Home
>
Marriage & Wedding
>
Budget Tips For Your Wedding Reception

Budget Tips For Your Wedding Reception

Wedding receptions are expensive affairs and can set you back a pretty penny. However, most brides have their heart set on an all out wedding reception. Here are some ways to cut back the costs, without compromising on the quality of the wedding reception.

Alcohol is probably the largest expense at any wedding reception. There are several ways you can cut short the liquor budget at your wedding reception.

Offer punch ? virgin and spiked - instead of having a bar. This works really well if you are having a summer luncheon wedding reception.
Offer only wine and beer along with soft drinks, coffee and tea at the bar. Ask the staff to pass around glasses of champagne especially for the wedding toast.
Close the bar an hour before the wedding reception ends. Serve only cold drinks, tea and coffee afterwards.
If possible, choose a venue that allows you to bring your own liquor. Once you are bringing your own liquor the rates go down considerably and you can consider having an open bar at the wedding reception.

The venue is another large expense for the wedding reception. Think about having your wedding during off-season. Most wedding venues will be available for discounted prices during the off-season.

Also, booking a wedding venue for your wedding reception well in advance gives you the leverage to try and bargain for a good discount. If you cannot get a monetary discount try and wrangle some perks like valet parking at the venue for your guests.

Wedding cakes can get really expensive. Instead of having one single large wedding cake, order a smaller wedding cake to be cut at the wedding reception. Use this cake for display and for the cake cutting ceremony. Let the guests be served from sheet cakes inside the kitchen, which are a whole lot cheaper. You also don't need any other dessert other than the wedding cake.

If you are on a really tight budget, plan a cocktail wedding reception instead of one that includes a full meal. Also, discuss with your caterer, which foods are in season. Using foods that are freely available also means they are cheaper. Strawberry shortcake in the middle of summer costs a whole lot more than it does in winter!

Wedding photographs and wedding photographers can be expensive too. Hire a wedding photographer to take only special moments of the wedding reception. Restrict the wedding photographer right from the beginning and put him on a budget. Instead, get someone in the family or a good friend to click photographs all through the wedding. Even if you have to click 5 rolls of film to get a few good photos of the wedding reception, it will save you big bucks. Disposable wedding cameras placed at each reception table can also help you capture those special moments. Have your guests use the wedding cameras through out the reception for some wonderful candid wedding photos for pennies a photo.

At the end of the day, money won't make your wedding reception a success. How much fun you and your spouse have at the wedding reception will determine how much fun the guests have and how many memories you create!

Reprint Rights: Feel free to use this article on your website or online publication. Please remember that you must include the author's copyright, resource box and live URL links, exactly as shown below, to the author's website at the end of the article.

Andrea Britt is owner of CharmingWeddings.com where you can find elegant, unique wedding cameras, wedding cameras, and wedding planning tips for your wedding reception and bridal shower.

no-contract cleaning service Deerfield ..

In The News:

Learn how to act against cybercriminals in 2026 with essential security steps like two-factor authentication, software updates and credit freezing.

Choose between OpenAI releasing Sora text-to-video model, the AI race heating up, or Waymo driverless cars launching in cities across the country

Learn how to set up Google Maps and Apple Maps on your phone to automatically remember where you parked. Step-by-step instructions for enabling location services and parking detection.

Phishing scammers use rnicrosoft.com domain to impersonate Microsoft by replacing "m" with "rn" in typosquatting attacks that steal login credentials.

OpenAI announces new teen safety rules for ChatGPT users under 18, blocking romantic roleplay and requiring extra caution on body image topics.

A 2025 data breach at fintech company 700Credit exposes personal information of more than 5.8 million people through compromised third-party integration partner.

Retailers lose $76.5 billion annually to return fraud as nearly 10% of U.S. retail returns involve fraudulent activity, with $850 billion in returns expected in 2025.

ShinyHunters claims responsibility for stealing 94GB of Pornhub user data affecting over 200 million records and demands Bitcoin ransom.

ChatGPT 2025 now connects to Apple Music, Canva, Expedia, TripAdvisor and OpenTable through built-in apps that help users create playlists, design graphics and more.

Apple releases emergency patches for two zero-day vulnerabilities actively exploited in attacks. iPhone and iPad users urged to update immediately.

DoorDash launches Zesty, an AI-powered social app that recommends restaurants through conversational search, now testing in San Francisco and New York.

Cybersecurity firm Infoblox reveals that over 90 percent of parked domains now redirect visitors to scams and malware, making simple typos extremely dangerous.

The Fox News AI Newsletter covers the latest artificial intelligence technology advancements, including the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

GPT-5.2 is now live for all ChatGPT users with improved coding, writing and image interpretation, with Kurt Knutsson offering his review.

New iPhone replacement scam uses pressure tactics and fake carrier calls to steal devices from buyers. Criminals claim shipping errors and demand urgent returns.

Amazon Ring's new facial recognition feature sparks privacy controversy as Electronic Frontier Foundation critics argue the AI upgrade expands surveillance risks.

New Android banking trojan Sturnus steals credentials, reads encrypted messages and controls devices.

Denmark's 3D-printed student village proves automation builds 36 apartments faster than traditional methods. Skovsporet project shows housing future.

Discover Android's new Sound Notifications feature that alerts you to smoke alarms, doorbells, and baby cries even when wearing headphones.

New SantaStealer malware reportedly threatens holiday shoppers with password theft. This Christmas-themed info-stealer targets browsers and crypto wallets.

The Christmas season brings a surge in Netflix phishing scams targeting shoppers with fake emails. Stacey P received convincing scam but verified account first.

San Francisco Giants invite Jamie Grohsong to throw ceremonial first pitch at Oracle Park after he learned to play baseball with a bionic hand following an injury.

FBI warns cybercriminals are stealing family photos from social media to create fake proof of life images in virtual kidnapping scams targeting victims.

Instagram's new 'Your Algorithm' tool lets you control your Reels feed in real time. The app now gives you power to customize what videos you see.

Major Marquis fintech breach exposes 400,000-plus Americans' data through unpatched SonicWall vulnerability, with Texas hardest hit at 354,000 affected.

Budget Tips For Your Wedding Reception

Marriage & Wedding