After the question has been “popped”
and you have picked out your dream gown, you may be thinking, what is
the next step?! Picking your venue, caterer, and invitations are your
next big decisions.
When picking a venue, you have many
options of where to have your wedding but one question you have to
ask yourself is, do you want to be inside or outside. There are many
differences in these two options and the biggest difference is the
pricing. Many newly engaged couples want to save money and decide to
have the wedding in their parents backyard or at a local park. These
options sound great since they are free but one might forget that you
have to bring everything to that location for either the ceremony,
reception or both.
Depending on the size of your wedding,
tent rentals can range from $250-$4,500. Whether you want a small
tent for guest to just relax under during the reception, you still
have to keep in mind the cost of tables and chairs. You can always
move chairs from the ceremony to the reception but you still need
areas for your guest to sit if you choose to have a cocktail hour.
Along with renting tables and chairs, if you choose to have an
outdoor wedding, you will need to power your tents and have
electricity for the DJ and anything else that uses electricity. This
is an additional cost that can slowly increase your wedding costs.
Even though outside weddings have many cost that most couples do not
think of, they do have many positives. If you find an outdoor
location with wonderful views, you will have everyone at your wedding
talking about how breathtaking the views were. It also allows you to
not pay for a room plus all the extra fees you may have with an
indoor location. You can always keep your venue to a very reasonable
price if you choose an outdoor location just by planning your budget
accordingly.
If you decide to have an indoor venue,
you would not have all the extra costs of tables, chairs, tents, and
electricity. Most venues include the table and chair prices in their
cost along with adding the cost of linens for the tables. Having an
indoor venue allows you to not worry about weather conditions that
may occur and can enhance your wedding even more. Simple details in a
building or space can make certain items pop and be more noticeable.
There are downfalls to having an indoor venue just like any location.
Some venues may have rules and regulations that you would have to
abide by which might mean you will have to give up a few things to
make them fit into those regulations. Another is high demand for
indoor locations during fall and winter months. If you are planning
on getting married in those months, plan in advance so you can
receive the venue that will make your day even more magical.
The next big decision after you choose
your venue is to decide if you want to have a buffet or a sit down
dinner for your reception. There are pro's and con's to both choices
but you just need to decide which one will be best for your
reception. With a buffet, it allows your guest to pick from a larger
option than a plated dinner. If you are having a large amount of
guest, a buffet would be less expensive than having a plated dinner
since most caterers only charge for the amount of food and not a
certain price per person. If you are having a smaller number of
guests a buffet might not be the best option since you would have a
great amount of leftover food and you may feel like it is going to
waste. Having a plated dinner is great for a more formal reception. A
huge advantage to a plated dinner is your guest do not have to get
their own food but instead are served and can enjoy their time at
your wedding.
Flat Printing
Before you get too far into your
planning, you will need to get your invitations made and sent out to
all your family and friends. There are so many options now-a-days for
invitations and it can be hard to decide what you and your fiancé
want. There are four major kinds of printing for invitations that can
range in prices. The cheapest type of invitations are flat or digital
printing. Flat printing consists of the ink being laid flat on the
paper. A metal or paper plate is created from a black and white image
with a laser printer and is lightly coated with ink. Digital printing
allows you to use color ink and use digital printer to create the
images. It allows multiple color options, more graphics, and ink
coverage to the edge of the paper.
Digital Printing
Thermography is a popular type of
printing which simulates engraving but keeps the price a lot lower.
Thermography starts with flat printing and while the ink is still
wet, it is covered with a light powder that is heated so it rises.
Engraving is the last way to print invitations. The use of copper
plates will have your invitation carved in on a plate and then
pressed into paper where it forces the paper to raise slightly where
the press is on the front. This method is very expensive so if you
are on a tight budget, try to find another way to make your
invitations look like a million bucks without costing that much.
Thermography
These three things are major parts of
your wedding that can eat up most or all of your budget before you
realize what is going on. Keep in mind that you can always make
something look very elegant and expensive at a very reasonable cost,
you just have find the right items to fit your budget.
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