Planning a Budget Wedding: How to Save Money on the Reception

In a previous article, cost-cutting tips were given for wedding photos, stationery, and flowers. When planning a wedding, the reception is one area where fees and costs can add up quickly and easily bust a wedding budget. Fortunately, there are ways to save money and still be able to entertain your guests with a lovely reception.

Saving Money By Having a Smaller Gathering: One common wedding planning mistake is inviting an outrageous number of people to the wedding. This costs extra money in mostly every facet of the wedding from invitations to favors to food. By cutting back the guest list to a reasonable number, you can save hundreds or thousands of dollars. There will be fewer people to feed and fewer tables needed to seat them, which means fewer centerpieces, tablecloths, and place-settings. As a plus, many people find more intimate gatherings preferable to large social events.

Saving Money on Food: Pinching pennies when it comes to food doesn't mean you have to sacrifice taste. Ask family and friends to assist with food preparation and set-up instead of hiring a professional catering service. If you have your ceremony at a time of day when people won't be expecting a sit-down dinner, such as mid-afternoon, you can serve heavy appetizers along with drinks and beverages instead of a meal with several courses. Serving food buffet-style will cut out any wait staff costs. Websites such as Parties That Cook offer recipes and inspiration for unique gourmet appetizers. Decorate the buffet table with candles, silk flowers, or other accents. If you plan to serve alcohol, offer a limited selection of wine or beer and perhaps a signature cocktail instead of a fully-stocked bar. Check discount bulk supply clubs like Sam's Club for deals on large quantities of food supplies and alcohol. If you and your fiance don't drink, you could save money by having a dry reception.

Saving Money on Wedding Cakes: According to Kathleen Kennedy, wedding cakes can cost more than $6 per person, and even if you're planning a small ceremony, that money can add up quickly. Often people entering the reception will take a look at the displayed cake as it sits on its own table, but by the time the party gets underway, many people will be too busy enjoying themselves to pay too much attention to the cake being served to them. Instead of purchasing a four or five tiered cake to serve all the guests from, have a simple two-tiered cake instead for display and serve guests from single layer sheet cakes that are kept "behind the scenes." Single layer cakes are cheaper and don't have to be decorated as elaborately. Another idea is to serve wedding cupcakes instead of the more traditional tiered cake. Cupcakes are trendy and can be baked and decorated in very beautiful and delicious ways, including displaying them as cupcake trees. For more ideas on wedding cupcakes, including display inspiration, click here. Also, you can save money on your wedding cake by choosing a simple design. Decorating the cake with fresh flowers or fruit can be less expensive than having a bakery create design elements from icing.

Saving Money on Entertainment: This is another area where networking and research can help out a great deal. Put up flyers or a take out an ad on Craig's List to see if any aspiring dj's will work with you on your budget. If you have a good mp3 player, computer, and speaker system you can put together a good playlist for your reception. Music schools may be willing to put together a small orchestra or string ensemble for a fee. You probably have a few friends on your Facebook list who are in bands who'd be glad to help out. Just be sure to work with whomever you hire or have helping out to make sure they play what you want and when you want.

These are just a few of the ways to save money when planning a wedding reception. Be sure to check references or ask for samples of work, especially if you decide not to go with a professional cake decorator or band. With careful planning and research, you can have a lovely wedding on a budget.

Sources:
Appetizers, Tapas, and Finger Food Recipes, Parties That Cook
11 Easy Ways to Save Money on Wedding Cakes, Kathleen Kennedy
Wedding Cupcakes