Budget Tips For Your Wedding Reception

Wedding receptions are expensive affairs and can set you back a pretty penny. However, most brides have their heart set on an all out wedding reception. Here are some ways to cut back the costs, without compromising on the quality of the wedding reception.

  • Alcohol is probably the largest expense at any wedding reception. There are several ways you can cut short the liquor budget at your wedding reception.

    • Offer punch ? virgin and spiked - instead of having a bar. This works really well if you are having a summer luncheon wedding reception.
    • Offer only wine and beer along with soft drinks, coffee and tea at the bar. Ask the staff to pass around glasses of champagne especially for the wedding toast.
    • Close the bar an hour before the wedding reception ends. Serve only cold drinks, tea and coffee afterwards.
    • If possible, choose a venue that allows you to bring your own liquor. Once you are bringing your own liquor the rates go down considerably and you can consider having an open bar at the wedding reception.

  • The venue is another large expense for the wedding reception. Think about having your wedding during off-season. Most wedding venues will be available for discounted prices during the off-season.

  • Also, booking a wedding venue for your wedding reception well in advance gives you the leverage to try and bargain for a good discount. If you cannot get a monetary discount try and wrangle some perks like valet parking at the venue for your guests.

  • Wedding cakes can get really expensive. Instead of having one single large wedding cake, order a smaller wedding cake to be cut at the wedding reception. Use this cake for display and for the cake cutting ceremony. Let the guests be served from sheet cakes inside the kitchen, which are a whole lot cheaper. You also don't need any other dessert other than the wedding cake.

  • If you are on a really tight budget, plan a cocktail wedding reception instead of one that includes a full meal. Also, discuss with your caterer, which foods are in season. Using foods that are freely available also means they are cheaper. Strawberry shortcake in the middle of summer costs a whole lot more than it does in winter!

  • Wedding photographs and wedding photographers can be expensive too. Hire a wedding photographer to take only special moments of the wedding reception. Restrict the wedding photographer right from the beginning and put him on a budget. Instead, get someone in the family or a good friend to click photographs all through the wedding. Even if you have to click 5 rolls of film to get a few good photos of the wedding reception, it will save you big bucks. Disposable wedding cameras placed at each reception table can also help you capture those special moments. Have your guests use the wedding cameras through out the reception for some wonderful candid wedding photos for pennies a photo.

    • At the end of the day, money won't make your wedding reception a success. How much fun you and your spouse have at the wedding reception will determine how much fun the guests have and how many memories you create!

    Copyright Andrea Britt, 2005. All rights reserved.

    Reprint Rights: Feel free to use this article on your website or online publication. Please remember that you must include the author's copyright, resource box and live URL links, exactly as shown below, to the author's website at the end of the article.

    Andrea Britt is owner of CharmingWeddings.com where you can find elegant, unique wedding favors, bridal shower favors, and wedding planning tips for your wedding reception and bridal shower.

    In The News:

    Google News
    Updated : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 14:08:18 GMT

    Health Buzz: Immunosuppressive Drug Warning and Other Health News - U.S. News & World Report


    dBTechno
    Health Buzz: Immunosuppressive Drug Warning and Other Health News
    U.S. News & World Report - Sep 5, 2008
    The Food and Drug Administration has asked the manufacturers of Humira, Cimzia, Enbrel, and Remicade—which belong to a class of medications known as tumor necrosis factor alpha blockers (TNF-alpha blockers)—to strengthen the warning for risk of fungal ...
    FDA urges more caution over TNF blocker infections Reuters
    Arthritis Drugs Linked to Risks From Infection New York Times
    WebMD - eFluxMedia - Scientific American
    all 622 news articles

    Publ.Date : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:23:08 GMT

    Suicide blast kills 35 in Pakistan; Zardari set to take power - International Herald Tribune


    Boston Globe
    Suicide blast kills 35 in Pakistan; Zardari set to take power
    International Herald Tribune - 53 minutes ago
    AP, The New York Times PESHAWAR, Pakistan: The death toll in a devastating suicide blast has reached 35, officials said Sunday, as Pakistan prepared for Benazir Bhutto's widower to take over as president.
    Pakistan's Zardari urged to change image and focus Reuters
    Pakistan's Zardari prepares for presidency AFP
    PRESS TV - Los Angeles Times - Monsters and Critics.com - Xinhua
    all 3,657 news articles

    Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 13:14:31 GMT

    Malkovich gets mad in Coens' 'Burn After Reading' - The Associated Press


    Canada.com
    Malkovich gets mad in Coens' 'Burn After Reading'
    The Associated Press - 36 minutes ago
    TORONTO (AP) - The Coen brothers' new movie gave John Malkovich a chance to blow off some steam. Malkovich's seething character in "Burn After Reading" bursts out in perpetual tantrums, a nice exercise in anger management, according to the actor.
    Toronto Film Festival vs. Brangelina – Who Gets the Spotlight? eFluxMedia
    Pitt Rocks to Madonna FOXNews
    Newsweek - Dallas Morning News - Los Angeles Times - Reuters
    all 331 news articles

    Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 13:31:53 GMT

    Fannie, Freddie Capital Concerns Prompt Paulson Plan (Update1) - Bloomberg


    ABC News
    Fannie, Freddie Capital Concerns Prompt Paulson Plan (Update1)
    Bloomberg - 1 hour ago
    By Dawn Kopecki and Alison Vekshin Sept. 7 (Bloomberg) -- Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson decided to take control of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac after a review found the beleaguered mortgage-finance companies used accounting methods that inflated their ...
    Video: Obama Calls for Changes in Mortgage Giants AssociatedPress
    RPT-US Treasury sets news conference;GSE plan expected Reuters
    MarketWatch - New York Times - USA Today - Forbes
    all 2,446 news articles

    Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 12:59:54 GMT

    Federer is set for his fifth consecutive US Open final (Keystone) - Swissinfo


    San Diego Union Tribune
    Federer is set for his fifth consecutive US Open final (Keystone)
    Swissinfo - 29 minutes ago
    Switzerland's Roger Federer has won his semifinal at Flushing Meadows against Novak Djokovic of Serbia in four sets, 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2.
    Video: Federer Beats Djokovic to Reach US Open Final AssociatedPress
    Federer Reaches Final Before Rain New York Times
    BBC Sport - Los Angeles Times - Fort Worth Star Telegram - Boston Globe
    all 2,879 news articles

    Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 13:38:36 GMT

    Reuters Entertainment Summary - Washington Post

    Reuters Entertainment Summary
    Washington Post - 3 hours ago
    VENICE (Reuters) - Eleven days of red carpet galas, 21 films in competition and countless interviews, photo calls and parties at the Venice film festival boiled down to just one man in the end -- Mickey Rourke.
    Aronofsky Gracefully Wrestles Golden Lion Out Of Venice eFluxMedia
    Buyers mixed on Toronto films Hollywood Reporter
    San Jose Mercury News - Bloomberg - Variety - Los Angeles Times
    all 509 news articles

    Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 10:41:41 GMT

    Michigan spared sting of West Nile - Detroit Free Press

    Michigan spared sting of West Nile
    Detroit Free Press - 6 hours ago
    BY SHERI McWHIRTER • RECORD-EAGLE • September 7, 2008 TRAVERSE CITY -- West Nile virus hasn't seriously bitten Michigan this year and seems to have spared the state's northern reaches.
    Yes, the mosquitoes were nasty this summer Yakima Herald-Republic
    Aerial survey being conducted to find mosquito breeding grounds San Jose Mercury News
    Lower Hudson Journal news - San Francisco Chronicle - Shelbyville News - Los Angeles Times
    all 362 news articles

    Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 07:53:44 GMT

    Add RSS Feeds To My Web Pages
    Increase Website Traffic


    PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

    Adsense websites

    Wedding Favors, a Special Thank You for Your Guests

    Wedding favors are as unique and varied as the couples... Read More

    The Bachelor Party: A Guide For The Best Man

    If you forget the ring, there is still a chance... Read More

    Send Flowers and Liberate Your Bridal Party From the Shackles Of Monogram Hell

    With so many ways to ask your closest friends and... Read More

    Is Your Marriage Sinking?

    Reading this article does not necessarily mean that if you... Read More

    Intimacy, What is It Really?

    Simply put, intimacy is more than sex or making love.... Read More

    An Ethical Alternative to the Conspicuous Excess of the Average Wedding

    Many happy couples are turning their backs on the traditional... Read More

    How To Choose The Right Wedding Bouquet Style

    Basically, there are three wedding bouquet styles. The cascade, round... Read More

    Unique Wedding Favors

    When it comes to consideration for the right wedding favor,... Read More

    Ditching a Wedding

    John's cousin, Grace, is getting married in Liverpool, UK and... Read More

    Toss a Garter or Two

    The tempo of the music begins to rise. Drums begin... Read More

    Family Cycle (I) - Euphoric and Dysphoric Cycles in Marriage

    Despite all the fashionable theories of marriage, the narratives and... Read More

    How to Enhance and Enrich Your Marriage

    Any marriage counselor will tell you that one of the... Read More

    Marriage Counseling: What to Do When a Spouse Flirts Too Much

    When Alicia first met Tim, she found him outgoing, charming,... Read More

    Marriage Proposals ? Why Doing It Right Will Make All the Difference

    Proposing marriage to your beloved is a very big step.... Read More

    Planning Your Honeymoon -- 6 Tips To Help

    The groom traditionally plans the honeymoon. However, most brides prefer... Read More

    The Gracious Bride

    The key to being a gracious bride is to be... Read More

    How To Choose Your Wedding Cake

    One of my favorite parts about the wedding, is the... Read More

    Todays Wedding Is Brought To You In Association With ...

    With the cost of today's weddings spiraling to astronomical levels,... Read More

    10 Ideas for Perfect Wedding Gifts

    Wedding ceremonies are the stuff fairy tales are made of.... Read More

    Bora Bora Honeymoon Vacations

    Poets, sailors, honeymooners and other romantics have officially declared this... Read More

    50th Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas

    A 50th anniversary gift commemorates a milestone most married couples... Read More

    10 Valentines Day Tips for Spouses Who Want to Improve Their Marriage

    The best and most valuable gifts are often not material... Read More

    Helping The Control Freak Plan The Wedding

    My daughter and fiancé have finally set the "big day"... Read More

    All The Details: 25 Ways to Make Your Wedding a Unique and Truly Memorable Event

    If you've been to one wedding, you've seen it all.... Read More

    Writing Your Own Wedding Vows

    Your wedding vows are the words that will forever remain... Read More