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!

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.

MORE RESOURCES:

RELATED ARTICLES

Las Vegas Wedding Receptions
Las Vegas wedding receptions are where people tend to go absolutely wild. For most people, the ceremony is not where the real action is.

Lingerie Party Ideas: Tips to Help Break the Ice
Are you in the process of planning that last special party for the soon to be bride?Before you go strait to the "good stuff", you may want to break the ice with some fun and games. Not only will people feel more comfortable but the event itself will be much more memorable.

Flower Girl Flowers
There are many options available to adorn your flower girl with flowers! Here are some creative ideas to consider for the flower girl in your wedding party.A popular idea is to have your flower girl carry a decorative basket with rose petals.

Alternatives to Diamond Rings - What Choices Do You Have?
There is little doubt that planning a wedding can be one of the most expensive times in your life, and the various costs can seem particularly draining as you struggle to find the funds to allow you set up home and begin your new life together. So for many couples, jewelry is not a priority at this time, but as even frugal lovers want to celebrate their love by purchasing an engagement ring, many couples are wondering whether there are any good alternatives to diamond rings available.

Renewing Your Marriage Vows - On the Right Side of the Law
Movies, sitcoms and soapies made in the United States could mislead Australian couples into inadvertently breaking the law when they renew their marriage vows.In various countries in the world, including the United States, it may not be illegal to go through a form of marriage ceremony if you are already married to each other.

Cancun Honeymoon Vacation - Pleasure Unlimited!
The Cancun honeymoon vacation comes with its bagage of sweet promises of fulfilment and bliss for one and all. Lying in the lap of nature in the arms of your loved one is one of the many cherished experiences you would have in a Cancun honeymoon vacation.

What Can We Learn From the "Runaway Bride" Story?
Have you heard enough about the "Runaway Bride" yet? Well, stay tuned. This story is not going to wind down for a while.

Choosing the Wedding Disc Jockey
Your wedding day is the day when all the details that you've always thought about will come together and planing that day may take more than a year to plan. Having the right disc jockey playing the perfect music and creating the atmosphere can get you surprised bringing family and friend closer than ever before.

What Has Worked For Us (Brief Reflections On Enjoying 36 Years Of Marriage)
WHAT HAS WORKED FOR USBrief Reflections On Enjoying 36 Years Of Marriage� Lee Wise All rights reservedFor some reason or another I had a passing thought today. I was reflecting on our marriage and I wondered.

A Summer Wedding
THE sunshine had come out to ensure the wedding of footballer Benji and his wife-to-be Sabine had the perfect backdrop. For the month before the excitement had been growing amongst the players and supporters of St Cernin de l'Herm, a village in the south west of France, as the day came ever closer.

Nine Ways to Save Money on Wedding Photography
Weddings are memorable events couples and their families want to remember forever, and what better way to capture these moments than by a camera. Weddings may be gone, but the feeling of joy will always stay because of the wonderful moments captured on film.

Finding the Perfect Bridesmaid Gift
The bridesmaid gift is essential to the planning of a wedding. While many may believe that a wedding is all about the bride, it is still important to show appreciation to your bridesmaids.

Invitation Anatomy 101 - Optional Components - Part 2 of 3
Hopefully, you've read my prerequisite lesson "Invitation Anatomy 101 - Typical Components". If not, I would highly recommend reviewing that article first.

Wedding Favors
Your Wedding Favors are a little bit of your wedding that your guests get to take away with them.What to hand out? What says my wedding? Is it sugared almonds or posies of flowers? These days the sky is the limit when it comes to Wedding Favors.

The Monogram Theme Wedding
Monograms are a huge trend in weddings, to the point where they feature strongly in some, and in others, provide the actual theme. And what's not to like about monograms? They're elegant, understated, versatile, and a dramatic visual reminder of your new life together.

Marriage Advice: Eight Steps to Marital Harmony
The formula for marital harmony and success is not a mysterious secret. It's actually very straightforward.

Get The Bling Without The Sting - Affordable Engagement Rings
Just because you don't have a lot of money doesn't mean you can't find an affordable engagement ring that looks like it cost a fortune.Tips on getting more diamond for your dollar when choosing an affordable engagement ring.

Secrets of a Happy Marriage
My husband and I have a perfect marriage.There.

Honeymoon Destinations
Your big day is now over all the stress of preparing for that one day is a fond memory, now its time to enjoy the best part of the whole celebration, which is of course the honeymoon. Whether it be a skiing trip in Angola or a Caribbean cruise this is going to be the best holiday of your life so make room in your budget and splash out.

Displaying Your Wedding Bouquet
The great day has come and gone, and you are now happily married. You now want to showcase your silk bouquet as a memory of the wonderful occasion.