A Message Geared For Brides & Wedding Sales
Planning a wedding in these economic times can be a challenge for any bride, especially when what’s at stake is your dream wedding. Creating the wedding of your dreams that won’t break the bank is possible. The key is to be realistic and practical when making your choices for all the various services needed for your wedding day. Here are just a few helpful tips when planning your special day.
Hire a professional planner! Thinking your going to save money by doing it on your own or having your mom or best friend help will cost you much more in the long run. A planner will have the resources as well as the access to discounts, and perks that would otherwise not be available to you directly. If you choose your best friend to help you, you may be looking for a new best friend after it is all over and done with!
When finding a location, it might be an option to have the ceremony and reception in the same place.
Many venues in Houston have the perfect back drop for both, saving you travel time for your guests and money for the fees a church may otherwise charge. An ideal location will provide tables and chairs as well as linens for all service tables. This will cut costs in your rental needs. The average guest count is about 150 people. A guests list of this capacity or less can also provide an intimacy and more in quality, especially when you wish to avoid a “cheap” look at the reception site. Keeping your reception time to 4 hours will also trim the added charges for a longer reception time. When searching for your venue, consider ones that allow outside catering or in the very least provide you with a preferred list will give you some price leverage.
Having a few caterers to choose from will allow you the opportunity to do price comparison. Be mindful when comparing caterer’s proposals as you want to compare apples to apples. One caterer might provide you with a seemingly cost effective proposal, yet will add staff and rentals later, and another may be all inclusive of food, beverage, staff, and rentals of plates, and glassware. Once you find a caterer that suits you, choosing a buffet with the same foods as the seated dinner you had planned for will save you on staff fees as there will be fewer waiters required for a buffet as opposed to a seated dinner.
Every bride wants a beautiful cake and flowers at her reception. Picking The Cake is the centerpiece at the reception site for most brides. A butter cream frosting will cost less than fondant and using actual flowers on your cake will bypass the pricey sugar decorative flowers often used. Keep in mind the more decorative the cake, the higher the expense. Remember- “Simplicity is the key to elegance”. The bottom layer or two can be made out of Styrofoam and decorated to blend in with the upper layers. This way, you can utilize sheet cakes, precut, plated and brought out to the guests by the wait staff, which makes for a great presentation and costing you less.
Flowers can often be a big expense of any wedding budget. Here are a few ways to cut corners in cost. Use more filler, and larger flowers that are year round like hydrangea. Roses are also very cost effective after February. Utilize the bridesmaid’s flowers as part of a table’s centerpiece and you will get more bang for your buck. Most florists will include the containers used for the centerpieces avoiding heavy rental costs and return. These centerpieces can then be given to your guests and family at the end of the event.
These few tips can save you hundreds to thousands of dollars when planning your ideal wedding. Remember to have fun in planning you dream day! Take time in your planning as this will help you clarify what is important to you! After all- Rome was not built in a day. Best wishes from us to you in having your Dream Wedding come true!
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