Every bride wants a ceremony and reception that is beautiful and elegant and that truly expresses her own personality.  Unfortunately not everyone can afford to have everything they want for their wedding and may find it difficult to balance these two situations.  However you can trim some money from your expenses by choosing some Budget Wedding cakes for your reception.  Here are some basic suggestions to keep in mind.

For one thing, remember that you don’t need a traditional huge tiered cake for your wedding.  Some low cost wedding cakes will mean some other options instead.  Many brides are finding that a nice selection of simple layer cakes can be just as beautiful if they’re all decorated nicely.  You can have one special cake with a cake topper that you and the groom slice together but other cakes can be made or even bought from your bakery or supermarket as options for low cost wedding cakes.  Your guests will likely not even mind seeing those other cakes and won’t miss that large tiered cake.  Some brides even have one small special cake that is beautifully decorated but then have sheet cakes in the kitchen that can be sliced and served to guests.  Rarely do they even realize this has happened since the ingredients are the same and it’s already sliced when they receive it!  Using these sheet cakes as low cost wedding cakes is a great idea for those who have a large number of guests attending.

Cupcakes have become a good alternative for low cost wedding cakes; they can be presented in a tree or tower so that they resemble a tiered cake.  Cupcakes are actually sometimes much nicer than a large cake since they’re all individually decorated so they look very beautiful when a guest receives it, as opposed to a typical cake which is sliced so that guests can’t even see the decorations!  Cupcakes as Low Cost Wedding cakes are a fun and festive way to add some personality to your reception and often guests don’t even notice that you’re using cupcakes since they’re so beautifully decorated.

The decorating is what usually gets in the way of low cost wedding cakes.  If you pay a professional to hand decorate your cake then of course it’s going to cost more than any other cake.  Keep this in mind when shopping for Low Cost Wedding cakes.  Ask the local bakery what options they have for cakes that are not personally decorated but that you can buy off the rack or off the shelf.  Very often they have a wide selection of cakes that are very beautiful and very tasty but since they’re not specifically decorated for you then of course they don’t cost quite as much.  A bakery might also have some options for cakes that they decorate but not according to your instructions; these make great low cost wedding cakes since they’re dressier than most cakes but still very affordable.

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Even though you may be planning your wedding on a strict budget, that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on having the reception you’ve always dreamed of. Here are a few tips and ideas to remember when it’s time to begin thinking of budget-friendly wedding reception ideas.

Book as early as possible to get the best rates, and be sure to bargain shop for prices before settling on a location for the wedding reception. Inquire about their down payment and refund policies, and make certain you know all of the extra, or additional costs well ahead of time.

Choose an off time of year, such as in the winter, usually during January or March, to find the best prices on everything from caterers, reception venues, and honeymoon costs. Likewise, getting married on a day of the week such as Monday or Friday will be considerably cheaper than the usual Saturday or Sunday affairs.

Alcohol will usually drive the price of a wedding reception right through the roof, unless of course you either eliminate it altogether, have a “beer or wine only” affair, or provide all of your own liquor instead of being charged by the venue or caterers. Another option considered to be perfectly acceptable at hotels or banquet halls is having a cash bar instead of an open bar.

Forget the traditional banquet hall and instead find a church or recreation hall, or your local community center, many of which charge prices that are considerably lower than other venues.

Depending on the number of tables at the reception, it may be a bit expensive to have disposable cameras at each table. Instead, include small, decorative note cards on every other table, along with a few pens for friends and family to record their well wishes for the happy couple. Be sure to add a small sign at each table asking guests to please write their thoughts or words of wisdom for the newlyweds on the cards that will soon be paired with photos from the disposable cameras.

Decorations don’t have to cost an arm and a leg to be beautiful. Visit your local craft store, as well as the area dollar stores to find a dizzying array of decorative possibilities, including tulle, which can be used to decorate just about anything. Dollar stores have a variety of candles, mirrors, and small decorative items that will easily turn any location into one that’s fit for a day of love and enchantment.

If possible, include a “kids only” area for those guests under a certain age to play and have fun. This is one of the most helpful wedding reception ideas of all, especially if there are any parents in the wedding party. Recruit the help of a teenage friend or relative to keep the kids under control, and be sure to provide plenty of distractions, such as coloring books and crayons, puzzles, books, and a variety of games. If you’re lucky enough to have access to a separate room, splurge and bring along a television, some fun movies and cartoons, or a few video games to keep the little ones entertained throughout the evening.

To save money on food, choose an appetizer only reception, which is usually held between the hours of 4 and 7PM, or a tea reception, serving only finger sandwiches, cake, coffee, and tea between 2 and 5PM, or a brunch or breakfast reception which would follow a wedding held during the late morning hours.

You can read more about fun wedding reception ideas on TheBridesHeart.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brenda_Jackson

The wedding is all over and in addition to your memories you have a wedding dress and wedding jewelry that is taking up space.  You’ll probably never wear the dress again and you may never wear your bridal jewelry again, so what do you do with it?At some time after the wedding you will be wondering about this because of the space that these things take up.  It’s not that you don’t love your bridal jewelry and dress; it’s just that it can no longer serve a purpose.While it was once one of the most important things in your life,now it is only occupying space.  Funny how this happens to just about every bride!

Not sure what to do with your bridal jewelry and dress?Maybe you don't spend a lot of time with sentimental thoughts in which case selling it might make sense.  Even if you can only sell it for 50% of what you paid for it all, you may be able to pay off some of those wedding bills with the money that you make from it.  To some women they think this is silly or just plain wrong, but for other women that do not form attachments to material things, selling their wedding dress and jewelry seems perfectly acceptable.  You need to decide for yourself if you are comfortable selling these things as they are an important part of your history.

If you know that you don’t want to sell your bridal jewelry and dress there is still another option:  store it.  Storing your wedding jewelry really won’t be difficult as you can just put the things back in the boxes that they came in and put them in a drawer or safety deposit box for safe keeping.The wedding jewelry is easy because it doesn't require much space but the wedding dress takes up quite a lot of room. 

Luckily, many bridal shops offer cleaning and storage services that will allow you to bring home your dress in a box and store it in a closet, under the bed, or wherever else is convenient for you.Preserving your wedding gown means that you will be able to have it later for sentimental thoughts amd maybe give the dress to your daughter or a special friend for use in the future.  Whether you choose to store your bridal jewelry and dress or sell it, take some time to think about your options, especially if you decide to sell, because once it’s gone, it’s gone!