Wedding receptions on a budget: simple and elegant ideas

Whether your funds are limited or you just think it’s crazy to spend a fortune on your wedding, you don’t have to give up a memorable wedding reception just because you’re on a tight budget. With careful planning and a little creativity, you can throw a fun-filled party that you’ll remember fondly for years to come. Breaking it down by category, here are some proven tips for great wedding receptions on a budget.

location is key

Your venue or location for the reception is often the biggest expense, so your best bet is to look high and low for a free or very cheap venue. In addition to someone’s home, you might consider a local park, beach, community hall, church or temple, museum, library, farm, or even a nearby botanical garden. Many of these places can be rented for very little cost, and some may require only a permit or written permission.

Hotels and restaurants are traditional wedding venues, but you can often get great deals if you have your reception at a non-traditional time. If you don’t mind having your wedding in the middle of the week, you can negotiate a great deal from an otherwise empty catering hall at the time.

Consider non-traditional food options

Food is often the biggest part of the wedding budget, so you’ll need to get very creative here. Consider some of these non-traditional reception ideas to save big bucks on catering:

• Probability. Throw your wedding reception the old-fashioned way and ask everyone to bring their favorite reception. This takes a bit of coordination so you don’t have 50 brownie pans and no entrees. It also works best with smaller receptions, due to the need for coordination.
• lunch. If you have your wedding in the morning, you can turn it into a brunch reception. Serve up bagels, wraps, omelettes, French toast, fruit and other brunch treats. Have some classical music in the background and you have created an extremely elegant event.
• Dessert. Serving just dessert can be a bit tricky, but it works well with a shorter reception. After all, isn’t it everyone’s favorite part of a meal? Just make sure it’s clear on the invitation that you’re only serving dessert. Otherwise people may turn up hungry and will be eager to leave to get some ‘real food’.
• BBQ or other casual meal. You can always go extremely casual and have a barbecue or picnic. If you decide to celebrate your wedding on the beach, this is an especially suitable option. This is also another good place to bring up the idea of ​​potlucks. People are used to bringing dishes to an informal party, even if it is a wedding.

Wedding Decoration Alternatives

There are many different ways to create beautiful wedding decorations on a budget that are still extremely elegant and luxurious. For floral ideas, look up which flowers are local and in season for your time of year. You can use fewer large blooms or use inexpensive, colorful flower clusters to create a rustic-chic look. If you spend time looking for colorful vases and bottles at yard sales or vintage stores, you can use them to add character and creativity to your centerpieces.

You can also completely forgo flowers and use other “living” things. Large vegetation, such as branches, palm fronds, or plants, can have a big impact. Fruit and vegetable bowls are modern and sophisticated still life works of art on your tabletops, while succulents are also becoming a popular choice. Another trendy option is to use large feathers as part of your centerpieces.