cheap receptions

jonnyhips

hey, im looking to get married in september- its not a shot gun act, but anyway. I just lost my job and the plan or budget has changed as a result. I still like to give my future wife a big day, but we dnt want to be broke for a decade as a resut. Im just wondering does anyone know of cheap receptions. I have heard hotels prices are droped big time. I.E Red Cow Dublin is 5000 for 125 people with added extras-stil too much for me though-i dnt care were in the country but im looking for about 2000-2500 for the reception for 125-150-im sure some hotels would be glad of the buisness...im also open to different venue ideas..

any help would be great-this wedding stuff is hard work

Emerald Lass

here are some things to consider which helped me to keep to a smaller budget:

* mid week can make it cheaper
* cut out the dessert AND cake - just get a decent wedding cake that can be served as dessert. This was advised to me by a friend who is a waitress and has served at many weddings. She said the amount of desserts that go abck half eaten is a waste.
* don't have wine at the meal - again this is on advice of my waitress friend who said they serve the best of sh!te wine, and most of it goes to waste or is taken home by the staff! If you really have that kind of money to spend, then it would actually be better value to have 2 open rounds (no doubles of course)
* don't have a band, just go for a realyl good DJ
* Find a hotel with nice equipment - i.e decent chairs and linens that won't look tired and old without chair covers etc. this can really help trim costs (i.e chair covers at €2.50 each (that is the rock bottom cheapest price I could find) would be over €300! so if the hotel is well maintained with good finish banqueting chairs which don't need covers you've saved at least €300!)
* shop around and negotiate and haggle. Maybe visit a few hotels, tell them your budget, and basically throw it back at them - ask what they can provide for that price.
* Don't be fooled into thinking that the average meal price is around €50 - thats propaganda from the celtic tiger era! mine was €38 per head with dessert, by doing away with dessert its €32.
* dont pay for a bar extension - if they won't throw it in, don't give them your business
* If you know that a lot of your guests might stay over use this as a bargaining tool - basically you are almost guaranteeing them maximum occupancy, so they should be reflecting that in their prices to you, and also in the room rates to the guests.

Just some things that might help. congrats and best of luck with it all!

beertons

Very helpful post there, a few pointers noted!

Redpunto

Ive only €5,000 to cover everything for my wedding so hoping we can find some friends with some expertise, we have one whos a photographer and another whos in a band so fingers crossed they'll work for a couple of pints!

Flat2dmat

You can definitely do a cheaper wedding these days and not compromise on quality. If you go outside Dublin, your chances are better! I've booked mine in a fairly new 4 star and the deal is less than half the price they're advertising...just do your research and let them know that you'll go somewhere else with you're money - you can't seem too desperate to them.
Easiest way to cut costs already mentioned - go midweek, don't have a band and use a DJ only, don't spend big on cake (I'm gonna make mine - as if anyone is gonna know if you spent a few quid or a grand!), don't pay extra for bar extension or chair covers or flowers in hotel. Keep numbers to a limit and don't go inviting people for the sake of it etc etc. Dresses can be bought for less than 1k and saw a site that sells a suit for £70!
maybe keep honeymoon open until you see if you can afford it and maybe, just maybe, your guests might be generous enough to put some money towards it for you (someone might even offer you their holiday home in Spain or somewhere!)
also, i'm going route of civil ceremony, saves money spent in church (flowers, money towards priest etc) and saves on having to get a fancy car as everything is one place.
I'm finding photographer is the most difficult to find a reasonable priced one but I'm holding out hope!!
Good luck! It's easy to save money once you don't insist on every tradition that people "expect" you to do!!

Flat2dmat

also some hotels doing deals of €30 per head for 5 course meal incl 2 glasses of wine and bridal suite = Castle Arch in Trim, Bloomfield House in Mullingar, and I'm sure there's more if you enquire.
Castleknock hotel is offering good deals and a weeks honeymoon in Spain. Also Trim Castle hotel is offering €55pp but prob has room for more negotiation.
D4 hotels also doing very good deals and rooms only €89 for guests.
Mullingar Park was offering €45 at one stage I enquired about it, as was Athlone Springs (but unless they've recently installed air con, you'll be sweaty when you don't wanna be!!)
I did enquire with Ritz in Powerscourt but they seem to be ignoring the big R - €12500 minimum spend no matter how many guests and that's just the food and drink!!! You may want to avoid those robbers!!!