How to create a beautiful reception on a budgetThe wedding reception is the most expensive part of any wedding. The reception is based on two fees: the cost of the food per person and the cost of the venue. This is generally broken down to one cost per person. This is the cost that you will then need to base your guest list on. When the cost of the reception is thirty pounds per person and you invite one hundred people then the cost for the reception will only be around three thousand pounds. When the cost per person is fifty pounds and you invite fifty guests the cost for the reception will be only be approximately two thousand five hundred pounds. These are great prices and depending on where you live you can possibly get the cost down this low. This may be a challenge is you live in a major city. However, you can always find a way to get the price that you can afford per person. Here are some suggestions on how to dig up the very best possible prices on a reception. You can call local restaurants and ask them if they have a space that they will section off for your wedding reception. They will be able to give you a price based on the selection of items that you pull off of their regular menu. For example, you can select one type of salad and two different plates (the invitation to the reception will allow the guest to select their preference) along with two side dishes and a desert. You can ask for a small area to be created for the first dance. The restaurant will usually cater to your needs and may even have the wedding cake be a part of the cost. Having your wedding reception at a restaurant will save you money on some other items as well, for example, you will not need an MC. You will simply have the quiet restaurant music in the background until the first dance. You can get a wedding reception at a local restaurant to cost less than twenty pounds a plate. Be sure to ask for prices on buffet as well, the cost difference may make this option worth considering. You can also create a beautiful and cheap reception by having the reception in a garden. You will of course need to find an attractive looking and available garden. You can have loved ones bring dishes and deserts. This will remove the bulk of the cost of the wedding reception. You will then need to rent tables and chairs unless a local church that you or a loved one are affiliated with will loan you some. You can rent plates, eating utensils and linens or you can purchase disposable items for an easy cleanup and an even cheaper cost. Such a reception could get the cost per person down to four or five dollars per person. There are several ways to save money on your reception and to get a cheap reception without losing the quality and beauty of the special day. Another hidden expense can be found in horderves and drinks. Be sure to compare the cost of these items before you determine if there will be an open bar or one or two hours of horderves before the dinner starts. Saving money on a reception takes planning and preparation along with a good dose of creativity, a cheap reception can still be beautiful, romantic and all that you have been dreaming of. Source: www.countywedding .co.uk

The benefits of all inclusive wedding venuesWeddings come in many shapes and sizes. Some people like a plain and simple wedding which they hire someone else to organise on their behalf. Others like to be very much hands on with every aspect of their forthcoming wedding. And who can blame them? But an all inclusive wedding venue is a very different beast altogether. Depending on your way of thinking, you might think this is your saviour – or you might think there is nothing worse! But hang fire before you head in the opposite direction. There are plenty of benefits tucked away inside that all inclusive package, so it’s worth looking into it more closely before you make your decision. Firstly – and perhaps most importantly – having an all inclusive wedding does take a lot of the pressure and strain off you. This is the most important day of your life and you want to be able to have a great time and remember every second of it. Do you really want all your memories to be ones of rushing around in the weeks beforehand, trying to get everything done and struggling to get it right? If you are easily stressed and no good at organising then an all inclusive package could save the day. In addition to this you may find a package is actually cheaper than doing everything individually. It will depend largely on the charges levied by the venue you are considering. But when you take into account the amount of running around you would have to do to plan everything yourself, you can often get a very reasonable deal. All inclusive also means you can often get married there as well as enjoying the reception in that location. This depends on the venue of course – not all wedding venues are permitted by law to marry couples. You should ask before booking anything for definite, just to ensure you don’t get your wires crossed. The last thing you need is to assume you are getting married there when you can’t by law! You can still have some input as well of course, and premises that offer all inclusive packages will be experienced in making sure everything goes without a hitch. Always make sure you know exactly what is included and what isn’t though. This enables you to either ask them for additional services or arrange one or two things yourself. All inclusive wedding packages are not ideal for every couple. But it is clear that many people will benefit from opting for this type of service. In the end you are allowing experts to take over and organise everything down to the last detail – while the happy couple sit back and relax, looking forward to the time when they can finally exchange their vows. In short, provided you know what you are getting for your money and you are happy with the service you are receiving an all inclusive wedding could be just what you have been looking for. Source: www.countywedding .co.uk

Keeping the venue costs down.When it comes to selecting the perfect wedding venue, most people think of the two main options – a church or a registry office. But there are other options available to you as well. And this is why it pays to spend some time thinking about where you would like to get married. The first issue to consider is whether you want your wedding ceremony and your reception to be in the same place or not. Some people like the convenience of getting hitched and then celebrating the fact without having to go from one venue to another in the process. In contrast though, others prefer to stay in the same place for the whole day. It means they don’t have to worry about travelling quite so much – and when the wedding ceremony is over the celebrations can begin immediately! Obviously if you want to get married in a church, your reception will have to be held somewhere else. What type of location would you like to go to? If you want something quite basic – or your budget is quite tight – then perhaps a local hall would be the best fit. People have even taken over their local pub for the evening in some cases. If you would prefer something a little more upmarket then think about a stately home or formal venue or hotel nearby. These will be a lot more expensive but they are also likely to be able to offer more services. Incidentally, always make sure they can cater for all your requirements before you book any venue for definite. Some offer specific wedding reception packages and if this is the case always ask for a brochure or written details of what they can and cannot offer. One advantage of picking somewhere like a hotel or stately home is that you can often stay the night as well. This could be perfect if you aren’t heading off on your honeymoon until the next day. Special deals may be available for members of the wedding party, so ask if this is the case. Find out how far in advance such rooms would need to be reserved as well. Of course there are more unusual places to celebrate your nuptials. There is a music hall in London which can be rented out for wedding celebrations, and plenty of manors, abbeys and even haunted houses you could choose from if you wish. A lot will depend on which venues are reasonably close to you. If you want to get married further afield however, the whole country is your oyster. In either case both you and your partner should get together and discuss any ideas you have had so far. You might find you settle on just the place together – or perhaps one of you will suggest something extremely unusual the other person hadn’t thought of. Wherever you end up celebrating your wedding, make sure it is memorable for all the right reasons. Find out all you need to know upfront, and then make sure you book the venue in plenty of time. Source: www.countywedding .co.uk

Service & reception at different venuesWhen you are planning your wedding, there are two crucial things you need to think about. Firstly you must consider where you actually want to get married. Are you going for a church service? How about a quieter and less religious registry office? And of course today you can also get married in any number of other stately homes, venues and more unusual places that have been granted a licence to marry people. Secondly there is the question of where you will celebrate afterwards. You might want something fairly low key with only close friends and family present. Alternatively you may want the party to end all parties! It is completely up to you and every happy couple has their own idea of what will work for them. But there are distinct benefits to holding the wedding ceremony and the reception in separate locations. If you are still at the planning stages of your forthcoming wedding, you may want to consider the following points. For starters there is the essential fact that it makes things more versatile. There are plenty of venues that can accommodate you for the whole day – ceremony and all. But you may have a very specific idea of where you want to be married. If a church service is what you want, you will definitely have to find another venue for the reception for example. Basically it opens up all kinds of venues for both the ceremony and the reception that you would not be able to consider if you wanted an all inclusive package which catered for everything. In addition to this it also gives you and your guests a valuable breather in between the wedding ceremony and the celebrations afterwards. Depending on what you want to do, you could have a couple of hours in between just to relax and get rid of all those nerves that have been mounting for days! You can then look forward to the evening celebrations elsewhere. Some couples like to have a smaller and more intimate wedding ceremony, and this is also easier to do with separate venues. If you opt for one venue for both parts of the day, you couldn’t pick a small venue for the ceremony if you wanted everyone to attend the evening do. There simply wouldn’t be room. The question of travel may also be an issue. Some people like to get married in spots that have a particular resonance for them. For example, if you met in a small church a hundred miles away from where you now live, you might want to go back there for the service. In this case you could do that and then hold a celebration for everyone to attend a day or two later. As you can see there are lots of possibilities available when you focus on two separate locations for the wedding services and the celebrations afterwards. You might find your wedding is much easier to plan if you go down this route. Source: www.countywedding .co.uk

Unusual wedding venues - Where to celebrateWhen we think of weddings we tend to think about churches and registry offices. And when it comes to the celebrations afterwards, large halls and hotels are typically among the most common venues people head for. But of course there are plenty of other more unusual venues you can opt for when it comes to your own wedding. The setting is just as important as every other aspect of your day, which is why picking somewhere slightly different is always a good move. A good way of finding somewhere ideal is to explore your local area to see what you have available. Keep an eye out for large properties which may cater for large wedding parties and try and get some information from them on what type of services they provide. Many castles can accommodate wedding celebrations now, and indeed you may even be able to get married there too. If you want something on a large scale – and you have plenty of guests to squeeze in as well – a castle could provide just the setting you are after. If you have a smaller wedding party but the idea of being in a building that is hundreds of years old appeals to you, think about one of the many historic buildings in the country as well. Houses, forts, halls and even vineyards all offer the prospect of somewhere a little more unusual than your standard registry office or church. Of course there are more modern venues as well which offer even more unusual settings for your wedding. Everyone is familiar with Pinewood Studios, the movie studios that have been the setting for many famous films over the years. But did you know that you can also get married there? They have two rooms especially dedicated to this purpose, named after Gatsby and Hitchcock. There are also battleships, trains and even aircraft that you can say your vows on if you really want a memorable location for your special day. In this sense it might even be possible to plan your wedding around what you and your partner like the most. If you love the drama and majesty of a towering castle, why not get married in one?

Which wedding venue will be right for you?When it comes to selecting the perfect venue for a wedding, most people think of the two main options – a church or a registry office. But there are other options available to you as well. And this is why it pays to spend some time thinking about where you would like to get married. The first issue to consider is whether you want your wedding ceremony and your reception to be in the same place or not. Some people like the convenience of getting hitched and then celebrating the fact without having to go from one venue to another in the process. In contrast though, others prefer to stay in the same place for the whole day. It means they don’t have to worry about travelling quite so much – and when the wedding ceremony is over the celebrations can begin immediately! Obviously if you want to get married in a church, your reception will have to be held somewhere else. What type of location would you like to go to? If you want something quite basic – or your budget is quite tight – then perhaps a local hall would be the best fit. People have even taken over their local pub for the evening in some cases. If you would prefer something a little more upmarket then think about a stately home or formal venue or hotel nearby. These will be a lot more expensive but they are also likely to be able to offer more services. Incidentally, always make sure they can cater for all your requirements before you book any venue for definite. Some offer specific wedding venues reception packages and if this is the case always ask for a brochure or written details of what they can and cannot offer. One advantage of picking somewhere like a hotel or stately home is that you can often stay the night as well. This could be perfect if you aren’t heading off on your honeymoon until the next day. Special deals may be available for members of the wedding party, so ask if this is the case. Find out how far in advance such rooms would need to be reserved as well. Of course there are more unusual places to celebrate your nuptials. There is a music hall in London which can be rented out for wedding celebrations, and plenty of manors, abbeys and even haunted houses you could choose from if you wish. A lot will depend on which venues are reasonably close to you. If you want to get married further afield however, the whole country is your oyster. In either case both you and your partner should get together and discuss any ideas you have had so far. You might find you settle on just the place together – or perhaps one of you will suggest something extremely unusual the other person hadn’t thought of. Wherever you end up celebrating your wedding, make sure it is memorable for all the right reasons. Find out all you need to know upfront, and then make sure you book the venue in plenty of time. Source: www.countywedding .co.uk