Event & Wedding Cost Cutting Savings

A Memory Lane Event Colorado Weddings

First and foremost, we strongly suggest that you work with a planner and coordinator that has an hourly or month of coordination package that can assist you where you need help.  Using a planner and coordinator such as A MEMORY LANE EVENT & WEDDING with such a package will save you hundreds.  The few hundred dollars that you'll spend for professional consulting through out the planning process will save you months of stress, worry and headaches and frustration, hundreds to thousands of dollars in of potential costly mistakes as give you a more professional and polished look to your wedding.  You still make all of the decisions, can do all of the DIY projects and still get the professional advice and assistance that you need to make your wedding an amazing success.  You can't lose.  Call us today for a free 30 minute consultation.  303-513-2364.

Additional cost savings.
Have a weekday or Sunday wedding.  Weekends and especially Saturdays are a prime date for vendors and locations.  Avoiding this day and you usually get a better rate.  The down side to not having your event or wedding on a weekend, is that fewer people will be able to attend.

Have your event or wedding off season.   May to October is the prime time to have a party.  Choose an off season month and the prices of many vendors will be a little lower, especially wedding sites.  Anymore, however, many locations are no longer doing an off season rate since prime wedding season has become year round.  Another downside to this is that most people kids, if you're allowing kids, are back in school.  Fewer people will be able to attend, or if your guests can not pull their kids out of school to attend, perhaps only 1/3-1/4 of that particular family will be able to attend if at all.  This does assist in cutting the guest list and total attendees which will ultimately save in table total, food and liquor costs, centerpieces and in every category of your event or wedding.  Keep in mind that in a properly prepared party each attendee runs a minimum of $100 each.

Use a multipurpose venue.  Save on rental fees and transportation costs by having everything in one location.

Colorado weddings with A Memory Lane Event, Jennifer Lane

Choose a decorated site.  The affordability of a site depends on how much you need to decorate it.  Using places such as gardens or historic sites require minimal décor.  These sites in most cases cost more than renting a bare reception hall.  Using a park or other public place that does not typically have events or weddings will mean doubling the rental fee, as you'll need to bring a tent big enough to accommodate your guests in case of rain, severe heat, and in Colorado freak snow storms are totally possible.  You'll also need to rent generators to handle things such as electric for music, lights, heat or air condition/ fan use.  Most caterers so that food will be hot or cold will also need to bring generators which will increase the cost.  Tables, chairs, linens and dinnerware will all need to be rented, delivered and picked up.  If the location is not your back yard, the items will need to be picked up after the party or all night security will need to be hired as well.

Have a brunch or lunch reception.  Daytime receptions have lighter menus which save you money on the food as well as the bar tab.  The rental fees in most cases are less expensive as well.

Limit bar selections.  Offer guests beer, wine only and a signature cocktail to keep the bar tab down.  Another option is to offer a “hosted” cocktail hour and wine with the meal.  Which means that you will be paying for the first couple hours of liquor service.  The bar can either be closed at that time or offer bar service as a cash bar for your guests to purchase their own.

Save postage on invitations.  Be sure to choose standard size invitations.  Eliminate return postage fees associated with response cards and have guests RSVP by e-mail or telephone.  Eliminating all of the additional enclosures such as reception card and map will also cut costs of mailing the invitation.  Alleviating the map is easier when you have everything in one location.  Also using a wedding web site where your guests can download a map from their location is brilliant.

Use simple wedding ceremony decorations.  The ceremony site is only being used an hour or two and can be reused at the reception.  For a party, if you're using several rooms and not returning to the same room for any portion of the party, you can re-use decorations from room to room as well.  Limit the decorations to two medium/large size arrangements at the focal point, the altar.  Choose simple decorations for any other locations in the room.  This is easier said then done especially when you're looking at all of the bridal magazines that have unlimited budgets to work with.  We strongly suggest that you work with a planner and coordinator with a decor department who can assist you in coming up with a great decor design that can save you funds and be as unique as you are.  Ceiling decor as pictured is beautiful, but not a cost savings.   We can do ceiling decor as pictured and have for many events & weddings world wide.  However, keep in mind that each room is different and will require all items to be in most cases brand new.  Fabric can get expensive and we haven't even discussed the labor intensiveness of the project.

Fruit Centerpieces

Use non-floral fillers – Use fruit filled vases with flowers or use more greenery to fill arrangements to cut costs.

Have dual function flowers – Choose bouquets that can double as centerpieces on guest tables.

Use simple centerpieces – Choose flowers that are in season and use them at the base of the centerpieces.  You can also for go the use of flowers by using multiple glass cylinders with candles and other accessories instead.

Cut back on cake– Eliminate the cake cutting fee by having a dessert table or having a tiered cupcake display instead. If you must have cake, choose a small cake for the cake cutting and serve guests plain sheet cake.