Just engaged and unsure how to proceed

Re: Just engaged and unsure how to proceed

• rainsfallsoftly member

  

  January 2010

  That sounds like fun to me.  I know I would enjoy going to a cocktail reception.  Also, if you want advice about specific venues or vendors in your area, try posting on your local board.

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• SarahPLiz member

  

  January 2010

  To have a cocktail reception, make sure your wedding is not during a normal mealtime. If you start at 7 or 8pm, then your guests won't expect a meal.
  
  I think its perfectly fine to do what you can afford. First, set a budget and then get your date set by reserving your venue(s). The rest comes after that. Have fun!

  
  

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• MyNameIsNot member

  

  January 2010

  Set a budget for what is reasonable to you, and start talking to venues and caterers to figure out what you can afford.  Like others have said, a cocktail reception would be lovely, but you need to have it on an off-meal time if there isn't enough food to make a meal.  (Otherwise, people will be hungry and leave early.)  It's easier to do this in the afternoon, but if you start your ceremony some time after 8:30 or so, it will be late enough. 
  
  When working with your budget, think outside the box.  Rather than a traditional venue and caterer, you may be able to do something much more budget friendly at a venue like a museum with an outside caterer.  Find your local board and start asking.  Also, the budget brides board is great for tips on how to save money.

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• AmoroAgain member

  

  January 2010

  We had an evening sit down dinner reception for 50 in a private room at a wonderful restaurant, including a cocktail hour (with a beautiful ceremony at a separate location) and allllll the other fun stuff for under $5000.  Course, that was in Michigan so that might be a bit of a different order for Boston. 
  
  It definitely can be done, but it takes a lot of searching, a lot of patience, and thinking outside of the box a bit.

  

  God kills a bunny every time someone asks about honeymoon registries.

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• chosen175 member

  

  January 2010

  We're in Chicago and on a tight budget as well.  I found that the cocktail receptions were running just as much, if not more, than a dinner reception.  With a cocktail reception, you're pretty much forced to have a pricey drink package for several hours, and the apps are usually classier (read: much more expensive) foods.  FSIL spent $60pp for a 4 hour cocktail reception - and that was the cheapest she found.  It did not include cake, photog, etc.  So make sure you do your homework and make sure you can't get a better deal by doing something different (like a dinner buffet, dessert reception, lunch reception, etc.)  We're doing a brunch reception for about half of what FSIL spent on her cocktail reception - and ours includes open bar for the entire brunch.

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• rrkenney

  

  January 2010

  Just wanted to say hello, I also got engaged on NYE and am shooting for either an October 2010 or NYE 2010 reception in Boston (though I currently live in Colorado).
  
  A friend of mine is having a coctail reception and I think it's a great idea. While my grandmother would beg to differ, by the time you get to the meal everyone is usually full off of the finger foods! But, like others have said, you want to start around 8 so people don't expect dinner.
  

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