Past Tense

If you are the average person you have probably never had to plan an event that consisted of more then 20-30 people. With a wedding reception you will probably be entertaining many more than that. An added burden is it is likely to be one of the most important days of your life. As with all your wedding planning, a great plan will help ensure a spectacular reception.

You need to determine your budget for your reception and also the amount of guests you think will attend. Remember not everyone who attends the wedding will attend the reception. If you only have a set amount to spend on the reception then take this amount and the number of guests you will have and find out what sort of venue you can rent and also the type of food and drink you can serve.

With the number of guests you have and the amount of money you can spend you can get estimates from venues, caterers, and other vendors. If you are lacking in financing then get creative in selecting venues and menus. Consider a cheaper venue and maybe more money to decorate it. Think about different menus or consider offering a table of appetizers.

If you are having your wedding in the afternoon you may not even want to serve a dinner as that is early for most people. Find out from your vendors what most people do for the time of day you are having your wedding. Remember when planning the menu you will have different people with different dietary needs. Ask the caterer about how he can meet these needs.

Make sure you have adequate help for the wedding reception. If you are having a dinner that will be served you need a minimum of one waiter or waitress per ten guests. If it is buffet style then you need to make sure someone is on hand to monitor the buffet table and replenish it as needed.

One of the biggest costs for a reception can be the drinks. If you are going to have an open bar along with a champagne toast you need to get the costs for this early on as it will materially affect your reception budget. Depending on finances you can have a full bar with all major wines and liquors or you can serve just wine and beer. You can also have the guests pay for their liquor or offer setups and have them bring their own. Irregardless of the option you choose be sure to find out the policy for alcohol at your venue.

As with the wedding ceremony itself, planning the reception can be a grueling task. Be sure and fully utilize your vendors for ideas on how to get the things you really want at a price you can afford. Many have been in the business for years and so know numerous alternatives. Keep in mind that nothing is usually concrete so always try and negotiate a better price or more options whenever possible. Try different scenarios and see if you can reach a price point that is closer to your budgeted amount.