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.

Cost of Event & Wedding Planner, coordiantor

Jennifer Lane A Memory Lane Event

Event & Wedding Planners & Coordinators can charge for their services in a number of different ways. 

1. Fixed fee, which should be given as a quote when you first agree exactly what services will be provided, or as a percentage of the total budget (usually 10-15%). As your Planner and Coordinator for you event of the year or amazing wedding will be in a position to negotiate discounts with your venue and suppliers, it is quite common for the Coordinators fee to be less than or equal to these discounts, meaning that you may not actually pay any extra to have the day professionally organized.
2.  Packages,  includes several services provided by the planner or coordinator all neatly bundled together where you as the client decides which package fits your needs best.  Many times you and the planner/coordinator can custom create a package to include all of your needs or swap services from another package, if you already have certain elements of a package done.
3. Ala carte, which means that each element of the planner or coordinator's work is done hourly or by each service that you as the client chooses. 



Colorado Weddings with A Memory Lane Event

At a Memory Lane Event & Wedding, based out of Denver Colorado and planning & coordinating events & weddings, creating custom decor, floral and lighting needs in Denver, all of Colorado including Littleton, Golden, Boulder, Longmont, Vail, you name it as well as any U.S. or International destination we can create your dazzling affair using any of the above pricing elements which ever you as the client needs. 

For 19 years individuals, brides & companies have relied and trusted A Memory Lane Event to plan & coordinate their dazzling events, foundation functions and weddings as well as their custom decor, floral and lighting needs in Denver, all of Colorado, any where in the US and in international locations. Call us today to see how we can assist you with your event or wedding.  303-513-2364

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.

What to look for when hiring an Event or Wedding Planner, coordinator

When planning your events or wedding don’t procrastinate. Look for a planner or coordinator that does not overbook themselves.  You want great service not someone that is not available to you or considers your needs as a client.  A Memory Lane Event & Wedding in Denver does just that.  We book up quickly as we only realize one clients amazing vision for their event or wedding per week. We meet with clients at night & on the weekends, when they are available, not make them take time out of their schedule to meet with us during the day.  We want our clients to have our undivided attention and be treated like the royalty that they are to us.  We are organized, on the ball and creative.  When you need it we have cost cutting ideas & deals w/ vendors that will save you money and frustration so your planning process remains fun & enjoyable.  We can recommend and schedule meetings with our tried & true vendors saving you time, be diligent in attending these meetings.  We want to be sure that you like your vendors & will be happy with the results for your wedding.  Our vendors as well as ourselves want to be completely sure that we understand what your vision for your events and wedding are so be sure to communicate with us. We would much prefer that you tell us the same thing twice then think you’ve told us and something on your big event or wedding was amiss. Were here to assist you in realizing your vision as well as keep you in your budget. 

Many times the vision of the wedding day are different between finance’s.  Be willing to compromise so both you and your finance’s styles and flair are apparent in the wedding ceremony, reception, &/or after party.  Sometimes this can be accomplished by having a different vision realized in different areas of the day.  Such as perhaps your fiancé would like the ceremony to reminiscent of Italy, and you are envisioning a winter wonderland concept.  We can have the décor and lighting in the ceremony romantic in colors and plants that remind you of Italy, while the cocktail hour between the ceremony and reception can be glittering white trees and white & blue lights opening up to the reception that is Italy in winter.  Both sides happy.  Or perhaps you’re both dreaming of a out door mountain top wedding at sunset but have several guests that will be in wheelchairs and the actual mountain top is just not feasible so all of your guests can attend.  We can recreate with décor and lighting in a city venue the outdoor mountain top at sunset and all of your guests can attend. 

When hiring A Memory Lane Event – you share the tasks, with A Memory Lane Event taking on most of them to allow you to be able to have fun during your engagement.  We are assertive to make sure that our clients visions are realized in each and every aspect.  This leaves you time to take care of yourself.  We look forward to working with you and assisting you to have the dazzling event or wedding

A common misconception of new couples is that you can pull your dress from a rack and take it home with you that day.  This is not true. (1) nothing fits any of us perfectly just pulled off a rack &  (2) most boutiques and bridal shops have sample dresses for you to try on and see which dress looks the best & is your vision for you on your wedding day or the event of the year that you want to create.  When you head to the salon to pick your gorgeous wedding dress you need to be sure to purchase your dress 6-8 months in advance to allow time for it to be made, and alternations.  It takes time to make the dress in the closest size that you are and then make alternations so you're your best on your wedding day.  If you’re heading to the salon to pick the dress for the event of the year, you need 6 weeks for the dress to be made.  Then you need another 3-4 weeks for alternations. 

When planning the event of the year or your wedding there is To Do list that you need to consider. 

1.    What time of year you want to  have your event or wedding;
2.    What day of the week you would prefer to have your big party;
3.    Your total budget; i.e. it doesn’t make sense to pick the venue first if you have a tight budget and the venue ends up costing a majority of your budget.  Then your food, liquor, clothes, and ambiance will suffer.    Also remember that most people, unless you are a professional are not planning events & weddings on a regular basis and that the costs of the items that you see on T.V. and in the magazines are probably far more expensive then you initially realize.  Hiring a professional, such as A Memory Lane Event & Wedding in Denver to assist you with your plans, and coordinating will give you discounts in buying and negotiating power that will ultimately save you allot of time, money, sanity and frustration.  We have 19 years in the business and know where and what you can cut back on that will not show to your guests & still make you look like a rock-star.  Leaving you with a timeless, elegant & dazzling event or wedding with a diamond quality all while you were able to remain calm and enjoy the planning time and ultimately the day of your event of the year or amazing wedding day.
4.    Call A Memory Lane Event to discuss with our head planner, coordinator, décor & floral designer your event of the year or amazing wedding plans. 303-513-2364. We want to also meet with you in person to discover all of the goals, personalities and vision.  The face to face meeting should include everyone on the committee, the person of honor, or for a wedding the couple, parents too if participating in paying for the wedding.  Our goal is to make sure that everyone who has a vested participation in the event or wedding gets a say in the ultimate outcome.  However, this can become confusing for the couple.  Ultimately it is the couples’ day and their wishes are the final decision.  We do our best to accommodate everyone’s vested opinions.  We prefer to have face to face meetings at the couples home so we can see your styles and flair and be sure that your represented in the day.  After all, we are here for our clients to make your visions a reality, we have our own events & weddings and do not impose our personality into your events & big day.  If you meet with someone who is not truly interested in you and your wishes, they are not the vendor, planner or coordinator for you. 
5.    Professional planners, coordinators, décor and floral designers such as A Memory Lane Event & Wedding have ideas that can help you create your event of the year and amazing wedding day and keep you in your budget.  Your initial idea may be too much for your budget, but we can assist you in creating something that is uniquely your style and fit into your budget.  However, when you’re not willing to compromise you may need to pony up the additional costs involved with your vision.  In many ways we’re miracle workers, but haven’t figured out how to make it rain money.  We have connections world wide with the best of the best vendors, locations, and elements to make your event of the year or wedding just as you have envisioned.   

We look forward to working with you and assisting you in creating your dazzling event of the year or amazing wedding complete with custom décor, floral design or lighting elements in Denver, any where in Colorado, or any U.S. or International destination with a diamond quality.