The reception and the food at your wedding will make up a huge bulk of your expenses. According to most catering companies northern Virginia, the allocation of the expenses for reception and food is, on average, at least 50%. While this can look like it’s a hefty amount, the costs can be trimmed down simply making a few adjustments to your wedding.
Consider the location
Renting spaces for your wedding can be expensive. If you’re holding your wedding in New York, Los Angeles, or some other high profile city, of course, it’s going to rack up the bill. You can significantly cut down on venue costs simply by considering smaller towns. However, also consider travel expenses for your suppliers. If your caterer is based close to your chosen venue, you will be spending less overall.
Tone down the formality
The more formal your wedding is, the more expensive it gets. Setting the tone of your wedding is crucial very early in the game. Of course, everyone wants a formal wedding with all the trimmings but if you don’t have the budget for it, you might want to look at how meaningful you can make your wedding instead of just impressive. A formal, sit-down dinner with a full band will definitely cost more money than an afternoon tea reception for a garden or beach wedding. Just because you are not breaking the bank does not mean your wedding is going to be less beautiful.
Cut down on the guestlist
This is not a quick favorite among couples but it works. If you invite less people to your wedding, you don’t just save up on food. You also get to pick a smaller, more intimate venue. The decors also get to be less, and you can pour more money on the dress, the documentation, and maybe even hold the reception and ceremony at a dream location. Consider having an intimate wedding and you might just be able to pull off a wedding with all the works for a budget that is more workable for you.
Some saving tips
Accounting is your best friend during wedding preparations. Even with a full events coordinator, it’s recommended for any couple to get their expenses visualized and toned down to a tee. Using the good old spreadsheet works. It allows you to easily see and compute how much you have spent so far and how much you still owe to certain suppliers. It also helps you adjust to the growing and changing prices of things you need to purchase for the wedding.
Small things during the preparation like watching Netflix and cooking in instead of going out helps you save more money for the wedding, the honeymoon, and your married life in general. You won’t feel it so much because you will still be able to spend time with each other.
Even if you have a specific expected expense estimate for the wedding, it’s still good to allot a “just in case” cost. It’s nice to go for minimalist weddings so you can save more money but don’t shortchange yourself, either. It is a special day for you after all. Ask your catering companies northern Virginia about how to feed the number of people in your guest list without sacrificing the volume and quality of the food. Don’t be embarrassed about it because these caterers are used to talking to couples about their budgets. They also want to make your day special.
Saint Germain Catering is on top of the list of catering companies northern Virginia. Don’t take our word for it, try our services and find out why locals and business owners love our services.