[Prudence]

Food is a big chunk of reception costs. Do you know what time your ceremony will be? Or have you made it that far? I realize that people expect a plated, sit-down to-do, but a) I wasn't (and still am not) made of money, b) it makes for more complicated arrangements of assigned seating and entree selections and people who RSVP one way or the other and then do the opposite, and c) often the food's pretty boring.

We had a 2pm wedding followed by what my mother calls "heavy hors d'oeuvres." For our purposes, it worked well. For less money than expected we were able to have a wide selection of tastes, we couldn't have cared less if people RSVPd since there was plenty to go around (and thus we saved the response card expense), people could sit wherever they damn well pleased, and honestly there was so much food it really could have been a full meal. We did a vaguely Greek-themed menu, so it wasn't just the standard cold-cuts or mac'n'cheese buffet.

Again - this is what worked for us. If your mind's eye paints the perfect wedding reception as a velvet-covered den of iniquity or a circled and swirled Shag print, this won't work for you.

(We were also at a church that forbid alcohol, and my parents are strict teetotalers who wouldn't come if there was alcohol, so that cut down on the expense significantly. This also means that I have tasty punch recipes out the wazoo.)

Did I mention I have inexpensive favor and decoration ideas? Must....stop...pontificating....