As you move along through the wedding-planning process and are fast approaching your big day, are you finding yourself toeing the line between staying within your budget and spending money you don’t have? Don’t worry. We’ve got five tips for saving on wedding venue and catering costs that you may not have thought of. (You can thank us later!)
Say “I Do” Where You’ll Party Too
One of the easiest ways to save big is by having both your ceremony and reception at the same venue. Not only are venues willing to work with you on costs and logistics, you’ll also save money on transportation, potential vendor transportation, time, and even stress! Like anything else, there are pros and cons to getting married on-site, but it’s certainly something to consider if you’re looking to cut costs.
BYOB
Some venues have regulations on this, but for those that don’t, consider bringing in your own booze. Contact local distributors or wholesalers to see what type of pricing you can expect if you buy your own favorite beers, wines, and liquors in bulk. Then crunch some numbers and figure out if you’d save by doing it yourself. Just be certain you’ve made sure you bought enough—and buy extra just in case!
Per-Head Pricing
Typically, wedding venues and caterers will offer two prices per head: those for adults (over 21) and those for children. Often neglected are teens, the in-betweens, and nondrinkers. Most of the time, adult head counts will include alcohol in all-inclusive packages, and alcohol is expensive! If you have nondrinkers, pregnant guests, or teens, speak up. There’s no reason to pay for the alcohol you know they won’t be consuming.
