Tips to Plan a Winter Wedding Reception on a Budget

A winter wedding reception on a budget is easy to put together when you know where to cut down on costs and how to find better deals. After being involved in the planning for more wedding receptions than I can keep track of, I have been able to figure out where to save money using great winter wedding reception ideas and themes.

Here are several tips to help you save money on your winter wedding reception with everything from flower selection to wedding decorations to wedding favors.

Decorations
Cheap winter wedding receptions do not have to look cheap, and with a lot of creativity when decorating your reception can look like went out all without having to worry about a budget. The most expensive thing you can do is to rent out the decorations or hire a designer to plan, buy and decorate the hall themselves. No matter what your wedding theme is, the best thing you can do is keep everything simple and elegant.

In place of elaborate lighting and centerpieces, purchase several plain glass bowls, fill them with water and add a floating candle. Dollar store glass bowls and candles look just as good as designer choices, and really, no one will know. Even better is the fact that you will not only have created a beautiful and elegant centerpiece, but romantic lighting as well. Go one step further and look for bags of colored marble or stones, to match your wedding colors and drop them into the bottom of the bowls.

Flowers
The flowers used can truly transform a winter wedding reception, so people are willing to spend an arm and a leg on their wedding flowers. There are several ways to reduce the costs and keep your wedding reception on a budget if you shop smart for your flowers and learn a couple tricks that will come in handy in the future as well. Daffodils, tulips, jasmine and amaryllis are all flowers that are very cheap during winter and in season. Also consider adding evergreen, holly and other seasonal plants to your wedding flowers.

Another great idea to save money is to buy all the flowers and arrange them yourselves, or enlist a friend to do them for you. It is very easy to create simple arrangements and bouquets and can save you a huge percentage of your flower budget. See if there is a florist or community center nearby offering a class in floral arrangement that someone in your bridal party can take.

Reception Hall
The biggest cost for a winter wedding reception is usually the rental of a hall, and most of the time it determines the rest of your budget so it pays to be very smart and frugal here. Lately, the trend in winter weddings has been to move things home, either to your parents home or the home of a family friend. If you have a friend that is willing to open their doors to host your wedding reception, that is such an incredible gift. If not, here are some other options to look into.

Scour home rentals in the area, vacation rentals or similar listings to see if you can find a cozy cabin or home to host a reception in. Many times a home rental for a week or even just a weekend is a lot cheaper than renting out a reception hall for a couple hours. Using this option makes your winter wedding reception twice as intimate and memorable because you are able to really turn the wedding into a family affair with all the comforts of home.