Simply Thrifty

Thrifty Wedding Reception Tips

by Deborah Ng on April 30th, 2007

Here are some great tips for saving money on a wedding reception:

• Hold the wedding and reception in the same place. Lots of catering halls are set up to do this nowadays. You’ll save money because you won’t have to rent out a church or separate location or a limo to take you from the ceremony to the reception. You may even save hourly photographer fees if he doesn’t have to schlep all of his equipment from one location to another. In addition, it’s more convenient for your guests.
• Consider having your wedding on a week day or week night. My own wedding was held on a Sunday to save money, though now that this is becoming the norm; it’s not always the case. Having a wedding on a day other than Saturday will usually get you a discount. You might also try getting married in a non-traditional month such as December or January. Catering halls might be willing to work out a deal since they’re not heavily booked during these months.
• Hold your reception early in the morning, say nine or ten o’clock. Granted, most people are just waking up at that hour on the weekends, but if it’ll save money on your dream wedding, it might be worth investigating.
• Do any family members have some property you admire? What about a local park? Don’t be afraid to ask someone you know if you can get married in their back yard or at their lakefront property. Don’t forget your uncle who owns a restaurant either. Chances are he’ll be flattered you find his restaurant to be your reception location and will offer you a family member discount.
• Let friends and family do the catering. Everyone has a specialty and if asked, would probably love to help out.

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