1. Food - negotiate a deal
If possible get all the food at one place. You might have different types of food to consider and different reception parties, try to get them from one main food vendor. In this way you can negotiate the price for the whole package and will most likely get a better deal because of the scale. But definitely remember to label your food carefully to avoid awkward situation like hungry wedding party guests.
When talking to your wedding party food vendor candidates, don't mention it is a wedding in the beginning...Just say that you have a big party to cater, the time, the estimated number, and the type of food. In this way you can get their "normal quotation" first. You know many food vendors "mark up" prices for wedding reception. The mark up doesn't necessarily mean higher quality or any special service. They just know that you are more cautious and more willing to pay. If you get your normal quotation first and they will not be able to mark up in front of you so easily just because you are a wedding.
2. Wine - get your own
Most wedding venues allow you to prepare your own wine for your wedding reception. It is easy to get very good wine these days at marginal cost. Did you know that most people in the world don't care and cannot really tell the difference between a 1948 chateau from Bordeaux and a 2014 pinot from Napa? Directly call up a winery to get a bulk order and avoid the many intermediate distributors that add to the price. Or you can check with your grandpa or uncle to see if they have some secretly stored wine to donate to your wedding.
3. Venue - have you considered barn style?
Borrow your dad's summer house, lakehouse or your grandparents' barn. They will be willing to contribute to your wedding that way. It is going to have special vintage style like all these beautiful pictures here. And of course, the best thing is, it cost $0. :) You are welcome.
4. Dress, did you know you can rent one?
Beautiful designer dresses can be very expensive indeed. But did you know that you can rent one for only 30% of the retail price? This can cut your wedding cost by $1000 like immediately. I know culturally people want to buy a wedding dress. But think about it, are you really going to spend thousands of dollars on a dress that you will wear only several hours? Also you can save the fun to your future daughter to find a wedding dress herself. If you are still not convinced, check out this video.
5. Wedding favor - little price difference matters
The wedding favors tend to be inexpensive individually but the quantity of order is usually huge. So even small price difference matters. Definitely spend some time researching on ways to get cheaper price for the same item. Try google shopping for comparison and ebay. Order some sample if you want to make sure the quality if what you want. Or you can make your own wedding favor...haha, they are more personalized and special anyways, right?
If you can get 30% reduction on the above 5 items' costs, your wedding can be as fancy as you wanted with significantly lower cost.
Image sources:
[1] http://www.destinationweddingmag.com/articles/wedding-food-tips-menu-drink-and-dessert-ideas
[2] http://www.winesbyjennifer.com/
[3] http://www.varietyworksmadison.com/
[4] http://beaut.ie/2013/special-occasion-dressing-do-you-ever-rent-your-outfit/#.VPJuRbPF-_Q
[5] http://chicink.com/2012/03/unique-and-fun-wedding-favors/
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