Keep It Simple
The biggest secret to a successful wedding is to keep your plans simple. Avoid putting too many unnecessary elements into each stage of the planning process. Adding too much fussy detail can make this process so much more complicated and the risk of something going wrong and ruining your special day, is even greater.
Budget Mindset
The most important element in planning a successful stress-free wedding, is setting a budget and deciding on how to split up the funds, to cover each category in you wedding itinerary. Not only will adhering to your budget plan keep you from financial disaster, but it will also help you to focus on those things that are the essential ingredients, those elements that you consider will make your wedding special and unique to you.
It's All In The Details
If getting the best value for your money is important to you and helps you get the wedding you truly desire, then there are some important factors that you need to consider. Before setting a date for your wedding, do some research to find out which months are the least expensive to hold a wedding, for instance June is considered the most popular month for weddings and therefore the costs will be higher, especially when it comes to reception venues. Also, Saturday is traditionally the most popular day and therefore the costs will reflect this also. Sunday weddings are the next best option being that the costs are marginally less.
Choosing the right type of menu is also one way to keep costs down. A buffet is a cheaper alternative to a sit down 3 course meal. Other cheaper options you could consider, are morning teas receptions for daytime and a cocktail reception for the evening. The most important factor in the success of any reception is that the style of reception isn't as important as the quality of the food being served. The one detail that is remembered by wedding guests long after the wedding is over, is whether the food was good or bad.
When planning the reception that you'd like, make sure to consider your guests when making your decision. There is little point in choosing a menu or location that makes it difficult for your guests to enjoy. Things to consider would be the location and the type of venue itself. For instance, if you plan on having a reception on a boat, make sure your guests don't suffer from seasickness or have to leave early to pick up children from sitters. Also, a boat mightn't necessarily be a safe choice if you have a lot of children at the reception. If you invite mostly family members, planning an informal affair as opposed to the more formal style of reception may be more appealing to a family gathering.
