If you live in a larger city, consider looking into smaller cities for a location to have your wedding. Venues are more expensive in the large cities. If you have a small city close to where you live, check out what it has to offer. You may find a great venue for a reasonable price just by changing your venue city.
When planning an outdoor wedding, always have a backup plan. Try choosing a venue that has an indoor area available for your wedding if it decides to rain that day. You could also consider having tents just in case you experience bad weather. When using a tent during rain, it is not ideal for when you have heavy rain as the ground beneath the tent will become wet and your guests will have to walk in it.
If you are having a reception at a venue that doesn’t supply the decor, you’ll have to pick up the napkins and tablecloths yourself. I wouldn’t recommend going with plastic, so instead pick up inexpensive fabric and hem the edges to make it look like a professionally finished product. Do the same for napkins in a matching color.
If you’re on a tight budget for your wedding, ask your family if they can help supply the flatware and plates for the tables at your reception. You can match only the items on a single table as most people won’t be looking at what is on the other tables around them. Most people won’t even notice! The best part is that you can send the dirty dishes home with them for cleaning, saving you additional cost for the extra time at your venue.
Do not settle for the first wedding location you find–shop around. A wedding is a once in a lifetime experience that you want to make sure is perfect. Picking the wrong venue could be the difference between having the wedding of your dreams or having the wedding of your nightmares.
If you want a high-end wedding but can’t afford it, you can save some money by reducing your guest list. Catering costs, venue size, and other considerations can be reduced to a more manageable bill allowing you to go all out on your dress, cake, and flowers with the money you’ve saved.
If you’re planning a wedding outdoors, you better have a plan B in case of any nasty surprises by Mother Nature. Make sure you have some tents installed or a backup hall nearby, in addition to the planned outdoor venue. Mud can ruin footwear, so for the convenience of your guests it is a good idea to lay down planks of wood for them to walk on.
Photo by Wedding Photography by Jon Day