Wedding Reception Tips

The cost of your wedding reception can add up quickly. The type of food,
drinks, service, and entertainment you choose can make the difference between
an enjoyable time for you, or an expense you must bear for a long time to
come. The tips that follow will ensure that you have a lovely reception - and
an elegant one - that you can afford and your guests will remember for a long
time to come. You needn't sacrifice style in order to have just what you want
- and can afford - on your special day.

Cocktails and appetizers:

An open bar can become the most expensive single item in your wedding budget.
If you feel you must offer free drinks to your guests, consider having an open
bar for the first hour of the reception only, then switching to a cash bar.
Not only does this save you money, it helps prevent over-indulgences that can
lead to problems later on.

Serve only wine, beer and soft drinks at the open bar. Serve mixed drinks on
a cash basis. Be sure to plan for a round of celebratory champagne, too!

Forgo an open bar altogether and serve wine, beer and other favorites passed
by the wait-staff. This allows you to control the amount of alcohol you
purchase, as well as the amount consumed by your guests. (It is an unpleasant
reality that there are liability issues for accidents that follow
over-indulgences at your wedding reception.)

Serve a champagne or other "spiked" punch. Again, you control the amount of
alcohol, and you don't need to use the most expensive brands in the
preparation.

Serve wine in bottles placed on the tables. A bottle of red wine and a bottle
of white wine placed on each table will provide a glass or two for each of
eight seated guests. Purchase a set number of bottles of wine of your
choosing. Each guest will have a glass to raise in your honor during the
toasts.

Purchase your own liquor instead of buying through the caterer. Many stores
will accept the return of unopened cases or bottles. If you do purchase
through the caterer or reception site, control costs by using only house
brands.

If you have your wedding in the afternoon or late evening appetizers,
champagne and dessert may be all you need!

Always make sure you have plenty of non-alcoholic options on hand. Serve a
variety of soft drinks and a non-alcoholic punch - particularly important if
you will have children at your reception.

If you have a wedding brunch you can plan to serve only Bloody-Marys and
Mimosas. People are less likely to drink as much during the morning hours as
well.

Close the bar an hour or so before the anticipated end of the festivities.
From that point serve only soft-drinks, punch, coffee and tea.

Don't neglect legalities. Be sure your catering service has a liquor license
if they will be serving alcohol and make sure they have enough liability
insurance in case of accidents.

Be aware that if you hold your reception in a church facility alcohol may be
disallowed. (This may also affect the type of music you choose for the
reception)

Appetizers served from stations will cost you less than passed hors
d'oeuvres. (This also eliminates the need for extra wait-staff to serve them.)

Meals:

If you are planning a sit-down dinner, choose less expensive entrees - like
chicken instead of beef, or pasta instead of seafood. Many people prefer
chicken to red meat anyway, but if you feel you must offer beef to your guests
allow them a choice on your reception reply cards and plan accordingly. The
same rule applies to your side dishes. Broccoli is less expensive than
asparagus, for example, and these small changes can make a big difference in
the bottom line.

Plan for a simpler meal. It isn't necessary to have hors d'oeuvres, soup and
salad. If you are having a cocktail hour with appetizers, a simple salad will
be enough when the meal begins.

Don't assume a buffet will cost less than a sit-down dinner. Be sure to
discuss both options with your caterer. Because food portions are not
controlled you often end up planning for and paying for more food. Although
you won't have waiters and waitresses you will still need catering staff to
replenish supplies that run low, serve drinks, clear tables, and carve a roast
or serve other meats.

A fresh idea for dinner service is a "station" approach. Stations are similar
to a buffet in their approach, but generally allow your guests to get to their
food more quickly, and offer less expensive options than a standard buffet or
traditional formal dinners. Consider having a pasta station with a variety of
pastas and sauces, (depending on the size of your guest list, you might want
to have a second pasta station - they are very popular!) a carving station for
a roast, ham, or turkey, or even a skewer station where your guests select
their favorite meats and vegetables to be prepared fresh while they wait.

Celebrate your heritage with an ethnic meal. Mexican, Chinese or Italian
(even Southern-American!) meals are fun and generally more cost-effective
approaches to dinner or lunch. Check with your favorite local restaurant for
prices. Foods purchased in bulk will save you money.

Consider a wedding breakfast or brunch. Omelettes, French toast, breakfast
cakes, finger sandwiches and the like will cost far less than a traditional
dinner. Be sure to serve a variety of teas and coffees, as well.

The Cake

Let the wedding cake be dessert! You might want to offer fresh fruits for
health-conscious guests, but don't feel you must have a wide variety of other
options. Serve a groom's cake if you feel you need different flavor options
for your guests.

Save money by having a small, elegant cake to cut at the reception. Serve a
sheet-cake in the same flavor from "behind the scenes."

Traditional icing is a less expensive option that a royal fondant. It can
save you as much as two dollars per guest!

Plan ahead! Using a three-inch cut as a rule: a two tier cake (14- and 16-
inch layers) will serve 50, three tiers (12-,14- and 16-inches) will serve 75,
four tiers (9-, 12-, 14- and 16-inches) will serve 125. A standard sheet cake
serves 40. A typical cake will cost from two to four dollars per person, extra
charges for special icings and decorations notwithstanding.

Entertainment

Ask bands amount their minimum time frames. Hire then for a couple of hours
to cover your entrance, your first dance and dances with your parents, and the
cake cutting. Then switch to taped music for the remainder of the time.

Hire musicians for colleges or universities. If the school's bands are not
available the music department can usually recommend student bands who cost a
lot less than professional musicians, but sound just as good.

If you are just looking for background music (violin, piano or harp, for
example) hire the in-house musicians from your church or temple. If you use
them for your ceremony as well you can keep costs way down.

Consider a smaller music group - a combo or quartet, for example - rather
than a 15-piece orchestra or chamber group. You'll save money on meals and
tips this way, too.

A DJ will cost significantly less than a band, and your guests are more
likely to have their requests fulfilled.