"Unnoticed Savings: Where Can You Cut Costs in Your Wedding Reception Without Guests Realizing?"
2019.10.24 published
I Want to Save Money Without Guests Noticing!
The desire to hold a cute wedding is likely the biggest goal for every bride.
However, at the same time, the wish to 'reduce financial burden as much as possible! Lower the budget!' is just as significant and an important issue.
It's great to have a simple and neat wedding, but if guests think, 'Oh, this is simple' or 'They cheaped out,' it can ruin the day that you worked so hard to prepare, right?
(But I think it's terrible for guests to think like that....!)
Three Points Guests Don't Worry About: Areas Where You Can Save Money*
First of all, a wedding is something that many people attend. It's natural for it to be expensive. The couple and the venue staff put in a lot of preparation for the number of guests invited.*
Therefore, to save money, it's crucial to 'make it appear as luxurious as possible while spending money on what needs to be spent and reducing the budget for what doesn't need money'—this addition and subtraction is important.*
The areas to cut back on should be those 'that guests don’t pay much attention to,' which should be the top priority!
To prevent your hard-prepared wedding from being seen as 'cheap,' here are points where guests don’t worry too much, meaning you can reduce your budget without guests noticing!*
Areas Guests Don’t Worry About! Where You Can Reduce the Budget #1 Paper Items
Paper items include everything from the invitations sent about three months before the wedding to the seating charts and place cards on the day itself—there's a lot to prepare!
While I completely understand the desire to focus on having cute and high-quality items, if you're thinking 'I want to save money,' then it might be okay to go with the cheapest plan products or to do some simple DIY for these points.*
Of course, the cuter it is, the happier guests will be when they receive it, and the higher the quality, the more they'll think, 'Wow!' but that appreciation is temporary.
For guests, as long as they can celebrate the happy couple, that’s enough; just having the date and a reply postcard enclosed in the invitation is sufficient.
On the day, having a program with at least basic information such as the food content and an introduction of the couple is enough!*
If spending a lot of money on cuteness and quality means you have to lower the rank of the wedding favors, mini gifts, or drinks.... it’s better to adjust the budget on paper items so that guests won’t notice the savings.*
Areas Guests Don’t Worry About! Where You Can Reduce the Budget #2 Wedding Cake
There are many points to reduce the budget when it comes to wedding cakes! The 'expensive points' related to wedding cakes actually include so many.
☑ The wedding cake itself
☑ The decoration of the table where the wedding cake is placed
☑ The knife used to cut the wedding cake
☑ Whether or not guests will eat the wedding cake as dessert
First, regarding the design of the wedding cake. I think the bride will have her own preferences, so I recommend ordering an ideal design that satisfies you without worrying too much about the budget.
However, guests probably don’t pay much attention to the design of the wedding cake, so there's no need to worry that they will think, 'Is this too simple?'*
Most basic-tier wedding cakes at venues are 'the classic look' rather than design ideas that are too simple, so guests will think, 'This feels like a wedding! ♩’
Conversely, if there's no strong preference, I think it's absolutely better to save on the decoration of the wedding cake table and the decoration of the knife used to cut the cake!
Most guests won’t be looking at those details, and it feels wasteful to pay thousands of yen for something that no one will notice...!
Unless the bride has a clear image and really wants decorative table settings and knife decorations, this is a recommended saving point if you want to economize.
Additionally, if the wedding cake is served as the last dessert course, it might not add to the budget. You can share happiness, maintain a wedding feel, and if it can be done on a low budget, that’s the best scenario.
The dessert options may vary depending on the wedding venue, so please check with them♡
Areas Guests Don’t Worry About! Where You Can Reduce the Budget #3 Photo Booth
Photos taken at the photo booth will become meaningful memories and likely treasures for both the couple and the guests.
However, if you're looking to save, creating a photo booth can be quite challenging. You need to make various items, which can cost money to gather materials, and handmade creation will take a lot of time.
A good reason to cut back on the budget for the photo booth is because 'photo booths are currently popular among brides-to-be.'
Many weddings guests have attended in the past likely didn't have photo booths, so not many people may have the expectation that 'there's a photo booth at weddings!'
Since it’s not a widely held concept, if there is one, guests might think, 'Wow, this is amazing!' But if there is none, they likely won’t mind at all.
If you want to adjust your wedding budget, you might consider either completely cutting out the photo booth or scaling it down a bit to save on costs.
[Conclusion] Points Where You Can Adjust Your Budget While Being True to Your Preferences!
I’ve introduced areas where you can reduce the budget without the guests noticing because they probably won’t care about them during the wedding.*
The points where guests think, 'This is a big budget!' or 'They are treating us well!' are ultimately related to the guests themselves.
This includes wedding favors, food, and table decorations that are visible up close.
Therefore, it’s best to keep the budget for items that directly relate to guests intact.
It's best to adjust the budget for 'other aspects that are not easily noticed by others but are important to the bride and groom!’
Wishing You a Super Happy Wedding, Full of Satisfaction! ♡
But remember, a wedding happens just once in a lifetime. While it’s a reality that you have to pay attention to money, it's also the best opportunity to be as selfish as you want!*
'I want to wear the ideal dress!' or 'I want to fill it with my favorite flowers!' or 'I want to make the performances I've envisioned a reality!'—it would be amazing to do them all! ♡
In all honesty, on your special day, you want to be able to do everything you wish for to feel like a princess without regrets.
While realizing your dreams and preferences, let's work hard to create a wedding where everyone will be happy, keeping your finances and hospitality in mind! ♡