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

Once you have named the day and decided who you are going to invite to your wedding, it’s time to have a look at your budget and see what you can afford to spend on the wedding invitations.

There are so many bridal invitations to choose from. How is it possible to find the most appropriate one for you and your groom? Well, you can start by selecting a design within the color scheme or theme which you already have planned for your wedding. For example, if you have chosen lilac and white and you like fairies then this could be the design of your custom invitations.

The time of year can also influence the style of your wedding invitations. For instance, if you are getting married at Christmas time, they could reflect a snowy scene, or if you choose to wed on Valentines Day, then hearts, bows and roses could be your theme of romance.

wedding invitations stationery comes in many types of paper, ranging from the shiny glassine, to the layered jacquard. However some couples prefer a matte or a foil finish.

Many wedding invitations are designed using beautiful fonts which are raised or printed in a skillful way. These different print styles enable you to personalize the invitations right down to the last detail in embossed, engraved or calligraphy style print.

When it comes down to wording for invitations, deciding exactly what to put can be both confusing and frustrating. Which words should you use to tell everyone about your special day in a stunning and memorable way? Generally speaking, the way in which you choose the right words will depend on where you are getting your invitations from.

There are several on line sites or high street stationers who offer you everything you could possibly wish for in a wedding invitation. Most of them have catalogs of hundreds of designs for you to choose from. You can either use one of their template designs or give them details of your own design. Whoever you choose to purchase your wedding invitations from will offer you help in choosing the right words to invite your guests to your wedding. The invitations will then be proofed for your approval and delivered to you door in good time for the occasion.

Of course, the invitations should include the names of the bride and groom and the date and venue of the happy occasion. Anything more than this is purely at your own discretion.

You may, however, decide that you would like to have a go at making your own wedding invitations and this could be helpful in saving a little money if you are working to a tight budget. If you have a computer, you can buy stationery and print your own invitations and the store will also sell matching envelopes. You can download all manner of images onto the card or even design the invitations with a photograph of you and your groom. The item can be finished off by hole punching and placing pretty ribbons, tied in bows through the holes.

If you are creative and have quite a bit of free time on your hands, you could have a go at making your unique invitations by hand. There are loads of interesting materials available and you will be able to design something totally unique from anything ever seen before.

When the wedding invitations are prepared, which ever way you choose to go about them, the most important thing is that they are proof read to ensure they say exactly what you want them to say. Let’s face it, the information the guests receive has to be spot on in order to make your wedding day a perfect occasion and one to be remembered by all for a long time in the future.

Continue to read more about wedding invitations and wedding planning.

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

Preparing your wedding day can be very stressful. Especially choosing from so many great wedding hairstyles that can turn you into the fairytale princess that every bride wants to feel like on her wedding day.

So when you are trying to come up with a great wedding hairstyle you can start by checking out hairstyles online and in wedding magazines. Before you start thinking that you would like to try a certain hairstyle you need to take into consideration what type environment you will be getting married in.

If you are going to be inside most of the ceremony and reception then you could very well go with a pretty wedding updo. If you are getting married outside you may better go with a more simple hairstyle.

You should definitely consult your local hairstylist to help you in your quest. They can suggest things like trying an updo, adding hair extensions if you currently have short hair and would like to try a more soft and romantic hairstyle for your wedding.

Depending on what time of year you happen get married in you could add some fresh flowers. You could tuck them into a classy updo or make a garland of flowers to wear with a more understated look.

Ask your stylist for an appointment with them so you can try out several different looks before you settle on the best style for you to wear at your wedding. It would be a smart idea to ask one or two very trusted friends to take along with when you on one of your tryouts. While you are going to be the one that will finally choose you need to have a good friend that is going to be completely honest with you in how you look.

The one thing that all brides to be need to keep in mind is that wedding hairstyles will look different on different people. Never experiment on your wedding day and know well in advance what is going to look perfect on you.

Brenda Jackson has a blog about wedding planning. Go there and continue reading about special wedding updo hairstyles.

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