leave an assistant close by in case anyone has a problem or wants their photo taken when there isn't another guest nearby to snap the picture. Lots of fun, and i don't charge for the prints. You can do the same sort of thing, or ask your photographer to organise something similar.
