Wedding Tips 101: Your Wedding Reception on a Budget

In a wedding, the reception is one of the most complicated to organize and hard to finalize because it’s expensive. If you want to save on your wedding expenses, always think of ways how you can budget, especially for the reception. Check below as I break it down:

Food

When it comes to food, remember that no matter how you organize your menu, you will never be able to please the palate of all of your guests.  And if truth be told, most guests really don’t remember the food they were served, all they really care is to eat.

If you’re on a budget, try looking for a catering supplier with delicious food and great customer service. You might stumble upon a great caterer serving delicious meals at an affordable price. The average caterer’s rates start at 200 pesos per head for a minimum of 60 persons here in Cebu City.

Location

For the best location of your reception, a garden or a clubhouse in a subdivision would be a great value. Those two are the best options because you won’t be paying for airconditioning. Both have open spaces and the cold breeze will help the guests feel comfortable.

Also, always check the condition of the venue hall thoroughly. Are all ACs working? What is the condition of the bathrooms? Are there enough speakers or will they be charging a separate fee to use their sound system?

I say this because I have experienced shooting a wedding wherein the reception hall had a broken AC so all of the windows were opened. Despite the opened windows, the place was very hot and many guests left early as they weren’t exactly enjoying the heat.

Guest

This is the most complicated decision to finalize, especially how many are you inviting. Why? Because you’ll probably think that your friends and relatives will get mad at you because you didn’t invite them. If you are soft and just want to invite everyone, that’s up to you. And if you are a practical person, you can invite 70-100 persons. Just think of your budget and also be ready with your response why you’re not inviting any of your friends and relatives.

One of the things that can really put you in a bad situation is the parents. They want to invite lots of relatives. I believe that it’s okay for them to invite many relatives only if they are the ones who will pay. If it’s not them, it should be your decision and not theirs. Just remember, if it’s your money and you’re on a budget, don’t let your parents take control of the guest list and decide who to invite. The best plan is to invite a few of your close immediate relatives.

I’ve already experienced it and my wife and I paid for the reception. My parents only supported two foods:  lechon and humba. And those are just little fractions of the total cost that I and my wife have invested. My parents suggested some of my close relatives but I was the one who finalized the guest list from my side. On my wife’s part however, she wasn’t strong enough to win the decisions over with her parents.