Planning a wedding adds up. We know that every girl has her dream wedding in mind – the trick is to be able to get that dream wedding without spending all your savings.  Besides, you still need money left over for your honeymoon.  We have Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding, but specifically the reception is the most pricey part of your wedding, here are some tips to help you cut costs.

Minimize The Guest List

This is the number one way to save money on your wedding reception. Cutting part of your guest list can reduce down many purchases. With less tables you don’t need as many table cloths, centerpieces, chairs, or place settings. It will save you money on catering costs as well as sending out your invitations. Choose your close friends and family to attend at your reception and save.

Limit The Full Bar and Serve Your Favorites

We know everyone loves to drink at wedding receptions and that can add up per person, per drink, etc. If your having trouble with your budget you can always choose a variety of drinks to serve instead of having a full bar. Drinks such as wine, beer, and martinis are the best way to satisfy everyone. Your can also use this to your advantage and have specialty drinks (usually martinis) to match your theme and/or wedding colors. After a few drinks comes another and another and you don’t want to be surprised with a huge bill when you can have a set budget and save on the reception alcohol spending. Don’t forget to set a limit on the bar spending. Many people close the bar for about an hour while guests are getting seated and speeches are being made, this will save you some money and pace your guests as well.

Serve Simple Foods

Not every wedding needs a fancy gourmet meal. Decide what the three most important aspects of your wedding reception are to you. If food is not one of them, then simplify your menu. A great way to save money on your guest’s dinner would be to serve foods such as barbecue chicken (which everyone loves), buffet-style foods, dessert buffet rather than formally served desserts, etc. What better way to bring everyone together at your reception than to have a home-like meal. People will enjoy it a lot more and you’ll be surprised at how much your saving.

Bigger Tables, Fewer Centerpieces

Cutting down the number of tables at your reception can help save you those few extra centerpieces and table linens. It also brings your guests together more when they are sitting at the same table. Having bigger, but less tables could also allow more room for people to get up and walk around. Considering the costs of centerpieces, arrangements and flowers this might be the best way to go.

Favors Doubling as Placecards

Printing out each favor takes up time and money as well as having name cards with what table each guest is supposed to sit at. To make things more time consuming and to save money double your favors as escort cards. Most people won’t save their name cards with their table numbers on them, but some do save the favors. We’ve also seen placecard programs, so your wedding program can have each individual’s name & table number on them. It’s a unique way to save paper, time, and money.

A Favor per Couple

At most weddings, each person will bring a guest or a date. Instead of giving each individual guest a favor, you can give them to the couples. Each couple usually only takes one favor and will leave the other one laying on the table to be thrown away. This will cut your price in half on having to spend more on each wedding favor. Plus, who needs two when they can share!

Skip The Exotic Fillings

Don’t waste your time or your money on adding that special filling to your wedding cake. First of all, not everyone who attends your reception will have a piece of your wedding cake. Secondly, not everyone likes the exotic tastes. Most people like the simple chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla so they might not even want to eat a slice of cake with an expensive guava or mango filling.

Order a Small Cake With a Supplement Sheet Cake

When picking out your wedding cake, don’t get too out of hand. Cakes can be very expensive and they only last a few hours at the reception until it is cut. Classic and simple is a good way to save money and have a beautiful looking cake. A few flowers or small design is a good choice. Not every guest will have a piece of your wedding cake, so instead of getting a huge layered wedding cake, go with a small two-tiered cake. This will help out with your budget and no one will know that there is a supplementary sheet cake hidden in the kitchen for everyone to enjoy.

Shop Off-Season For Decor

Shopping off-season can help a lot! Everything is obviously cheaper when it’s out of season. You can get extra black decor after Halloween or even some pink vases after Valentine’s Day. It’s always smart to shop ahead of time and timing is key when it comes to spending on your wedding.

We hope you keep in mind all of our Do It Yourself Tips to aid you in saving money on your weding reception. Lastly, hiring a wedding planner can save you tons of money.  Most of the time, your wedding planner will have great contacts that can pass on discounts directly on to you. Your planner can also offer tips and ideas to cut costs and re-allocate your budget. Feel free to contact us with questions and for free advice.

Image 1 via Inside SoCal

Image 2 via Hot Ref

Image 3 via Baking Shop