If money is an issue (and it usually is!) when planning your Columbus wedding, there is one easy way to reduce your wedding budget: reduce the size of your guest list. If you need to cut your wedding budget twenty percent, cut your guest list by the same amount.
According to The Knot, the typical couple spends about 45% of their budget on their wedding venue, which typically includes food and booze. Reduce your wedding guest list by twenty percent and you have that many fewer people to feed and buy drinks for. Your savings are dramatic.
Granted, you can reduce the wedding reception price tag in other ways depending on the season and even day of the week you plan your affair. But ultimately, costs are driven by how many people you invite.
The best way to handle the guest list is to mail invites in two stages. Stage one targets your “A List,” those close family and friends you wouldn’t dream of excluding.
Typically, ten to twenty percent of invitees send their regrets and can’t attend, which allows you to consider who from your “B List” you can invite.
If you’re looking for some practical formulas on how to whittle down your B List, consider the following:
How to cut your ‘B List’
Make it an adults only affair. This is most practical for evening weddings. Be aware that if you start making exceptions and allow a couple or two to bring a baby or some kids, you do open up a Pandora’s Box, so consider this strategy carefully. As we pointed out in an earlier blogpost, inviting kids to a wedding reception can be a dicey proposition.
Don’t invite coworkers. Let’s face it, people switch jobs more than ever these days. Workers you may be tight with today may be totally out of your life tomorrow. When asked about your wedding plans by your associates, simply lay it out that due to budgetary constraints you’re planning an intimate family affair with no coworkers. Period.
Don’t invite anyone you haven’t spoken to in the past one-thousand days. You can’t be all that close if you haven’t. Time to make the tough cuts to manage your budget!
Don’t allow guests to bring dates. Yes, you’ll bump into some sensitivities on this one. Obviously, it’s different if an invitee is married, engaged, or co-habitating. This is tough. You’ll have people who won’t want to attend without a date. Guess what: that helps you reduce your guest list!
When funds are tight, you’ve got to cut somewhere, right? If this seems all too painful, there is another practical way to save money: go with a wedding DJ like Columbus Pro DJs instead of a band. A great wedding show band can cost over $5,000.00!
According to The Knot, that saves couples about $3000 on average! Think how many more guests you can invite! And with us, you get more than ‘just’ dance-floor-packing entertainment, decor lighting, and photo booth, you get a professional MC who quarterbacks your celebration with flair and impeccable timing. Get ready to party with Columbus Pro DJs!
