5 Ways to Save on Your Wedding Reception

Our soon to be daughter-in-law is trying to come up with ways to save on her October wedding. The costs of a traditional wedding can mount up to around $20,000 dollars. With difficult economic times, we are trying to help her to come up with ways to save on her wedding expenses. One of the biggest costs is the reception. I have been with her to a couple of caterers to discuss their menus and prices and was totally surprised to find how expensive caterers are. The menu and price range runs the gamut from chicken wings for $12.00 a plate to lobster for $25. If you invite just one hundred guests, those costs can be from $1200 to $2500. In addition to this, they charge extra for the hors d'oeuvres and anything fancy like carved ice figures.My daughter-in-law has asked for my help to come up with some different ideas on how to hold a reception, but save money. It depends on what type of wedding you are planning, whether or not these suggestions will work for you.

1) A backyard reception. Many couples are deciding to skip the catering, and invite everyone over to Mom's and Dad's or their own house for a cookout after the wedding. This can be set up as fancy are simply as you want, just by adding certain foods and decorations. It is also important to make sure that you have plenty of help. The last thing the bride wants, is to be cooking and serving on her wedding day. You can save money with a backyard reception by buying the food in bulk from super centers. Tables can be rented, as well as table cloths from wedding supply stores.

2) Cater the reception yourself. You can decided to buy the food yourself and have someone cook it. My daughter in law is not opting for this , as everyone who would help is in some way involved in the wedding. This is what I did for my own wedding years ago. I bought the chicken, mixed vegetables, cheese potatoes wedges, and rolls and had a couple of friends help me put everything together the day before. All that had to be done was putting everything quickly in the oven the day of the wedding. My three friends simply left the wedding early and while we had our first dance and toast, they finished up the food.

3) Barbecue restaurants will sell their food in bulk for big events. Nothing is simpler than picking up the food the morning of the wedding, and delivering it. Most restaurants require you to pick it up as they won't bring it to you. Some people may not like the idea of barbecue, but it sure is a cheap way to go. I checked with the local Woody's and you can serve 100 people, barbecue, slaw, beans, roll and banana pudding for $600. When you have a limited quantity of food, you want to make sure you have someone to serve or you will run out.

4) Narrow down the reception to just refreshments. Who said you had to serve a huge meal? Your the one getting married, why should you have to put out that much money for people you haven't seen in years. you can serve pigs in a blanket, barbecues meatballs, dip and chips, and other refreshments for a lot less than you can cater.

5) I have two friends who recently went this route. They actually provided the meat, bread, desert and drink , and had guests bring a covered dish. I had never heard of a covered dish reception before, and frankly I wouldn't do it. Seems a bit cheap to ask your guests to bring a dish to the wedding. But on the other hand, they are eating for free.

These are just a few suggestions of how to save on the reception. Anyway to cut costs, helps in the long run.AFter all a wedding can be one of the most costly things you take part in during your lifetime.