Cheap Wedding Receptions
20 Clever, Cheap, Ways to Save Money at the Reception

One of the pleasures of the bride is planning a cheap wedding reception that will delight her guests. Some of the best ideas for your wedding reception involve more time and thoughtfulness than money. As the saying goes, the devil is in the details. Try a few of these brilliant do-it-yourself ideas to make your cheap wedding reception as exquisite as your love for each other. These unique ideas will create a pleasurable and memorable experience for the guests. At the reception, guests will see your caring and enthusiasm in all the inspired details.

For the Cheap Wedding Reception
Twenty Clever, Cheap, Do-It-Yourself Ideas

1. A real novelty at the cheap wedding reception is a gobo pattern projected on the dance floor. The pattern created by a ceiling light passing through a template could be the logo you designed, or the initials of the bride and groom. The gobo pattern can make any space seem magical. I've seen these used in public spaces, too. Macy's uses one to project the shadow of a moving clock on the floor at the store entrance. Very nifty.
   
   
2. Make the place cards at your cheap wedding reception unique. On your place cards, write a personal thought or words like "Glad you're here today" and seal it with a lipstick kiss. Of course, you don't have to kiss each place card, unless you want to. The printer can reproduce your kiss in color as often as you want.
   
   
3. Use an inexpensive theme in your cheap wedding reception. For example, do away with napkin rings and use a cheap substitute. Tie the napkins with a satin ribbon or a gift bow. If you are a runner, use shoe laces, If you are a dentist, use dental floss just for fun; Leather for a horse lover; Braided hay or raffia for a farm theme; Hospital ID band for a medical spouse; A beaded bracelet that can double as a take-home guest favor; A fresh flower or silk flower wired into shape with florist wire and tape; Electrician's big colored twist ties; Plumbers PVC pipe; Computer cable' Vintage fabric strips.
   
   
4. If you have an artistic bent, create a logo for the two of you, just like a business logo or a family coat of arms, but better. It's a way to capture what is meaningful to both of you, and link your life together. Have your logo made into a stamp, or self-adhesive stickers and use it to embellish place cards and other items.
   
   
5. For your cheap wedding reception, make your own place cards My girl friend had a desk calendar with funny pictures and captions of cats on each page. As place cards, she used individual pages from the calendar glued to white cardboard.
   
   
6. For casual fun at your cheap wedding reception, cover the reception tables in big sheets of white paper and provide colored pens for the guests. Maybe the guests will surprise you with creative art, sayings and good wishes. I particularly recommend this idea if children will be at the reception.
   
   
7. Use funny hats at your cheap wedding reception. If your wedding is a casual, light-hearted affair, provide novelty hats for the guests to wear. Think of the hats you might wear for a New Year's party. This is a real ice-breaker. Poppers and whistles at each seat could be fun, too.
   
   
8. At the cheap wedding reception, give each of the tables a unique name. Place cards will direct your guests to the Disney table, the Marathon table, the Valentine table, the Tango table, the Zen table, the Hollywood table, or the Caribbean table. You could name your tables at the reception after important things you two lovebirds have shared. You could name some of your tables after glamorous cities, or romantic movies, or famous celebrities, or vintage cars, or all of the above. Each table centerpiece could be designed to complement the table name. Everyone will enjoy this, and it is an inexpensive idea.
   
   
9. As for the guest book at the cheap wedding reception, add a surprise twist to what can be a boring book. Include photos in your guest book, and ask each guest to write a personal message on the page opposite the photo. Include the engagement photo, pictures from your travels, and a picture of your new home. You could also use pictures of both families, to let all the guests know who is who at the reception.
   
   
10. No matter what type of guest book you select for the cheap wedding reception, ask the guests to write down something personal about the bride and groom, perhaps one of their memories or favorite times together. They could also write down a wish for the future. The disc jockey might read all the well wishes out loud between dances.
    
    
11. At a large casual and cheap wedding reception, use name tags. If many people are strangers to each other, use name tags for everybody with their name and relationship to the married couple. This will encourage people to mingle, introduce themselves and get acquainted.
    
    
12. At your cheap wedding reception, invite a talented guest or family member to perform briefly on stage. A musician might sit in with the band. A singer could take the spotlight for a brief song. The more your family participates in the reception, the more the good spirits and enjoyment are shared by all.
    
    
13. Here's an idea to get people dancing at the cheap wedding reception. On the RSVP card, ask guests to write down their favorite songs for dancing. This will get more dancers out on the dance floor. Of course, you and your spouse will share the spotlight for your first dance at the reception. You could also have the bandleader introduce the first father-daughter dance, mother-son dance, as well as the first groom's parents dance and first bride's parents dance.
    
    
14. Include novelty group dances at the cheap wedding reception. Dances like the tarantella of Italy, the Mexican hat dance, and the bunny hop will let people of all ages and dancing skill join in the group activity.
    
    
15. At your cheap wedding reception, make your decor interesting. As your wedding colors, use the birthstones of you and your loved one. Include faux birthstone gems in your decorations, flowers, wedding cake and table centerpieces.
    
    
16. When it is time to toss the wedding bouquet, innovate. Usually the bride tosses the wedding bouquet over her shoulder to the single girls at the wedding reception. As an option, the bride could present her bouquet to the couple who has been married the longest. You could also have a drawing of names to see who will get the bride's bouquet. Or you could have a raffle and raffle off the bride's bouquet, all proceeds earmarked for charity, of course.
    
    
17. When you are planning the menu for the cheap wedding reception, build the meal around all the favorite foods of the bride and groom. Present the dinner on a buffet, or serve each table with bowls of food, family style.
    
    
18. For an amusing touch at the cheap wedding reception, provide a snow cone machine, a soft-serve ice cream wagon, a taco bar or an omelet station. Rent the item, stock it with food yourself, and invite a family member to be the staff.
    
    
19. Include disposable cameras at the cheap wedding reception, and set up an online album of wedding photos at a site like flickr.com, photobucket.com or kodak.com. Let guests know how to access your online album, and when the pictures will be available there.

Cheers to each and every couple who plans a cheap wedding reception, do-it-yourself style. It is a gift to your family and friends when you share your wedding day with them.

I wish you a cheap wedding reception full of romance and memories.
- Heather,Cheap Weddings

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Cheap wedding receptions