A couple of months ago, my younger sister got married in a beautiful ceremony at her church. Our father has pastored this rural, evangelical church for the past twenty-nine years. Therefore, this special place to both of us was the obvious right venue to have her wedding at. After the wedding ceremony, my parents hosted a reception in the church’s activity building. My sister even decorated this large building herself. Have you picked a venue for your wedding, but don’t know where to have your reception at? When looking for the right place to have this special event, consider your personality and the personality of your future mate. For instance, if you’re cowboy or a cowgirl, you probably wouldn’t enjoy a wedding reception at an upscale country club in town. On this blog, you will discover the best places to host a wedding reception at.
Out of all the expenses that are involved in a wedding, for most people the reception will be the costliest. But having a reasonably-priced reception doesn't mean having to give up on your ideal venue; it just means compromising a little bit on how you set things up. Here are some tips to lower the cost of a reception at nearly any venue.
Have Your Photographic Moments Early
Think about the moments in your reception that you are most interested in having professionally recorded. Then, schedule these events—perhaps cutting the cake or tossing the bouquet—early on. Professional photographers and videographers are often paid by the hour for their time at your wedding and reception, so being able to send them home early means a smaller bill.
Take a Flower Arranging Class
A large part of the cost of floral arrangements is, in fact, the arranging. If it interests you—or even a member of the wedding party or a relative of the bride or groom—consider taking a course in flower arranging (or even checking out a book or watching videos online) and then creating your own floral designs. Then you can save some money by buying your flowers in bulk and putting together arrangements yourself.
Check Out Student Musicians
Having live music at your wedding can be wonderful—and expensive. If you have any colleges or universities in your area with music programs, talk to the professors there and see if they have any student musicians they can recommend. Many of these programs will have students learning all sorts of instruments and genres, whether you want pop covers or jazz piano. If a DJ is more your style, there are likely to be students interested in this as well. Students are usually trying to gain experience and will likely work at a discounted rate.
Choose the Right Day
You can save some money by having your reception during the day instead of in the evening or by having a wedding in a nonpeak month like January or November, but you don't have to make that level of compromise to save a little cash. Just changing the day of your wedding and reception can lower your costs. Most people want to get married on a Saturday, which means demand is high for every part of the wedding and reception, from catering to venue rental. High demand means higher prices, so consider moving your wedding to a different day of the week. People traveling to your wedding will thank you, too, since everything from flights to hotel rooms are usually more expensive on Saturdays. Contact a venue like Chez Shari to find out what sort of deals they offer.
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