After you’ve picked the venue, sent out your save the date cards and finalised your guest list, now is the time to sort out what to do for your afternoon/evening reception and who is invited to the whole day, and who to just the after-party.  You may be limited by budget and this is where you can get creative with your reception and offer something a little different.

On average, 50-60% of a wedding budget is spent on the food and drink alone, so don’t feel pressured into providing what is ‘expected’ but instead focus on what you truly want from your food and drink.  A good way to keep costs down and to have a more informal affair is to include on your save the date cards that you plan on having a dessert reception.

By including it on your save the date cards (and following up on your formal invitations), you are letting your reception guests know that you’ll feed them with cake but not with a main meal.  This also means that you can have a vast array of different desserts to choose from – which is a plus in my book!  Kids will also be over the moon and your reception will officially be known as the best wedding of the year to any children attending the event!

We are following Laura’s blog on The Card Gallery’s Facebook page and wanted to give a bit of general advice on picking your wedding venue (something which Laura is still debating!)

Narrowing down locations might seem easy but when you are left with two, it can be hard to pick between them.  Indeed, you might be a bride who has all of the little details sorted out – and may even have purchased your wedding guest books – but haven’t got the venue confirmed yet.  Don’t worry, you aren’t alone!

Deciding between venues where the first has everything all ready for you in a package deal and is pricier, and the second means doing a lot of it yourself but cheaper, can be stressful and confusing.  What it vital is that you get a realistic list of all expenses before deciding on one location over another.  Although it may seem like the cheaper option is best, the details can add up and may end up being more expensive in the long run.

Think about whether you need to rent furniture in the cheaper place and whether they have catering on-site or not.  An external caterer may charge more – or may not even deliver to that particular venue.

Be sure to choose a location which matches your style – but also fits in with your budget!  Evaluate all costs carefully – don’t forget those wedding guest books! – and then you can make an informed decision.