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This holds 35% percent of the entire cost of the wedding

This holds 35% percent of the entire cost of the wedding. In order to save plan ahead of time and consider some options. 

Location:
There are two types of reception sites.

* The first type charges a person fee which includes the facility, food, tables, silverwares and plates. Examples are hotels, restaurant and catered yachts. The advantage of this is that they will do everything for you but the disadvantage is that choices of food, china and linen are limited. Usually you are not permitted to bring outside food/beverages and must choose from their own menu. In either case, if they allow you, be prepared to pay a corkage fee. Beware because some the hotels are known for double booking. Also be careful of hotels that book events too close together. You don't want to your guest to wait outside while the room is being set-up for the reception. Get your rental hours and the name of the room in writing.

* The second type charges a room or rental fee and you are responsible for providing the food, beverages, linen and possibly tables and chairs. Examples of this are clubs, halls, parks, museums and private homes. The site should complement the formality of your ceremony. The selection of the site depends on its availability, price, proximity to the ceremony site and the number of people it will accommodate.

Some popular places for reception:

Hotels and Restaurants
Country Club and Catering Halls
Inns or Bed-and-Breakfast Establishments
Botanical Garden
Wineries
Mansions

When comparing the cost of the different locations, consider the rental fee, food, beverages, parking, gratuity, set-up charges and the cost of the rental equipment such as the tables, chairs and canopies. If you're planning an outdoor reception make sure to have a backup site in the case of rain.

Music
The reception music helps create the atmosphere of your wedding. It is the major part of your reception and should be planned carefully. When selecting music for your reception, consider the musical preference of your guests, your budget and the site. Hiring a DJ is less expensive than band and musicians.

If you want your musician to act as the master of ceremonies during the reception make sure he has a complete timeline for your reception and he knows when to announce the events such as first dance, toast, cutting of cake, tossing the bouquet and garter. If you want a large variety of music consider hiring a professional DJ. He can play any type of music and even offer a light show. Give him the list of the songs you want to play and the time for playing each song.

To save money it's better to hire a band or a DJ directly. Hiring an entertainment agency will cost you more. You can ask some friends who can sing during the reception. You can also check the music department in college and universities and hire student musicians and DJ. It's less expensive than hiring the professional musicians.

Food & Beverages
It depends on what time your wedding will be. You can either have your reception mid morning or afternoon where you can serve light food like finger foods or cocktail food and wedding cake. In this case you will save more money in food and in beverage. But if you have the budget for a nice reception then you can have it for lunch or dinner. The most important in the reception is the wedding cake and beverage for toast.

In looking for a wedding cake compare the taste, type and quality. Some bakers don't have set-up and delivery fees, others do. In order to save money for the fee, have a friend or a family member to get a quick lesson on how to set up your cake. You can also check for individuals who bake from their home. It's less expensive that ordering it in the bakery. Some bakeries require a deposit for columns and plates but some use disposable ones. It saves you the rental fee and the hassle of returning the items. To save money for the cake top, cake knife and toasting glass, you can borrow from a friend or family members, as "something borrowed" is an age old wedding tradition.

Decorations
You can consider having a theme for your reception. A Hawaiian theme or your honey destination is a great idea. It depends to what both of you like. Another alternative is to follow your wedding motif. If you book your reception in a hotel or restaurant you can ask them regarding the decorations. Some hotels and restaurant includes decoration in their package. If decorations is not included or your reception is held outside like in a garden. You can decorate using nice bouquets, balloons, candles, drapes. Use table cloth and napkins that will continue your color scheme. Set it with nice candles and flowers

Give Away
This is a little token of thanks to your wedding guest for sharing this wonderful moment with you.

Here are some suggestions for nice give away:

Wedding chimes – whether made of bamboo, resin or other material. It is charming melodious token.

Little Angel figurines or wedding couples figurine – a decorative or dainty figurines to mark your special day.

Jars and boxes – with added element. It will make a nice token. In the box you can put a small piece of paper with inspirational messages.

CDs – make your own wedding CD’s with your favorite love songs. Print a nice cover with your pictures on it