If only your pockets were as deep as your love for one another… planning a wedding from beginning to end is not just a list of things to be checked, it is a fabulous journey which all brides should enjoy every step of the way, even when dealing with budget constraints yest still deserving a top end wedding.

Now that you’re engaged, you’ve got heaps of planning to do. You’ve set the date – and the budget, right – and now you’re finding that the wedding reception is going to take a huge chunk out of your cost. Short of signing your life away, how will you create a festive atmosphere, provide good fare for your guests, stay within budget but provide a top-end wedding?

With a little creativity and these weekly tips, you can pull off a beautiful wedding reception that’s particularly budget friendly:

 

Select a Venue that Allows Outside Catering

 

Many hotels insist on catering for weddings held at the venue; so, in order to get the best deal, make sure your chosen venue allows you to use the caterer of your choice.

 

Caterers and Chefs

 

Letting the chef advise on what’s local, in season, and therefore most affordable at the time of the wedding, can result in a menu that’s more interesting and less costly – a brunch or light lunch for example is going to cost considerably less than a full-scale dinner. If you do want to go the whole nine yards, remember to think budget: this means chicken or pasta instead of steak or fish, and skipping the dessert in lieu of wedding cake alone; cut back on the passed canapés as well, supplementing with a crudités display if necessary.

 

Low end budget, top end wedding

 

Service Stations

 

Similar to the idea of a buffet, the stations concept allows guests to visit different service areas to dish up. You could have a carving station, a pasta station and a salad station to name but a few. This competitively priced option is in fact really popular at modern weddings.

 

service-stations

 

Let Them Eat Cake

 

Your wedding cake can easily average out at R40 and more per serving, putting a big dent in your budget. You may want to consider ordering a small display cake, and then a sheet cake for serving – it’s much more cost effective, and your guests won’t give it a second thought.

 

Low end budget, top end wedding

 

A Sweet Selection

 

Pick out bags of candy to serve in complementing display dishes on a sweet station; or, put on a selection of small desserts like brownies, millionaire shortbread and cookies for your guests to choose from. The outlay is significantly lower than for a wedding cake, and of course a lot more fun.

 

sweetselection

 

More next week on how to keep those costs down, happy planning
Marius