If you are planning your wedding on a budget and are looking for easy ways to keep your costs down than this blog's for you. Please feel free to add some of your own cost cutting ideas to share with other brides.
Off-Peak Times: Get married on a Friday or a Sunday rather then on the typical Saturday. I love a Friday night cocktail reception and I love Sunday brunches with champagne and mimosas.
Tablescapes: Long tables make much more of a dramatic statements than smaller ones. Alternate simple bouquets of large, lush flowers like hydrangeas with lots of candles in between. When we do events on smaller budgets we recommend splurging on the best tables and chairs that you budget will permit - good quality furniture and linens will let you get away with fewer decorations. Candelabras are another great option especially if you go with round tables - place one per table and fill with long tapers.
Food: Serve pasta as an entree. Everyone loves a good pasta and it's much more affordable. You can please everyone with these dishes - even the vegans.
For passed appetizers: Stylish food presentations can make your budget seem larger and add a "wow" factor. Use rectangular serving dishes with small portions, Chinese soup spoons for bruschetta and a shot glasse for soup.
Don't spend money on things you are not excited about. Just because everyone else did it does not mean you have to do it. If you don't want to do party favors or welcome baskets - DON'T.
Keep an open bar throughout your party. People always look shocked when I say this one but really liquor does tend to make a party a bt more lively. Ok so here's the logic, an open bar can actually be more cost effective than a wine and single special cocktail because you get about 4 - 5 glasses of wine from a bottle of wine ($20 - $30) and about 8 -10 out of a bottle of vodka or other liquor ($20 - $30). The other option is to pick a venue where you can actually supply your own liquor - this will save a LOT of money, cutting your cost per person down significantly.
