Cheap Wedding and Reception Tips

If you are getitng married and need to do so on a tight budget, there are many tips that you can follow to make sure that you r wedding and reception doesn’t break the banks. Here are some tips that will save you money when you are planning your wedding ceremony and reception.

• Trim the guest list to include only friends and family that are close to you. This is difficult to do but sometimes it is necessary if the cost per guest is going to break your budget. Think about it like this; you can simply cross off the names on the list of guests who might feel obligated to come to the wedding if they are invited, but would not be upset in the least if they are not asked to attend. Invite only the people who are important to you and your parents, rather than everyone you know.
• Have your wedding ceremony and/or reception held at a hotel area, and ask for discounts when your family and friends are staying at same hotel which they will likely give. Reserve a block of rooms for your guests several months beforehand just to be sure that all goes smoothly on the day. Speak with the appropriate manager when asking for discounts and reserving rooms.
• Stick to the schedule that you set beforehand for your ceremony and reception. Musicians will charge you a lot more if they are asked asked to perform beyond the time stated in their contract.
• Have your ceremony and reception in the same location which will make things a great deal simpler.
• Ask friends to lend their talents instead of buying a gift such as DJ’s, flowers, centerpieces etc.
• Have your wedding on a non-weekend day. Choose a weekday evening for your wedding. Schedule the wedding to allow guests time to arrive at the ceremony after the work day has ended. Many guests enjoy weekday weddings more because this frees up their weekends other things. Choose a date between November and April to avoid higher seasonal rates.
• Supply disposable cameras all over the place for people to take pictures at your wedding. It will save a lot on fancy photographers. You can also ask a friend who you know is good at taking pictures to help. You can also get your friends with digital cameras to email you all the photos they take.
• Get someone from college to help out with making a video of the ceremony. It will save you piles of money and still giving you the professional look that you may be hoping for.
• Offer a buffet instead of fancy dinners. Get your family members to each cook and bring something to add to the festivities.
• Serve beer and wine instead of expensive champagnes. Let people know that they can bring their own liquor if they prefer something else.