How to Save Money on a Wedding Reception

In today's economy more and more people are cutting back on their spending habits. Whether clipping coupons, waiting until something goes on sale, or completely avoiding a shopping mall, people are going to great lengths to keep their wallets full.

This also applies to today's bride as she too is trying to find ways to cut costs when planning her wedding and although she can't use coupons there are practical and simple ways that she can save money on her wedding reception.

Beverage Service-A wedding reception is fun, exciting, and full of entertainment but can also be quite expensive. In order to save money on a wedding reception, brides should consider serving non-alcoholic beverages such as soft drinks and tea or she can have the beverages catered by a traveling coffee barista. Although many enjoy celebrating with alcohol adjusting the drink menu may be necessary and will ultimately save the bride a lot of money.

Food-There are a variety of ways that brides can save money when it comes to serving food. She can contact a local culinary school to see if they would be interested in providing the catering, as many are willing to do so at a fraction of the cost. Brides can also save money on the wedding reception by selecting a certain type of catering. For instance a catered meal is usually more expensive if brides want a sit-down dinner so she can save a lot of money by choosing to have the dinner buffet-style. This also gives the guests a variety of food options. The final way brides can save money is by having a potluck dinner vs. a catered meal. Not only is this a great alternative it also ensures every guest will enjoy their meal as they will all bring a dish.

Church Flowers-Every church has certain rules and regulations and although the majority of churches allow for flowers to be brought into the church, they may not allow the bride to take them out as they often consider it to be a donation. If this is the case a bride can save money on the church flowers by sharing the expense with the bride that is getting married prior to her own ceremony. This will drastically cut down the cost of the flowers and truly benefits all involved.

DIY Wedding Favors-The average cost of wedding favors is approximately $3.75 per piece. When that figure is multiplied by the number of guests, a bride can end up paying hundreds of dollars on wedding favors alone. Instead of purchasing ready-made wedding favors a bride should enlist the help of her future mother-in-law and create them herself. Not only is this a great way to save money on the wedding reception it's a great opportunity for them to bond with each other.

DIY Centerpieces-Today's centerpieces are quite different than those of the 50s as they are creatively unique and more costly. A great way for brides to save money on their wedding reception is by hand-making the centerpieces. Stores like "Michael's" and "Hobby Lobby" are great places where a bride can obtain DIY instruction books or she can visit her local discount store to purchase items that she'll incorporate into her centerpieces.

Even though a bride wants to save money it doesn't mean she has to settle for low quality items and/or service. These suggestions can act as a guide and are not only easy on the wallet but they will enable the bride to use her creative side as well.