COVID has drastically changed the way we do a lot of things – even weddings. That said, it doesn’t mean they can’t still be wonderful. It doesn’t matter if you’re planning a micro-wedding, a virtual one, or a more traditional one, we have a few budget-friendly ideas for the reception that might be just what you’re looking for.
Focus on Must-Haves
Creating a budget is a method of giving you a starting point for when you plan your wedding. Remember that if you spend too much on the reception, you have to cut back on that fantastic honeymoon. For this reason, it’s best to know what your must-haves are and focus on those rather than on the things it would be nice to have.
Find a Venue That’s Awesome and Unexpected
If your venue is inside, great! If it’s outside, you might want to get one of the great wedding tents in the event that it rains on your special day. As far as finding a venue goes, look to family and friends for glorious backyards or ask if they own a lake house. Maybe there’s a great park in your area or you live near a beach. Any of these places would be great for a wedding reception.
Long Engagements
Once he’s given you that magnificent ring, it can be difficult to not just get right into planning the wedding. However, there are quite a few good reasons to have a long engagement. First and foremost, waiting gives you a chance to save for the wedding of your dreams. Also, if you try to book things like a venue, caterer, and florist in a hurry they might charge you more, especially if they have full schedules. Also, if you have a difficult-to-book venue in mind as your ideal place, it might be easier to book a long time beforehand.
Limit the Guest List
This one might be easy to overlook, but in the COVID era, it’s an important one. Limiting your guest list can also save you a lot of money. It can be difficult because you each have family and friends and second cousins once removed, and they all have significant others they’ll want to bring, and it goes on and on. Decide on how many guests you want based on venue size and what you are comfortable with, don’t go over that number. It can be brutal trying to stick with it but stick to your guns, that third cousin you see once a decade isn’t going to confront you 8 years after your wedding the next time you see them because you didn’t invite them.
Nontraditional Foods
An easy way to save money on the food at your reception is to have homemade food. If you happen to have a chef among your friends and family, good for you, ask them to help. If you don’t, there are other ways to save money. If you’re going to have a bar, either have a limit or have people pay for their drinks. Instead of salmon and lobster, have comfort foods like sliders or mac and cheese. Think about how much more fun you’ll have eating sliders than eating lobster.
Our new normal might add a bit of additional stress to couples who are newly engaged, what with travel restrictions, guest list limits, postponements, etc. However, it also gives them plenty of time and opportunities to save a bit of green. While you might not have the ability to have that flash mob with 200 people, your bank account will certainly show a difference.
Make the most of your backyard reception or micro-wedding. Hopefully, the tips you’ve just read for wedding receptions will be a benefit to your budget while making your reception a bit more enjoyable and memorable.
