any ideas for a cheap reseption?

Question

my fiance is on disability and I am currently inbetween jobs from moving to be with him----I honestly am having so much pressure from family to do a big reseption----stress city here---please help

Answer 1

You can try bbq in a state park and ask your guests to bring a dish to share with others. I have been to a reception like this before. I knew the bride in that reception too. All they had provided were meats (hamburgers, hot dogs), some desserts, and maybe some plates and eating utensils. You can get all these in a wholesale club like Sam's or BJ's.

Answer 2

Find a hall that doesn't have a liquor license. It's much cheaper to bring in your own, typically they mark up liquor 100%. Also, to really save money, only serve beer and wine and soft drinks. A buffet is usually cheaper than a sit down dinner and it's nicer. Everyone can pick what they want to eat instead of getting whatever shows up on the plate. I usually starve at sit down dinners, because they're usually something I won't eat.

Don't let the florist talk you into $50 centerpieces. Not necessary, there are lots of centerpieces that can be done for less than $10. Go to your local arts and crafts store, buy a glass bowl, fill part way with water and float some blooms in the water. Much less than a typical florist arrangement. If the bowl is shallow enough you can also put a pillar candle in it. Check out the neat centerpieces they did on Design on a Dime wedding, link below.l

Don't buy a four figure wedding gown. I have seen a $5000 gown up close and personal and I'm here to tell you, it doesn't look that much better than a $500 gown from Davids. You can't tell the difference at all in the pictures or on the video.

Don't rent limos or any other kind of transport, they're a very expensive, waste of money. I went to my wedding in my dad's pickup (it looked nice, not a beater). We left the church in my mom's car, she has a nice Cadillac.

I will say that you should spend as much as you can on a photographer. This is the only part of your wedding that is permanent. Go with the best person you can afford.

Don't buy really expensive invitations, no one but you and maybe your mom, will keep them. I ordered mine from one of the companies that advertises in the wedding magazines. Send away for all those catalogs and order from one that you like.

Order a small tiered wedding cake to cut, instead of a cake that will serve everyone, and have sheet cakes in the back that the caterer can serve to guests. Also, a good place to get a cake that's not too expensive is a grocery store with a good bakery.

Skip favors all together or go with something simple and inexpensive. Wrap up some Hershey kisses in tulle and your good to go.

I hope this was helpful, have a good wedding. Another course of action you might want to consider is a destination wedding on a cruise or at an all inclusive resort. You get your wedding and honeymoon all in one, plus you can invite whoever you want but you don't have to pay for a reception because it's all inclusive. Friends of ours did this in December, it was fun and about 40 people were there. We got a 4 day vacation and a great wedding on a beautiful island. I don't remember how much it cost us, but it wasn't bad, since we got a vacation out of it. Not everyone will come if you do this, but I'll bet the people who would complain the most (parents and siblings) will come. Good luck

Answer 3

Ummmm, you do not ask your guests to bring a dish to pass, that is just tacky, no matter how cheap you want it to be. BUT, you can have family members help make a dish each, that helps big time!! How about a meat tray, and veggie tray, you can get the stuff and arrange it yourself, use cheap disposable platters, and arrange the meats on a bed of lettuce. Salads, fruited jellos....... I am a wedding planner, and my sis in law just got married on a very tight budget, we used a town hall building where you had to pay a $50. deposit, and once they see you leave the hall as you found it, then you get the $50. bucks back. It was big enough for the ceremony, as well as recepetion & then a DJ (we got a really good deal) with dancing. It was actually really fun!!! If a DJ isnt in your budget, use favorite cd's..

Lately, with the receptions, I have seen a variety of desserts, like cheese cakes, cream pies, layered cake with decorative cherries or frosted edgeing etc, things like that, instead of the traditional wedding cake. And then the "Bride & Groom cake topper, is on the table, as a decorative center piece, with tulle' or sparkles....

Theres so many neat things you could do on a tight budget, and the thing is, no one will ever know!

Good luck, & have fun with the planning!

Answer 4

You may want to think about having a non alcoholic wedding. Alcohol on average costs in the thousands when all is said and done. Also You don't really need Favors, most people don't even realize they aren't there. Also you may want to try having just a desert reception, with enough time in between the ceremony so that people can get a bite to eat. The wedding shouldn't just be all abut the food. It is to celebrate the union of two people in love. Some times people forget that, but you definitely shouldn't! Congradulations to you both!

Answer 5

Keep the reception hall decorations to a minimum - go for small centerpieces, perhaps just simple square vases with about 7 flowers. The one thing you should not cheap out on is the food. Make sure the food is fabulous because that's why people are really coming - they want to eat. Serve good, quality food - have it be a sit down dinner - and people will not only have a great time, they will remember your wedding for a very long time.

Answer 6

An inexpensive reception might be a picnic or barbeque in Spring or Summer.

A home reception of a breakfast or brunch with Little sandwiches, Sparkling Cider and salads
made by the family members.
Records, cd's for music or friends who are vocalists or instrumentalists can help out.
Lily

You can have class and fun even if you don't have large amounts of money to work with.

Answer 7

If the family is putting pressure on you for a big reciption, ask them to do it for you and you will show up, or back off and let you do your thing.

This is a day for you and your husband to start the rest of your life, you should not have to worry about making everyone else happy, as long as you are happy!

Ive been to a lot of weddings (mostley hispanic) were they will fix something such as spegitti, hamburgers, hotdogs, (anything that is cheep and easy) and then lots of music, beer, and dancing.

It does not have to be fancy to be fun and memorable :)

Good Luck, Ill be planning mine soon

Russell

Answer 8

First off, if your family isn't paying for a big reception, tell them it isn't going to happen. When you start saying "you pay for it if you want it so much," they usually don't want it that badly.
Second, have the wedding and reception at the same place. A friend's house with a big yard is a good start, as they won't charge you for it.
Make yourself a budget and stick to it. Wal-Mart has platters of all types for a reasonable price. For decorations, make your local dollar store your best friend. They tend to carry great stuff that can be used as decor, such as candles and holders, confetti, table cloths, champagne glass shaped bottles of bubbles and fake flowers.
Try yard sales and your local freecycle.org for more inexpensive and free stuff.

Answer 9

Have a few close friends to your home (or someone else's) for a tea, rather than a meal. Serve coffee, tea, lemonade, and sparkling water along with crackers, cheeses, raw vegetables, and a cake. If you want to be extra festive, get enough champagne for everyone to enjoy one glass.

Of course your ceremony and the following reception must be brief. If you keep people away from home for more than 3.5 hours, then you have an obligation to provide them with a "real meal" instead of a snack.

Answer 10

We done everything ourselves for our reception. Food, Decorations, music....its a lot cheaper, but a lot more stressful!!! Back when my sister got married receptions were so much simplier they just had a party .... have it at someones house with a nice back yard or nice home and then you dont have to rent any place, cook your own food and just decorate with candles and stuff like that. After your wedding and reception is over you will realize that as long as you have entertainment and food ppl will be pleased.