Wedding Reception Ideas on a Budget

Cheap wedding receptions! Although it may sound like an oxymoron, budget weddings that look elegant and beautiful are a definite possibility. What's more, you do not have to spend your life's earnings on an extravagant wedding reception and be left stumbling under piles of debt. So if you are stressing over the prospect of planning the reception without having to spend a ton, here are some great wedding reception ideas on a budget.

Ideas for Wedding Reception

Wedding Reception Venue Ideas: Booking the venue in the "season" or during the weekends can cost you quite a bit, as the venues in the town have a steeper rate during this time. Instead be a bit flexible and plan your wedding in the off season. You can also look through all the brochures of the venues in town and decide on the ones that have lower rates.

Wedding Reception Decoration Ideas: The wedding decorations do not necessarily have to break the bank. Based on the location chosen, be it the backyard or a catering hall, you need to decide on the decorations. If you want flowers to go along with your wedding theme then opt for the silk ones available at discount marts. Not only do these artificial flowers look pretty but also have the benefit of not withering in an outdoor wedding reception. You can pick wedding flowers like red roses, lilies and daisies that are in tune with your wedding theme.

For wedding reception table ideas, choose floating candle centerpieces which are not only cheap but also look quite amazing. Small glass vases filled with beads or photographs of the couple also make for good wedding reception centerpieces on a budget. Decorate the venue with drapes bought from local stores and long red lacy ribbons hung from the ceiling. Add streamers and balloons that match with the color of the receptions theme. The trick to getting cheap decorations is to buy in bulk and do most of the work yourself. For instance, for the chair covers you can buy tulle and ribbons to create fancy bows that you can tie on the back of the chairs.

Wedding Reception Food Ideas: Apart from the venue and the decorations, the biggest part of the wedding budget is spent on the food. In order to slash costs for your reception you cannot really serve your guests crackers and cheese. Instead, a potluck or a reception registry is a great idea. The basics of both the concepts are the same and that is, the guests bring the food rather than bringing gifts. Sound crazy? Well, potluck is actually the traditional way of celebrating a couple coming together. It not only is low budget, but also leaves your guests feeling satisfied and happy. In addition to this you can also cut costs by opting for a few signature drinks as opposed to an open bar. The drinks can be made keeping your wedding theme in mind so a Southern-style wedding can have fruity hurricanes as signature drinks as opposed to a Mexican fiesta with margaritas and sangrias.

Wedding Favors: Wedding favors are your token of appreciation for the guests. However, these wedding favors do not really have to be expensive. So if you are running on a short budget then pick up inexpensive items like glass photo coasters, candle wedding favors, candy boxes, beautiful photo frames and many other discounted items as wedding favors. You can look up online or search in some discount stores for really cheap wedding favors that do not necessarily have to look all that tacky.

With this compilation of wedding reception ideas on a budget, you can be assured that your wedding reception is a memorable affair for you as well as the guests. Just keep in mind that with a little creativity, imagination and planning you can have as much fun as in an extravagant wedding reception.