Cost Savings Ideas

When planning your event of the year or your amazing wedding.  Most people try to figure it all out on their own, unless they have tried to do one already and have realized that you really do need a professional to keep you in budget and save your sanity.  However, if you are one of those that want to try it on your own any way, we'd like to share some cost cutting tricks.  The following are the top ways to save money when your budget is tight. 

1. Off day or off season wedding, i.e. Tuesday or Wednesday or in the middle of winter 

2. Morning or brunch reception instead of a dinner
3. Offer signature cocktails instead of open bar
4. Use in season flowers instead of flowers that have to be flown in from international locations
5. Use a dummy cake – meaning that you use a smaller cake for the cake cutting ceremony & offer sheet cakes for the guests
6. Wear the same dress all night
7. Book vendors well in advance, be sure that every detail for your event or wedding that they will be handling is written into the contract
8. Standard invite size instead of oversize, also use less inserts – reduces on postage
9. Online RSVP’s – again reducing postage
10. Event or Wedding website – reducing the amount of printing &/or postage
11. Limit your bridal party size – This saves you from spending hundreds of dollars on bridal party flowers and it reduces the money you would be spending on gifts for all of them.
12. Limit your guest list – Keep your list to close relatives and friends. Don’t be afraid to stipulate you’re having an adult only reception either. True friends and family will have no problem making other arrangements for their children. Remember every eight to ten people names means an additional centerpiece for another table and each name increases the total cost of a dinner reception  byat least $110 when you start to add up things such as space needed, place setting, meal, drink service, cake slices, centerpieces and favors.

13.  Attempt to do the flowers yourself, no they probably won't look professional but they will be more personal to you.

14. Hire A MEMORY LANE EVENT in advance to assist you in the wedding planning and coordination process.  The vendor, location, and whole sale buying power in most cases saves you more then the actual planning & coordination package.  Not to mention that when you have the coordinator assisting from the beginning all last minute details are attended to early and leaves less for the day before or the day of.  It also reduces chances for things to go wrong and depending upon the logistics can reduce staffing fees.  The general fear of any couple is that they will lose control or their ideas will be lost when they use a planner or coordinator.  This simply is not the case, when using A Memory Lane Event.  We listen to our clients and make sure that your wishes, style and flair are apparent in every detail of your wedding day.