Planning A Cheap Wedding Reception

After your wedding ceremony, most couples offer their guests refreshments at a reception hall where everyone can be social and enjoy each other’s company. There are many traditional items and activities found at a wedding reception including food, drinks, and dancing. However, if you are on a tight budget but still want to offer your guests an enjoyable experience, finding room in your budget for everything you want to do can be a little tough. Fortunately, there are some tips that can help you when planning a cheap wedding reception that will help you keep everything within your budget without having to lose out on any of the fun activities.

Avoiding Waste

One of the easiest ways to save money on your wedding reception is to avoid waste. The best way to accomplish this is to know the exact number of people coming to your wedding reception so you don’t buy too much food, beverages, and other expensive items. Everything from the amount of wedding cake you buy to the number of chairs and tables you need to rent can hinge on the number of guests you will be expecting, so try to have as accurate of a head count as possible to keep waste to a minimum.

Know Your Exact Budget

In order to keep costs under control, you need to know exactly how much money you are working with. The best way to do this is to figure out the most important expense that relate to the ceremony and see what you have left in your budget. That way, you can have a set number in mind when you start looking at reception venues, caterers, and other expenses associated with your wedding reception.

Have Inexpensive Wedding Favors

Having a cheap wedding reception means you’ll need to cut down on expenses in certain areas, and one of the least noticeable places will be your wedding favors. You can easily choose items that are inexpensive but very fun such as wedding sparklers that will keep your guests entertained. Instead of buying expensive trinkets for your guests to take home, you can find inexpensive items that will add to the fun during the reception to make it a more enjoyable experience while also saving some money.

Keep Decorations Cheap

Much like the wedding favors, you can save a lot of money by keeping the decorations cheap. Consider making your own decorations such as centerpieces and chair covers while using inexpensive table clothes to round things out. The more you do yourself in regards to decorating the reception hall, the more money you will have to pay for activities and entertainment that make the experience more memorable for everyone.

Shop Around

Lastly, the best way to successfully accomplish planning a cheap wedding reception is to shop around for the best prices. The rental costs can vary greatly from one reception hall to the next, so pricing out and touring multiple venues can go a long way in regards to saving money. The same is true for your caterers, wedding cake supplier, and everything else you will have at your wedding reception, so take your time and shop around to find the best possible value. You may feel the urge to rush through everything to get it planned and be done with it, but slowing down to find the best prices will allow you to have the best possible wedding reception for the lowest possible price.