[ad_1]

Feeling the pinch of wedding expenses on your personal finances? You're not alone. The average couple in the United States sees $ 25,000.00 on their wedding with the bulk of that amount being spent on the reception. In this economy, we know that you can not afford to waste a cent. We've compiled the following 7 money-saving tips that will help you stick to your budget and hopefully save you thousands of dollars on your wedding reception.

1. If the cost per guest is going to break your budget you might think about trimming the guest list. Consider inviting only close friends and family and eliminate coworkers if possible. Remove guests from your list who may feel obliged to come to your wedding and will not mind not being invited. Inviting only close friends and family will make the event more special and intimate. The smaller the number of guests invited and attending the event, the less you will spend on favors, invitations, food and drinks.

2. Get married during off-season months like January, February, March and November versus prime months like May, June and October (considering you live in the Northeast). Seasons dictate prices for more than you realize. For example, a venue may charge $ 100 a person for the prime months and charge $ 80 for the off season months. If you have 150 guests, that is $ 20 x 150, a savings of $ 3000.

3. Get married on any day except Saturday. Saturday is the mostought-after wedding day of the week. Be open minded and consider having your special day on a Friday or Sunday. A venue might charge $ 120 per person for a Friday night versus $ 150 per person for a Saturday. For an event with a guest count of 150, that's a savings of $ 4500! Just remember, if given ample notice, many guests will make arrangements to be available no matter what day you choose.

4. Feeding your guests at your wedding is a priority. Rather than offering a five course sit down dinner opt for a buffet-style or cocktail hour style meal. Guests will still leave your wedding full and happy and you will save hundreds of dollars. Insider tip: if you have an open bar during a cocktail hour, ensure there is enough food available for your guests. You do not want your guests drinking on an empty stomach.

5. Hold the ceremony and reception at the same location. This can save you a lot of money on rental fees, decorations and transportation of the wedding party from one location to the other.

6. Consider a venue that includes the wedding cake, décor, linens, silverware, etc. in the price quote. Some venues may even offer extras such as chair covers, floral centerpieces or candelabras for the table at no additional cost. Having these items included in the price of the venue can save you hundreds of dollars.

7. Skip open bar or limit the choices. A limited bar may only include wine, beer and soda. Obtain price quotes for both an open and limited bar and compare the numbers. Paying for an open bar for each guest often adds an unnecessary expense as there are many quests who do not drink at all. If you are having an afternoon wedding a limited bar is the way to go. Guests tend to drink less during the day than they would in the evening.

[ad_2]

Source by Ruth Rodriguez