Your wedding reception will take up a large chunk of your wedding budget, but for most it is a price worth paying for a fantastic reception. But if your budget is more ginger beer than champagne here are some ways in which you can cut costs but still have a great party.

1. Alcohol can be one of the biggest expenses at your reception, but there are several ways in which you can lower the costs.

Offer your guests punch - both alcoholic & non-alcoholic - instead of having a bar. This is a nice idea if you are having a summer luncheon wedding reception.

Keep the champagne for the wedding toasts & limit it to one glass per guests. For the rest of the reception serve only wine & beer along with non-alcoholic drinks & tea & coffee.

Close the bar about an hour before the wedding reception ends. Serve only cold drinks, tea & coffee afterwards.

Ask your venue if you can bring in your own alcohol. You will find the rates will be considerably lower if you can bring in your own drinks. You can also consider having an open bar at the reception.

2. Your venue hire will be another large expense. Think about booking your wedding for an out of season date when the hire fees are lower or discounted.

3. If you book your venue well in advance of your wedding date you may also be able to get further discounts or freebies add in. If you are unable to negotiate any monetary discounts try to get some other perks such as valet parking.

4. Wedding cakes can be expensive especially if you have a large number of guests. Instead of having one large wedding cake, order a smaller decorated wedding cake which you can cut at the wedding reception. Use this cake for display & for the cake cutting ceremony. Serve your guests cake from sheet cakes inside the kitchen, which are a whole lot cheaper. You can also serve your wedding cake as dessert.

5. If your budget is really tight, hold a cocktail wedding reception instead. Talk with your caterer about using foods which are in season. Being freely available means they are often much cheaper than using foods which are out of season.

6. Your wedding photographs can be a major expense, particularly if you hire your photographer for a large portion of the day. Hire a photographer to take photographs after the wedding ceremony only & then ask a close friend who is good with a camera to take pictures at the reception. Place disposable cameras on your tables so your guests can capture moments during the party that you may have otherwise missed!

The success of your wedding reception is really down to the amount of fun & enjoyment you & your guests get out of the event & less about the amount of money you throw at it. Put the emphasis on enjoyment rather than the little details & you will have many wonderful memories of your special day.