How to Have a Wedding Reception at Home

As you plan for your big day, you may be thinking about how to have a wedding reception at home. After all, the cost of a reception hall can be one of the biggest expenses of a wedding and eliminating that cost could save you a lot of money.

Still, there are many things that you should consider before you commit to having your wedding reception at home. There are costs associated with having your wedding at home as well, so you need to plan carefully to determine whether this is the best move for you. Take the following steps to have a wedding reception at home.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Determine whether you have enough space. Think about the number of people you plan to invite to the wedding reception and where they might be able to fit in your house. Do you have a large backyard? Do you have several open spaces inside the house? Are there enough bathrooms for people to use? If you have good answers to all of these questions, then you should be able to have a cheap wedding reception at home.

2. Talk to your neighbors. If you live in a typical suburban neighborhood, chances are your neighbors live nearby. Are they OK with the noise that will come with having the party at your home? Make sure you ask around and get permission from everyone. You don't want to have to contend with the police the day of the reception.

3. Find a place for people to park. It's best if you have enough space around your home for people to park. This will allow you to have the cheapest wedding reception at home possible. If you don't have parking space, you may need to rent space at a nearby parking lot and arrange for shuttle service. This could be quite costly.

4. Plan your invite list. The best way to save money on any wedding reception is to cut the number of guests that you invite. This is not a possibility for everyone, but if you are having the reception at home, that may be a good excuse to keep the guest list down.

5. Rent the supplies you may need. You never know what the weather holds and it would be a shame if it rains on the day of the wedding. A tent keeps your guests dry, but it does cost a lot of money. You also may have to pay to rent tables and chairs so that your guests can sit down to eat. Do your best to keep these costs down, while still providing a comfortable experience for your guests.

6. Hire a caterer. Food costs are probably the most expensive thing at a wedding reception. If you're having your reception at home, you may be tempted to save money by making your own food. However, this can be a huge undertaking. It's best to hire a caterer to do the job for you. You may even want to simply use the catering options of your local grocery store if you want to save money.