Hidden Secrets to your Wedding Reception that will help you save-Dunhill Tuxedos Bridal Blog

We all have our dream weddings in mind, and then our budget gets written out and that means it is time to get creative.  We have assembled some hidden secrets of wedding planning that might help inspire  your creativity to help you save money in your Reception budget, still having your very own dream wedding.  Some sacrifices might have to be made, but we have broken down our ideas in categories of: location, wedding date, grand exit and little details.  Go ahead and see if some of these can apply to your big day, as well as your checkbook….

Location, Location, Location

Try to think of someone you know that has a beautiful home with a big enough backyard to hold a Reception.  Ask them if they would be willing to let you use it.

Check local parks and gardens to see what kind of park and recreational fee you have to pay, most of the time, it is a small fee to use these spaces since they are town/state/public owned.

Holding the ceremony and reception at the same place can save you money, less deposits, booking fees.  If you wish to see have your ceremony at your place of worship, check with the facility to see if they rent out an attached building.  Use your creativity in decorating this area with using white lights on any potted trees/plants that are already in there, invest in tulle to hang from the ceiling and fabric to make a back drop behind the head table.  Tulle is a very inexpensive fabric that can be purchased at any discount department store with a fabric department ( i.e Walmart)

Check with your Alma matar or local university to see if they have a venue for an event.  Usually these type of venues are cheaper in price.  They may have limits on some things such as alcohol and open flame, but just alter your day to fit these things and to steal the price.

If you are going with a wedding hall as a venue, remember to compare the cost of the rental fee, gratuity, food, beverages, parking, set-up fees and the cost of rentals or what might be included (tables, chairs, canopies, etc.) Some places may have more charges than others that will waive them.

Making the Getaway

Renting traditional wedding vehicles can be pretty expensive…but if you’re looking for an alternative to save…..

Find a classic car dealer or owner that might let you rent it for your wedding day or at least for picture sake–so you can save money on the limo

Rent your dream car from a dealer for a day.  By putting the groom in charge of this task, might be a good chance to get him involved in the planning

If you have a personal connection to firefighters or police officers, it might be cute and a way to represent you as a couple to have your veil flying out of one of these vehicle as you make your exit.

Ride out into the sunset on someone’s high end motorcycle.  This is a personal touch on the day and can make for a cute picture opportunity.

If you’re going for more of the rustic twist on the big day, and happen to love horses, see if you can find horse owners that would be willing to lend over a couple of guys for this task.

Selecting the Date

-Wedding venue rates tend to be cheaper in the “wedding off season”.  Usually the months that fall into that time period are January, February(excluding Valentine’s Day), March and November.

Instead of a prime wedding time being a Saturday night, opt for a Friday night, Saturday afternoon or Sunday wedding day.  This will most likely give you a 15-20% off deal on your venue by choosing these times.

Stay away from wedding dates on holidays like sweetest day and Valentine’s Day for the cost of flowers may go up/May-time brides beware of prom time rates.

Little Details

Of course, the quickest way to cut your budget is by limiting the guest list.  This will cut down the money in food, alcohol, favors, cake, invitation and many other costs. Make a list of rules that you and your fiancée and both set of parents must follow to invite (i.e. how long it has been since you’ve seen this person, will they make our wedding more fun, do they want to come-or will they feel obligated etc) Remember though if you are going to make this list, the courteous thing to do would be to invite you groom along with both set of parents to write and create the “who to invite rule list”.

Utilize your friends and family member’s talents.  You can save tons of money by gathering the ones closest to you that play instruments, sing, know a thing or two about flower arrangements, calligraphy or others in the wedding industry.  Use your creativity and this could be a great money saver.

Reuse ceremony flowers for the reception.  Use these on the escort table, extra flowers for the centerpieces, gift table, cake table or anywhere else you can use your imagination to place.

Until next time….Happy Wedding Planning!