DAY 6:

Your Wedding & Reception Venue

Money-Saving Tips and Important Questions To Ask your Rental Supplier

Some wedding ceremony sites or churches and reception sites don’t provide for all the items that you may need during the wedding.   

Here is a list of some of those items and how you may save money on alternatives:

1. aisle runner – a thin rug or carpet spread along the length of the aisle for the couple and their entourage to walk on.  You can save rental on this aisle runner by using petals of flowers from your garden instead.

2. Kneeling cushion – a small cushion or pillow placed in front of the alter for the bride and groom to kneel on.  You can save money from rental of kneeling cushion by using an old throw pillow and covering it in a clean white case. 

3. Arch / Chuppah – Arch is the white lattice or trellis placed in front of the alter where Christian couples exchange their wedding vows.  A Chuppah is a canopy under which Jewish couples are married.  You can save on an arch and a chuppah by asking two bridesmaid or groomsmen to hold a light and thin piece of curved wood over your head just when vows are being exchanged.  Decorate this curved wood with vines and garlands and flowers.  This alternative arch is even more solemn than an ordinary arch or chuppah as it directs the attention of the guests at the most important part of the ceremony: the exchanging of vows.

Here are some important questions to ask your rental supplier:

1. What is the name of the party rental supplier?
2. What is the address of the party rental supplier?
3. What is the name and number of my contact person?
4. What are your business hours?
5. Do you have liability insurance?
6. What is the cost per item needed?
7. Do you have a package for wedding ceremony rental items?
8. Do you have a package for reception rental items?
9. Does this package include the transportation and setting up of this items?
10. If not, how much is the cost for transportation and setting up of these items?
11. When will the items be delivered?
12. When will the items be picked-up
13. What is the cost of delivery and pick-up of these items?
14. What is the cost per hour of extra use of these items?
15. What is your payment policy?
16. What is your cancellation policy?

Wedding Savings Trend #4 (Couples are saving money by buying wedding cakes, flowers and reception food from the local supermarkets.) Well, who would’ve  “thunk” our Wedding Saving Trend #4?   Our research shows that couples are flocking to the local grocer for wedding finger food like chicken wings and cheese crackers.   They are also saving money over catered prices for salads, vegetable platters, etc.  Cake is the biggest buy.  You can save at least 15% by buying your wedding cake depending on the size from a supermarket.

Money-Saving Tips and Important Questions to Ask your Transportation In-Charge

A punctual transportation in-charge is essential to a successful wedding.  Imagine a wedding reception where the bride and groom are already at their table but the guests are late and are nowhere to be found?  This most especially holds true to weddings where the wedding ceremony venue is different from the wedding reception venue.

Here are some important questions you need to ask a car and chauffer service before hiring them:

1. What is the name of the transportation service company?
2. What is the phone number and address of the transportation service company?
3. What is the name and phone number of my contact person?
4. How much of your business come from wedding engagements?
5. How many years have you been in this business?
6. How many vehicles do you have available?
7. Do you allow floral arrangements on your vehicle for the bridal car?
8. If so, when can my florist come to set-up the flowers on the bridal car?
9. Can you provide a back-up vehicle in case of emergency?
10. What types of vehicles are there available?
11. How many are their sitting capacity per trip?
12. How updated are your vehicles?
13. How many drivers do you have?
14. How do your drivers dress up for wedding engagements?
15. Can you guarantee a clean background on your drivers?
16. Will you provide us with a photograph for the drivers of my wedding should we decide to get two or more vehicles?
17. Do you have liability insurance?
18. What is the minimum amount of time required to rent a vehicle?
19. What is the cost per extra hour of service?
20. What is your car service reservation policy?
21. How much gratuity is expected?
22. What is your payment policy?
23. What is you cancellation policy?

Here are some money-saving tips and alternatives for wedding transportation:

1. If you have more than one vehicle at home, ask a relative of the bride or the groom to drive for some of the wedding guests from the wedding site to the reception site.

2. Before the wedding most of your close friends will volunteer to do some things to help out with the wedding.  Take this opportunity to ask if they are willing to let one or two guests ride with them from the wedding site to the reception site.  To avoid embarrassing situations, ask only the help of close relatives, brothers or sisters, and very close friends.

3. Since the bride and groom arrive in separate cars, the bride may use her personal car for the transportation of guests from the wedding to the reception.  If there is no driver, ask a female neighborhood teenager or friend with driving license to drive for your guests.  They will not mind not receiving any, or just a small amount of gratuity.

We’ll talk a little bit more about how to save on wedding reception costs a little later.  But, for right now, let’s talk about saving money on one of the most important stars of your wedding.  Did you really think it was going to be you?

The bulk of your savings will come from cutting the costs at your wedding reception.  I’ve had many couples ask me, “Well, do I really have to feed them?”  They may have been joking, but my response was a resounding….

 
Money-Saving Tips and Important Questions to Ask the Reception Site Manager

There are many things to consider in a reception site.  First and foremost would be its location and accessibility to the guests, its capacity, its provision for an indoor facility should it rain on the day of the wedding.
 
Here are some important questions to ask about the reception site:

1. What is the name and address of the reception site?
2. What is the name and phone number of my contact person?
3. Is it available on the date and time of my wedding?
4. What is the price range for a seated lunch/dinner?
5. What is the price range for a buffet lunch/dinner?
6. Do you have corkage fees? If so, how much?
7. What is the cake-cutting fee?
8. What is the ratio of servers to guests?
9. How much time will be given for my reception?
10. Should there be several users on the same day, how much time allowance will be given between the last use of the room and my reception?
11. Are there music restrictions?
12. Are there alcohol restrictions?
13. Is there a dress code for the facility?
14. Are there rice-tossing and bouquet-tossing restrictions?
15. What room and table decorations are available?
16. Are you willing to coordinate with my wedding florist for putting up of the decorations?
17. Are you willing to coordinate with my rented items coordinator for extra tables, chairs, stands, sound system, etc?
18. Is a changing room available?
19. Is there handicap accessibility?
20. For outdoor receptions, do you have a reserved alternative space in case it rains?
21. Do you charge a separate fee for this reservation?
22. What is your payment policy?
23. What is your cancellation policy?

To save on the cost of the reception, you might want to consider the following tips and alternatives:

• Ordering a wide variety of food in small amounts is more costly than ordering in large quantities.  Therefore, order a few food items in large quantities.
• In buffets, use butler service for more expensive and costly food items.  This will limit the amount of food the people will take and although we want them to enjoy their food, we also want to assure others of their share.
• Spread appetizers and small offerings around the room instead of in one central location like the main buffet table.
• Place wine and spirits bar at the back of the room with butler service.  You may also want to limit alcoholic options to beer and wine only.
• Order food items that can be divided into small servings.
• To avoid loss of wedding gifts, hire a young boy or girl from the neighborhood to watch over the gifts during the whole reception.
  

RESOURCES SECTION:

6-month Wedding Countdown Calendar

Wedding Checklist

Wedding Etiquette Ebook

Hot Deals & Bargains

List of 250 flowers and plants