Money Saving Tips for Wedding and Special Event Planning

THE ENTIRE EVENT!
THE FACILITY
THE INVITATIONS
THE RSVPS
THE RENTALS
THE CATERING
THE CAKE
THE BEVERAGES
THE EVENT PLANNER
THE ENTERTAINMENT
THE FLOWERS
THE PHOTOGRAPHER
THE LIMOUSINE

THE ENTIRE EVENT
Reduce the number of guests. Consider the purpose of your event and make your invitation decisions accordingly.

Reduce the length of your event. The length of an event usually relates to the amount of money spent.

Select a different day. Facilities, caterers and other services usually cost more on Saturday's and during high demand seasons. Try to avoid holidays and peak prom and wedding seasons to get the best prices.

Book in advance since last minute bookings are usually accomplished at a higher rate.

Pay cash for more expensive merchandise and ask for a cash discount. It costs merchants an average of 2% or more to process a credit card transaction.

THE FACILITY
Booking your special event facility a year or more in advance for dates in the lower demand months of late September through November and January through early April may give you leverage when attempting to negotiate a price. Many facilities would rather rapidly fill their event calendar rather than taking a gamble on filling a low demand date.

Friday and Sunday parties and special events are usually less expensive than Saturday when it comes to rental costs because Saturday's are in high demand. Since Fridays and Sundays are in lower demand, some facilities will discount the rental rate. Some suppliers will also discount their rates on lower demand days.

Consider lower cost alternative locations like local parks or community centers, a church or synagogue hall, an aircraft hangar, a party room in an apartment complex or condominium, or a backyard. Some local universities and colleges, unions and professional associations also have very nice special event facilities available for Alumni or member use that are free or relatively inexpensive.

Avoid facilities that charge caterers and other suppliers a "referral fee" since this fee can end up being paid by you in the form of higher catering or supplier costs.

THE INVITATIONS
Simple is the way to go. Custom colored inks, special graphic enhancements, raised printing, decorated liners and multiple enclosures increase the cost.

Select a stock design. Many printers offer stock invitations that can be personalized.

Size does count! Avoid oversized or overweight mailings since this increases your postage costs.

THE RSVP
To save time and money establish a toll free response telephone number or a response web site. If you are establishing a response web site be sure your guests have an alternate method of responding as well since some may not have Internet access. Rather than inserting a RSVP card in the invitation, simply print the RSVP toll free number/web address on the invitations.

THE RENTALS
If renting glassware, check the order when you pick it up or when it arrives AND before you sign for the order. You may find chipped, cracked or broken items that you will be charged a replacement fee for when returned to the rental company. Note the items on the delivery ticket before you sign it. If items are dirty or if lipstick residue is visible, note those items as well and expect to receive a credit for those items.

If renting plates, check the order as well. Note all chipped, cracked, broken or dirty items on the delivery slip before signing it and expect to receive a credit for those items.

If renting items, find out who your caterer rents from and if they will be renting items for your event from the rental company. Then indicate to the rental company that you would like your order to be sent along with the caterer's order for the event. You can usually avoid a delivery charge since both orders are going to the same location.

If the rental company is picking up items rented by the caterer at the end of the event, request that they also pick up your order at the same time.

If it is your responsibility to return rental items, be sure that you assign the responsibility of returning all rental items to someone who will make sure they are returned on time to avoid late charges.

Consider using disposable plasticware plates and glasses rather than china and glass. Clear, heavyweight plastic plates and glasses are available with the look of etched glass at significant savings when compared to the cost of rental china and glassware.

If real glassware is required for champagne service consider using traditional "flat" champagne glasses rather than fluted champagne glasses. Flats usually cost less and breakage tends to be less frequent which will reduce the amount of replacement charges.

If renting plates, be sure to rinse them so they are free of food before returning them so you will not be charged an extra cleaning charge for dried on food.

Try to avoid holidays and other high demand event dates. Prices are usually higher on high demand dates. Try to avoid Saturday evenings if you can.

Consider buffet style service rather than plated, sit down service. You will save a significant amount in labor costs that are required for plated service.

Provide an appetizer table rather than butler passed appetizers which requires additional service labor at additional cost.

Select a less expensive entree item. Talented caterers can prepare a variety of chicken entrees that are very appealing to the eye and palate and that cost significantly less than beef. Our apology to the cattle ranchers out there...

Select themed or ethnic foods like Italian or Mexican which are less expensive. Doesn't just about everyone love Italian food anyway?

Consider using upscale disposable plasticware rather than china and glassware. Clear, heavyweight plates and glasses that have the appearance of etched glass are available that cost less than renting china and glassware. You don't have to worry about cleaning or breakage charges either!

Time your event for late afternoon so that a cocktail or beer/wine reception with heavy hors d'oeuvres is appropriate. That way guests will not expect, nor will you have to foot the bill, for a full meal.

Don't book a caterer just because they have the biggest ad in the local telephone directory. Big ads only mean a big advertising cost, not better service or prices.

Compare "Apples to Apples" when comparing catering costs. Look for the "extra" charges like rental items, additional labor charges, delivery charges, gratuity rates, etc.

Shop some of the components that may be provided by the caterer, i.e. decor or rental table cloths, napkins, glassware, china, silverware, etc. since you may be able to save a significant amount of money by obtaining these items directly from another source.

THE CAKE
Consider using a decorated "dummy" cake for display and frosted sheet cakes for actual service of your guests. Many cake decorators have beautifully decorated display cakes available for rental that cost significantly less than a real, decorated cake. The guests will never know...except for the brat who only wanted to make a mess of the frosting on your cake anyway.

Consider a smaller decorated cake for display while using frosted sheet cakes for service to the guests.

THE BEVERAGES
Some "professionals" still insist that you will save a bunch of money by offering only champagne as the alcoholic beverage selection. "Sometimes" this can be true because people don't want to drink that much cheap champagne. But, this is not always the case. Just for the sake of argument...If a cheap bottle of $6.00 champagne (sparkling wine really) gives you only 5 to 7 portions (depending upon the size/type of champagne glass used) while the same size bottle of $8.00 vodka gives you 25 portions, which has the lowest cost per portion? You decide which costs less...

If you are planning to serve champagne (which "usually" has a higher cost per portion than just about anything else you could serve) offer it from the bar rather than by butler passing. By offering it from the bar, where there are other beverage selections available, you will reduce champagne consumption by 30% to 50% because people will opt for other selections and you will also save on the additional labor costs required for butler passing.

Consider having an afternoon event. Alcoholic beverage consumption will be significantly less during an afternoon event versus an evening event.

Try not to serve salty foods . Salt increases thirst which increases beverage consumption.

Interrupt the initial beverage service period by scheduling dinner to start within 45 to 60 minutes from guest arrival. The initial 2 hours of an event is the highest consumption period. By interrupting the high consumption period, people usually end up drinking less over the course of the evening.

Consider hosting only beer, wine and soft drinks which have a lower cost per portion than mixed drinks.

If a hosted full bar is required, consider staging the service by starting with beer, wine and soft drinks prior to dinner and adding mixed drinks to the available selections after dinner. By offering beer, wine and soft drinks initially you are establishing a consumption trend. After dinner many guests will continue to consume beer, wine and soft drinks and will not switch to the higher cost per portion mixed drinks.

If you are hosting the bar, consider limiting the grade of liquor. Hosting a mid grade liquor selection rather than a combination of mid and premium grade can trim 10% to 15% off your bar bill.

If you are hosting the bar, consider less costly wine selections for bar service, i.e. Chablis rather than Chardonnay, Blush rather than White Zinfandel and Burgundy rather than Cabernet Sauvignon.

Consider using bulk (boxed) wine in carafes for dinner table service. It can save you 50% or more on the cost of wine.

If you are serving wine with the meal, be sure the wine service/food service is timed properly. If wine is placed at the table prior to food service and the food service is delayed for some reason there will be significantly higher wine consumption since the guests have little to do but sit, talk and drink.

Consider using keg beer for larger groups. A keg is equal to 6.88 cases of beer which is equal to roughly 165 bottles (or cans) of beer. You can figure out the savings from there...

Purchase your own liquor (if the facility allows) from a liquor store that will allow you to return the full, unopened product or hire a beverage service company that will credit you for unused product.

Consider using plasticware at the bar rather than glassware. Not only does plasticware cost you less on a per unit basis when compared to rental, you don't have to worry about additional breakage costs.

Use proper glass sizes to avoid waste. Small glass sizes increase the number of drinks consumed. Large glass sizes increase waste due to warmed product. A 12 ounce glass is the optimum size for mixed drinks, beer and soft drinks. A 6 ounce glass is the optimum size for wine.

If providing your own beverages, hire a professional bartender to serve your guests rather than using a volunteer friend, family member or associate. A professional bartender will usually save you more than the cost of their wage by using portion control, making fewer mistakes and not opening every bottle in sight.

Close the bar 30 to 45 minutes before the end of the event and serve only soft drinks and coffee. This is a good guest safety idea anyway...

THE PLANNER
Select a planner who charges by the hour rather than based on a percentage of the total bill. When the planner's fee is based on a percentage of the bill there is little incentive to save you money on the cost of your event.

Avoid planners who charge the selected suppliers a "referral fee" since this fee may end up being passed on to you in the form of higher supplier charges.

Select an experienced planner. Experience can help you to avoid costly mistakes. Well known planners also have "connections" that can provide products or services at discount.

Consider alternatives, i.e. taped background music rather than a pianist, a d.j. rather than a band, etc.

Compare "Apples to Apples". Do you receive the negatives as part of the package or do you have to go through the photographer every time you want a reprint?, etc.

Shoot for quality not quantity! Limit the number of photos taken and limit your final photo selections.

Compare prices to see if it may be less expensive to rent twice, scheduling 2 trips, rather than renting once and paying the driver to sit and wait between trips.

Consider an alternative vehicle rental, i.e. a new convertible or luxury car driven by a friend or associate, a horse drawn carriage, etc.

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