How to Plan a Tasteful and Inexpensive Wedding Reception

My husband and I would rather spend our money on just about anything but impressing others. So, our first vow to each other was to keep our wedding inexpensive and tasteful. We probably spent a fourth of the cost of most weddings we've been to, and ours was by far the most memorable. Here are a few things we did to keep it simple.

Have a short engagement. Our engagement lasted just under 5 months. The longer you are planning, the easier it is to add unnecessary things along the way, nickel-and-diming your way into debt.

Plan your wedding for a Sunday afternoon. Most events are on Friday or Saturday nights, so you will find that venues, caterers, photographers and entertainment vendors have a "weekend" rate for these days, and a lower rate for the rest of the week. Guests will not drink as heavily on a Sunday afternoon as they would on a Friday or Saturday evening, so you can save on your bar tab as well.

Choose a fall or winter month. During the spring and summer, wedding photographers and dress shops are doing killer business, and high demand drives prices up. Not only will costs be lower in fall and winter, but vendors may also be willing to pull strings for you because they have extra time.

Choose a venue that allows you to bring in an outside caterer. This was important to me for two reasons. First and foremost, you can control the quality of the food. Most hotel weddings I have been to have terrible (and expensive) catering menus. I promised myself that on my wedding day I would not eat rubbery chicken, stale bread, tasteless potatoes and green beans amandine. Sharing good food was important to us. Second, you can control the cost of food. We were fortunate enough to find a tremendous and talented caterer at half the cost of a hotel caterer. With a little research, you can serve a wonderful meal at a great price.

I keep photos of weddings, not trinkets. Most favors are left on tables or go into the trash. We skipped the favors for our wedding. Some friends of ours have made chocolate-covered coffee beans tied in tulle, or white-chocolate lollipops. Guests enjoyed these, and they were inexpensive to make.