How to Plan a Simple, Fun Wedding

Plan your wedding with ease.

Planning a wedding can be an expensive, exhausting feat. No matter if you're enjoying an intimate backyard ceremony or getting hitched with close family and friends on your favorite island, planning all the details is a mammoth task. If you're looking to plan a simple wedding that is both fun and memorable, consider these effortless steps.

Instructions

1. Keep it intimate. Limit guests to close family and friends. Start with a list of everyone you and your fiance could possibly invite and cut that number in half. This cuts the budget for items such as food, beverages, invitations and thank-you gifts.

2. 

   Plan your wedding and reception for the same venue.

   Combine your ceremony and reception venue. This limits your expenses and allows you to use the same decor for both, and it also allows your guests to stay in one location. Stage the ceremony in one area, such as outdoors on a patio or lawn, and host the reception inside a ballroom or extended balcony.

3. Engage your guests with entertainment. Give guests something to do while they wait for the reception. Set out Polaroid cameras for guests to use and permanent markers so they can write their well wishes on the photos. You can also ask your bartender to allow the guests to create their own signature drinks.

4. Limit your food to simple items served with a twist. Mini loaded potatoes and pigs in a blanket sprinkled with a garlic butter are options for simple foods with a creative spin. Avoid foods that appeal to only a few number of people, such as escargot.

5. 

   Small desserts such as cupcakes are a fun, easy alternative to a wedding cake.

   Opt for miniature dessert items or dessert bars instead of or in addition to a large wedding cake. You can serve cupcakes or pastries, or you can set up an ice cream sundae station with different flavors of ice cream and toppings. This allows guests to sample items, and you can package leftovers for guests to take home.

6. 

References

• The Knot: 10 Secrets To Planning A Fun Wedding
• Brides Online: Ideas for the Desserts Bar or Candy Buffet