Ask The Right Questions Before You Book Your Wedding Receptio
Think saying "I do" is going to be the most emotional moment in your wedding? Probably so, but putting down a deposit on your wedding venue could be a close runner-up.
Reception costs consume almost half the budget for the wedding, which these days means you can expect to lay out almost $13,000, including food. And the venue you select can not only limit your choice of caterers or bakers, it's sure to affect how much you spend to "cover up" its weak spots or accent its highlights. Most stressful of all, the popular venues book far in advance, forcing brides to make the big decision almost as soon as they set the date.
For that reason, the savvy venue-hunter wants to know what questions to ask before she walks in the door, much less signs the contract. Here are a few ideas:
Do you have a pre-set list of caterers I can use, or can I choose my own?
Some venues -- high-end ones with their own catering staff, or small-town ones with little competition -- require you to use the in-house caterers or choose from a small list of "approved" vendors. It can be difficult to get taste-tests or otherwise put this type of vendor through its paces. If you're stuck with such a list, search high and low for brides who have "been there, done that" and can give you their honest opinions.
Any restrictions on decorations?
Many venues have them, but rules vary widely from place to place. Common restrictions include: no open flame (or no flame whatsoever), no tape or tacks on the walls, or no confetti. When linens are provided, some halls will prohibit the use of pins. Ask if the hall can provide any decorations themselves, especially around holidays. Useful centerpiece items such as hurricane lamps or Eiffel vases are not uncommon.
Can we bring our own liquor, is there a "corkage" fee, and do we need a license?
If the liquor's to flow freely at your wedding, you'll save an immense amount of moolah by bringing your own. But some venues prohibit this and require you to buy from them. Even worse is the venue that says "yes" to bringing your own alcohol, but charges you a mandatory "corkage fee" to serve it -- which typically starts at an unbelievable $10 per bottle or more! You'll want to be crystal-clear on the fine print regarding alcohol before you commit to a venue.
As for licensing, many states consider wedding receptions to be an "unlicensed social function," meaning you don't need one as long as you're not charging anyone for the alcohol. But be sure to check your local regulations before moving ahead -- and ask your venue if they know of any licensing requirements.
Is there a cake-cutting fee?
Some venues even limit your choice of bakers, but most don't. A more common (and sneakier) tactic is to charge you a cake-cutting fee, which like corkage fees, can really add up -- often at $1 per slice!
DIY Detective Work
These, of course, are only a few of the questions you'll want to ask a prospective venue manager. A few more tips while you're checking out the place:
- Bring a tape measure. Get the dimensions of the room, the tables, and the distance between any features that might impact your decor, like windows. How many outlets are there and where are they located? What kind of climate control is available to you?
- Check the kitchen. Does it look clean, roomy and suitable for your catering staff to work from?
- Check the hall itself. Where will you put the band, the cake table, the coffee service? Are there coat racks for your guests? Is a sound system available?
- Check out the parking. Is it ample? Is it paved, or can it get muddy in the case of rain? Is there handicap access?
One final thing to get clear before you autograph that contract is your venue's cancellation policy. But hopefully, with these helpful tips, you'll have done enough homework to rest easy in your choice and not worry about having to cancel. Now that you've signed, take some time to sit back and relax ... before you tackle the next task in that thick wedding planner!
The wedding planner can be the most important tool in pulling off a ostentatious wedding on a budget. It will allow you, when emotions are cool, to check off and make decisions sensibly instead of emotionally.
An excellent guide to start planning for that wonderful day can be found right here...Click Here!
And please remember it's your wedding. You and yours are the stars of the show. Start a wedding budget and stick to it. Don't start life out with one of the biggest obstacles to marital bliss - debt!
God Bless,
Larry
Don;t Start Your Married Life Off In Debt!
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
How To Save Money While Planning Your Dream Wedding
Summary:
A beautiful wedding does not have to break the bank. I'll show you how to save money on planning your wedding by following a few simple tip.
Believe it or not, you can plan a wedding without throwing yourself and your families into debt for the next decade. I am going to give you a few suggestions and guidelines to make this possible without having to cut corners. All it takes is a little discipline and the willingness to stick to a budget.
The first thing that you can do is make a list of things that are "required" in planning a wedding. This includes your dress, his tux, guests, a cake, flowers, decorations for the reception, food, music, drinks, photographers, and whatever else you feel are the bare essentials. Then sit down with your fiancé and decide on the five most important things on this list. This is where you can splurge a bit. Five may sound like a very small number, but there are an awfully lot of decisions that need to be made while wedding planning, even if you’re keeping it simple. If you can identify the five most important things before you start, it will keep you from letting all the "minor details" get out of control. Trust me, things can easily snowball if you don’t have a solid plan before you set yourself free into the world of wedding planning.
Your fist assumption may be that a wedding planner is out of the question. In many cases this is true. But don’t rule them out until you have talked with a few of them. He or she may be able to give some great suggestions on how you can stick to your budget. Once you start your planning, you will quickly see that it’s a little overwhelming. There are literally hundreds of photographers, pastry chefs, and florists in every city. It may help you to work with someone that knows the ropes and can help you find the companies with the highest quality work at the most reasonable prices.
Another thing that can help you pinch pennies is to plan your wedding during the off-season. The most popular months for weddings are May through October. Most venues will lower their prices during the months that are slower so that they can fill their calendars. Ask for the price list for the entire year and also find out the dates that they have open so that you know what you have to work with. It’s never good news to set your heart on a date, only to find out that it’s booked.
Destination weddings are a great way to save on your big day. It may not sound like a possibility, but when researching my wedding, I was absolutely amazed with what I found. There are tons of places that offer package deals on weddings. You can get discounted rooms in spectacular resorts if you plan to hold your wedding on their property. They have really incredible settings. You can get married on the beach, in a pretty gazebo, next to a waterfall, or even on an inactive volcano in a beautiful national park! The sky is the limit if you’re open to traveling. And most of these places are all-inclusive, so you also get meals, drinks and entertainment. You may even decide to stay right where you are for your honeymoon.
Keep your eye out for "Off The Rack" sales, you can get dresses that are normally very expensive at highly discounted prices because a few brides have merely tried them on for size. You may need to get it dry cleaned just to be sure, but even if you need to have it altered, you’d have to even if you ordered it in your size. Another option is to wear your mother's or your grandmother's dress. You could have a few alterations made for the perfect fit or to update it a little. You could also choose to go with a dress that would normally be considered a bridesmaids’ dress. There are a lot of websites on the Internet that have dresses in myriads of colors. But you can change the colors right on the photo. It is so much fun to see what they look like in white or ivory; all you do is point to the color and click. Although, I would not recommend ordering anything before you try it on, you may not be able to return it. Call around to bridal shops in your area and see if they carry the style, then go and try it on. Sometimes they look very, very different in the photographs. In the long run, this could cut hundreds or even thousands out of your budget. Don’t forget, you’re only going to wear your dress once. You can get all of your finishing touches on sale too, like Swarovski bridal jewelry or Swarovski hair pieces.
This next tip may be the biggest, and possibly the hardest of them all. Cut down on the guest list. You could do this in a few ways, I once attended a wedding where they had quite a few people at the ceremony and only a few at dinner, but later opened it up to everyone again, for drinks and dancing. You could also have a very small, formal ceremony and reception dinner for very close family and friends and follow it with a very relaxed and informal pig roast and picnic the following day. Whatever suits you will be fine, but I have to admit through experience that this is the part that took the most discipline.
There are a few ways to save at the reception, you may consider finding a place to hold your reception that will allow you to bring your own liquor and then all you need to do is hire a few people to tend the bar. You may not wish to serve a three or four course meal. Buffets are very acceptable ways to keep your guests happy and still save a significant amount of money. Another nice thing to do is have a dessert only reception, or you could cater the whole thing yourself and have your families prepare their favorite dishes.
And last but certainly not least, DIY, DIY, DIY. There are a lot of very simple things that you can do yourself that can easily be as beautiful as purchasing everything for your wedding. You would be surprised at how little time it will take you and the unbelievable difference in the balance of your checkbook. Make the decorations on the table out of hurricanes with glass gems in the bottom of water with a floating candle on top. You could even add a goldfish or two if you like! You could ask your family members to lend you their favorite crystal and set them around on the tables with scattered rose petals and votive candles among them to make very inexpensive, yet elegant centerpieces. You can also make your own invitations. There are a lot of companies that sell software that will provide you with pretty graphics, fonts, and techniques to make them flawless. The Internet is a great resource that will help you come up with endless ideas and the tips to make them a reality.
The best tip that I have for everyone that is planning a wedding: It is a wedding, which means that if you go home on that day and you are married to the person that you love, then your mission has been accomplished. All of these other things are merely details. The wedding is only the first day; it’s having a good marriage that is really important. Don’t let yourself get too overwhelmed with all of this, just have fun and enjoy your day.
As a person coming up in a few months to 50 years of marriage I feel very qualified to talk about this subject...Organizing your wedding on a budget...The wedding is very important. You need to make it as nice as you can afford! But, believe me long after the wedding day as memories build and love grows it will be just another piece of the puzzle of your lives together.
And for some very good tips on saving money on your wedding check these resources out...
Click Here!
Click Here!
God Bless
Larry,
Tips For Planning A Wedding On A Budget
A beautiful wedding does not have to break the bank. I'll show you how to save money on planning your wedding by following a few simple tip.
Believe it or not, you can plan a wedding without throwing yourself and your families into debt for the next decade. I am going to give you a few suggestions and guidelines to make this possible without having to cut corners. All it takes is a little discipline and the willingness to stick to a budget.
The first thing that you can do is make a list of things that are "required" in planning a wedding. This includes your dress, his tux, guests, a cake, flowers, decorations for the reception, food, music, drinks, photographers, and whatever else you feel are the bare essentials. Then sit down with your fiancé and decide on the five most important things on this list. This is where you can splurge a bit. Five may sound like a very small number, but there are an awfully lot of decisions that need to be made while wedding planning, even if you’re keeping it simple. If you can identify the five most important things before you start, it will keep you from letting all the "minor details" get out of control. Trust me, things can easily snowball if you don’t have a solid plan before you set yourself free into the world of wedding planning.
Your fist assumption may be that a wedding planner is out of the question. In many cases this is true. But don’t rule them out until you have talked with a few of them. He or she may be able to give some great suggestions on how you can stick to your budget. Once you start your planning, you will quickly see that it’s a little overwhelming. There are literally hundreds of photographers, pastry chefs, and florists in every city. It may help you to work with someone that knows the ropes and can help you find the companies with the highest quality work at the most reasonable prices.
Another thing that can help you pinch pennies is to plan your wedding during the off-season. The most popular months for weddings are May through October. Most venues will lower their prices during the months that are slower so that they can fill their calendars. Ask for the price list for the entire year and also find out the dates that they have open so that you know what you have to work with. It’s never good news to set your heart on a date, only to find out that it’s booked.
Destination weddings are a great way to save on your big day. It may not sound like a possibility, but when researching my wedding, I was absolutely amazed with what I found. There are tons of places that offer package deals on weddings. You can get discounted rooms in spectacular resorts if you plan to hold your wedding on their property. They have really incredible settings. You can get married on the beach, in a pretty gazebo, next to a waterfall, or even on an inactive volcano in a beautiful national park! The sky is the limit if you’re open to traveling. And most of these places are all-inclusive, so you also get meals, drinks and entertainment. You may even decide to stay right where you are for your honeymoon.
Keep your eye out for "Off The Rack" sales, you can get dresses that are normally very expensive at highly discounted prices because a few brides have merely tried them on for size. You may need to get it dry cleaned just to be sure, but even if you need to have it altered, you’d have to even if you ordered it in your size. Another option is to wear your mother's or your grandmother's dress. You could have a few alterations made for the perfect fit or to update it a little. You could also choose to go with a dress that would normally be considered a bridesmaids’ dress. There are a lot of websites on the Internet that have dresses in myriads of colors. But you can change the colors right on the photo. It is so much fun to see what they look like in white or ivory; all you do is point to the color and click. Although, I would not recommend ordering anything before you try it on, you may not be able to return it. Call around to bridal shops in your area and see if they carry the style, then go and try it on. Sometimes they look very, very different in the photographs. In the long run, this could cut hundreds or even thousands out of your budget. Don’t forget, you’re only going to wear your dress once. You can get all of your finishing touches on sale too, like Swarovski bridal jewelry or Swarovski hair pieces.
This next tip may be the biggest, and possibly the hardest of them all. Cut down on the guest list. You could do this in a few ways, I once attended a wedding where they had quite a few people at the ceremony and only a few at dinner, but later opened it up to everyone again, for drinks and dancing. You could also have a very small, formal ceremony and reception dinner for very close family and friends and follow it with a very relaxed and informal pig roast and picnic the following day. Whatever suits you will be fine, but I have to admit through experience that this is the part that took the most discipline.
There are a few ways to save at the reception, you may consider finding a place to hold your reception that will allow you to bring your own liquor and then all you need to do is hire a few people to tend the bar. You may not wish to serve a three or four course meal. Buffets are very acceptable ways to keep your guests happy and still save a significant amount of money. Another nice thing to do is have a dessert only reception, or you could cater the whole thing yourself and have your families prepare their favorite dishes.
And last but certainly not least, DIY, DIY, DIY. There are a lot of very simple things that you can do yourself that can easily be as beautiful as purchasing everything for your wedding. You would be surprised at how little time it will take you and the unbelievable difference in the balance of your checkbook. Make the decorations on the table out of hurricanes with glass gems in the bottom of water with a floating candle on top. You could even add a goldfish or two if you like! You could ask your family members to lend you their favorite crystal and set them around on the tables with scattered rose petals and votive candles among them to make very inexpensive, yet elegant centerpieces. You can also make your own invitations. There are a lot of companies that sell software that will provide you with pretty graphics, fonts, and techniques to make them flawless. The Internet is a great resource that will help you come up with endless ideas and the tips to make them a reality.
The best tip that I have for everyone that is planning a wedding: It is a wedding, which means that if you go home on that day and you are married to the person that you love, then your mission has been accomplished. All of these other things are merely details. The wedding is only the first day; it’s having a good marriage that is really important. Don’t let yourself get too overwhelmed with all of this, just have fun and enjoy your day.
As a person coming up in a few months to 50 years of marriage I feel very qualified to talk about this subject...Organizing your wedding on a budget...The wedding is very important. You need to make it as nice as you can afford! But, believe me long after the wedding day as memories build and love grows it will be just another piece of the puzzle of your lives together.
And for some very good tips on saving money on your wedding check these resources out...
Click Here!
Click Here!
God Bless
Larry,
Tips For Planning A Wedding On A Budget
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