All of us have seen the movie “Father of the Bride.” (If
not, it is a must see.) The sympathy is
with the father who had to cough up for a wedding reception he actually cannot
afford and some of the consequences of his endeavours to cut costs are
hilarious.
But, have a thought for every bride to be. Every woman
always dream of the perfect wedding with the idealistic picture in the mind of
how the reception is supposed to be. However, as time arrive for arranging the
big day; things can turn out not so idealistic. Things are expensive and
irrespective who pays for it; it will always be a tight budget.
Things become crazy and everyone is stressed up wanting
everything to be perfect but wondering how to pay for it all. Often you hear
people philosophising whether it won’t be better to take all the money that
will go into a reception, skip it and invest it in a future house or other
asset for the newlyweds. There is even a school of thought that say the guests
are the only ones who benefit from a reception.
Whatever the situation may be, a wedding reception does not
have to be a nightmare and actually, it is supposed to be a wonderful event and
memento for the bride and groom (and for the father of the bride!)
Here are
some tips:
1. A wedding reception should not put you in debt. Debt is
not a good way to start a new life with the person you love – then it is better
to skip the reception!
2. It is your reception; do not worry about pleasing guests.
They are supposed to be there to share in your special day, not to criticize
the food or complain about it.
3. Cut all the extras and you cut the expenses. For example,
is it genuine necessary to provide each guest with a disposable camera or a
small gift as token of appreciation for them attending your wedding?
4. Consider it to have your reception earlier in the day so
it won’t be necessary to provide your guests with an expensive dinner. A finger
lunch is much cheaper but just as enjoyable.
5. Should you really want to have a late afternoon reception
with a dinner then you can still cut some costs by looking for hotel schools or
community centres that can provide a good dinner for less. Usually they can
provide the entire package (hall, decorations, chairs, tables, etc.) at a
special price. You must shop around!
6. Skip the fancy decorations, china and silverware
settings. Go for a much cheaper and ordinary setting.
7. There is no need to hire an expensive band or DJ. With
modern technology, computers and a decent music centre many students have
excellent music skills. They would be eager to do your music for some pocket
money.
These are only some tips. Be creative when planning your wedding,
reception, and find ways to cut costs. Remember, it is your wedding!
