wedgirl
07-21-2008, 05:00 AM
I have worked in the wedding industry for almost 2 years, working 100+ weddings. I have had a variety of roles from coordinating receptions, serving, and setting up venues. I see so many ways couples could have saved money, but I understand their intention. A lot of brides have their hearts set on how their reception will be, so it's understandable.Here's just a few tips on saving money and inconvenience from my experience (banqueting venues):
*Venue*
- Consider what time of year you're planning for. During the "off season", being late fall and winter, you can get a discount at some places. The busiest time is usually April through September.
*Decorations*
-Really consider your arrangements/center pieces for the tables. I have seen many set-ups where fake flowers are surrounding candles, which of course, will melt the flowers. I think a lot of people have their mind made up on an idea and don't think about the longevity of it. (Ex:One wedding reception used small goldfish and several beta fish in vases and bowls. It was really creative and would have been cute. Except the goldfish died before the reception started, due to the water temperature. The beta were fine, but they had dead goldfish as centerpieces. All at their discretion.)
-Some types of the discount candles' wicks will get under the melted wax and your candles will go out before half your reception is over.
-The disposable cameras that almost every reception has, will most likely go unused. They are a great idea if actually used by the guests, but most adults opt not to. It's almost always kids or the one drunk person using them.
-I would say that 95% of weddings I've done have some kind of candy as a favor. You will most likely have LOTS of left over.
*Cake*
-There will almost always be leftover cake. What most people don't consider is that only about half or less than half will eat cake. You won't need as much as you think if your guest list is under 150.
-I would suggest not using fondant. Not only is it difficult to cut, many people find it too sugary.
*Entertainment*
-Be very picky if you choose to have a DJ. Definitely shop around. Make sure you tell them specifically what you want played aside from the first dance songs. It largely depends on your crowd. If you have a younger crowd, a DJ playing top 40 is your best bet. If your crowd is older, you may find just the children on the dance floor. So, I would suggest a live band for a shorter amount of time. Nothing is more sad than when a couple pays to have a DJ come out and no one is interested in dancing.
*Other suggestions*:
-Ask any question you can think of. Make sure you know what to expect. When your big day comes, the likelihood of being able to change something can be difficult. One example was when a couple assumed that since they were having a host bar, that they would be able to take the left over alcohol. It is actually against the law in our area to do so. Aside from the fact they were paying per hour, not per bottle. Another example is due to health regulations, you cannot take food from the buffet home. While your sales person should tell you these things, sometimes they forget.
-Rate what is most important to you. Spend your money there.
-Some instances I referred to don't necessarily apply everywhere. That's why it's really important to ask questions and find out policies before the day of your event.
-There are a lot of cute and cheap ways to do favors. I've seen people do cd's, candles, personalized coasters, cookie cutters, etc.
-The 2 most valuable things I would tell any couple is the scaling back of the cake size and not to bother with the disposable cameras.
Does anyone else have suggestions on what they would have done differently that might have saved some money?
*Venue*
- Consider what time of year you're planning for. During the "off season", being late fall and winter, you can get a discount at some places. The busiest time is usually April through September.
*Decorations*
-Really consider your arrangements/center pieces for the tables. I have seen many set-ups where fake flowers are surrounding candles, which of course, will melt the flowers. I think a lot of people have their mind made up on an idea and don't think about the longevity of it. (Ex:One wedding reception used small goldfish and several beta fish in vases and bowls. It was really creative and would have been cute. Except the goldfish died before the reception started, due to the water temperature. The beta were fine, but they had dead goldfish as centerpieces. All at their discretion.)
-Some types of the discount candles' wicks will get under the melted wax and your candles will go out before half your reception is over.
-The disposable cameras that almost every reception has, will most likely go unused. They are a great idea if actually used by the guests, but most adults opt not to. It's almost always kids or the one drunk person using them.
-I would say that 95% of weddings I've done have some kind of candy as a favor. You will most likely have LOTS of left over.
*Cake*
-There will almost always be leftover cake. What most people don't consider is that only about half or less than half will eat cake. You won't need as much as you think if your guest list is under 150.
-I would suggest not using fondant. Not only is it difficult to cut, many people find it too sugary.
*Entertainment*
-Be very picky if you choose to have a DJ. Definitely shop around. Make sure you tell them specifically what you want played aside from the first dance songs. It largely depends on your crowd. If you have a younger crowd, a DJ playing top 40 is your best bet. If your crowd is older, you may find just the children on the dance floor. So, I would suggest a live band for a shorter amount of time. Nothing is more sad than when a couple pays to have a DJ come out and no one is interested in dancing.
*Other suggestions*:
-Ask any question you can think of. Make sure you know what to expect. When your big day comes, the likelihood of being able to change something can be difficult. One example was when a couple assumed that since they were having a host bar, that they would be able to take the left over alcohol. It is actually against the law in our area to do so. Aside from the fact they were paying per hour, not per bottle. Another example is due to health regulations, you cannot take food from the buffet home. While your sales person should tell you these things, sometimes they forget.
-Rate what is most important to you. Spend your money there.
-Some instances I referred to don't necessarily apply everywhere. That's why it's really important to ask questions and find out policies before the day of your event.
-There are a lot of cute and cheap ways to do favors. I've seen people do cd's, candles, personalized coasters, cookie cutters, etc.
-The 2 most valuable things I would tell any couple is the scaling back of the cake size and not to bother with the disposable cameras.
Does anyone else have suggestions on what they would have done differently that might have saved some money?