Wedding receptions are normally the single biggest expense when putting together a wedding. But, with careful planning, anyone with a tight budget can find ways to make the wedding reception spectacular without needing to go into debt or causing a financial crisis for the couple or the parents.

Experts in planning wedding receptions say that the real secret to a budget friendly and beautiful wedding reception is making sure to combine personal taste, creativity and even good old-fashioned ingenuity. Choosing a wedding theme can establish the personality of the reception and can actually make the arrangements flow more easily and less expensively.

With a good wedding theme in hand, the planning of wedding receptions can often take a turn for greater ease and money savings. Shopping at some of the big discount stores with your theme in mind can help you find some real bargains for your wedding party favors or for some of the wedding decorations. Anything you can save in those areas can be redirected to other areas of the wedding budget.

Creating beautiful environments for wedding receptions on a budget can be quite simple, according to wedding and reception planning experts. As you strive to give each element of the wedding reception, from centerpieces to personalized wedding favors, a thoughtful personal touch, you can actually save money while creating memorable aspects that will be cherished through the years. Following are a few tips from experts that can help you save money and make the event spectacular.

For either indoor or outdoor wedding receptions, flowers are an important part of creating a magical and romantic tone. One way to economize, but still enjoy the effect of flowers, is to choose from the many beautiful, realistic silk flowers that are abundantly available. One clever trick is to add silk flowers into arrangements of fresh flowers, helping to keep the floral costs down while still beautifying the reception venue. Plus, the newlyweds can use the silk flowers in their new home as a beautiful reminder of their special day.

For something unique and fun, you can create a dramatic entrance to a wedding reception by simply lining the entrance pathway with sweet-smelling rose petals. Your guests will immediately be in a jovial mood if you rent a bubble machine which will add extra fun and magic to the ambiance of the event.

Renting a reception tent is a good way to economize for wedding receptions and you can easily increase the romance factor by getting some nice sheer fabric and quality wide ribbon which you can use to drape around the perimeter of the canopy. You can also incorporate small white lights and wrap the tent supports or make a swag for the entryway that will add to the romantic feel.

Taking the time to hand make keepsakes to give to the wedding party at wedding receptions is a practice that is increasing in popularity. It is a good way to reduce the cost of having a special memento to share and also makes it more personal and significant to those who have been an important part of your special day.

Nowadays, when a couple is ready to make a decision about which style of wedding ceremony they would like to have, they are faced with endless options. For many couples, they are moving away from formal religious ceremonies and are seeking out other ways to exchange their vows. However, the standard wedding ceremony program still remains very traditional.

In stepping away from tradition and opting for a non-religious ceremony, some couples are asking a friend or a family member to perform the ritual. However, an important part of the role for the person who officiates, is to provide guidance in preparing and crafting the wedding vows, as well as for the overall ceremony.

Should the bride and groom decide to simply take on the task of planning their wedding ceremony on their own, there are many considerations. In order to have a well-planned ceremony, there are certain elements that should not be overlooked, but which can be customized to reflect the couple’s personality.

Some of these critical wedding ceremony components to consider are: the processional for the entrance of the bride, the groom and other members of the wedding party, if desired; the music, poetry, literature or other wedding readings, including those from the Bible, as desired; the witnesses who you wish to sign your wedding certificate; the wedding vows, whether standard or custom written by the couple; the exchanging of the wedding rings; the lighting of a unity candle of other type of unity ceremony; any type of blessing or benediction on the marriage; any community or familiar commitment to support and uphold the union; the newlyweds’ first kiss and the recessional during the exit of the bride and groom.

Another important aspect of planning the wedding ceremony is in choosing the wedding location. This is not only proper for the solemnity of the occasion but it will also inspire the couple and reflect their personality. For those couples who wish to have their nuptial ceremony at the place where they, or their family worship, then their perfect location is already a given.

For others seeking a less traditional venue for the exchange of their vows, the choice can sometimes be quite a challenge as there are so many wedding locations and wedding receptions sites to choose from. More and more often, many of the best reception sites also feature superb settings for hosting the wedding ceremony as well. This offers a very convenient option which simplifies the day for the bride and groom and guests alike.

The primary thing that should be kept in mind while making the decisions that will effect your wedding ceremony, is to hold tight to your wishes and your desires for your special day. While opinions of family and friends can be valuable, it should always come down to what the bride and groom feel best about since it is their day to celebrate.

Not every couple craves lounging on the beach all day for their honeymoon vacation package. Active adventurers may prefer surf lessons, mountain climbs, four wheeling and skydiving. Adventurous honeymoon can include a nature trek at Tintswalo Safari Lodge in South Africa (www.tintswalo.com), a bike tour of the Mediterranean island of Gozo (www.breakaway-adventures.com) or a helicopter tour of the glaciers on Vancouver Island (www.nimmobay.com). Visit www.voyagetrek.com to find tour operators that can accommodate your travel adventures, whether it is horseback riding or zip-lining.

More and more couples are “going green” and doing their best to make more eco-friendly choices. While there’s no gold standard for “green” honeymoon vacations, there are some naturalistic settings kept pristine and tucked away from mass tourism. For instance, Fiji’s Turtle Island (www.turtlefiji.com) only allows 14 couples to visit at a time to preserve the islands rich flora and fauna. Cuixmala Resort in Mexico (www.cuixmala.com) is built on a 25,000 acre nature preserve, complete with zebras, gazelles and wild boar. In Belize, you can stay on an 11,000 acre nature reserve at Machacha Hill (www.machachahill.com). If you and your loved one think volunteering is a romantic vacation idea, then be sure to check www.charityguide.org or www.i-to-i.com for opportunities.

Many couples are through with planning all the intricate details of the wedding and everything else, so they’re looking for something hassle-free for their honeymoon vacations. Thus, the all inclusive romantic resort was born. Reputable name-brands like Sandals (www.sandals.com), Couples (www.couples.com) and Club Med (www.clubmed.us) can whisk newlyweds away to a number of exotic destinations from Jamaica and Antigua to the Bahamas and Mexico. All food, premium alcoholic beverages, activities and accommodations are covered in one price, which makes saving and planning for a romantic honeymoon a cinch.

The color of the mother of the bride dress is one of the most important things to consider. Some couples opt to have their mothers in white or off-white, while some decide that the mother of the bride should be wearing one of the accent colors of the wedding. Either way is fine, so if you’re having trouble deciding, don’t hesitate to ask your mother for her input. You can find great designs at www.audreysmotherofthebride.com, and mother of the groom dresses are available there as well. Styles include lavender skirt suits with jeweled jackets, or custom dresses from designers like Karen Miller. Plus sizes and petite sizes are available as well.

You may be able to find the perfect mother of the bride dress at your local department store without having to order any special pieces. Nordstrom often has sales on these types of dresses, so whether your mother wants to be formal and classic, or modern with a hint of elegance, it is likely that you’ll find what you need at this upscale department store. Cocktail dresses from Sean and Stenay may also be an option; these dresses are mid-length and offer a modern spin on the mother of the bride dress for the woman who may be a little more contemporary when it comes to style.

Even though stores like J Crew or Banana Republic are best known for their casual workday or vacation clothes, you may find the right dress for your mother in these stores as well. J Crew has a wedding collection that many people find especially appealing, and you may be able to find dresses and suits for everyone in the wedding party while shopping. You can also look through the Banana Republic catalog, or visit a store in your area to find a bridal dress for your mother or your bridesmaids that would add a nice touch to your wedding ceremony.

If you need to custom order a mother of the bride dress, you can check out the catalog from JC Penney, or visit the outlet stores for more details. Check out www.jcpenney.com for ordering information.

It can be tempting to try and control every minute detail of the wedding planning. Of course, everyone wants a perfect wedding day. This is often why the bridal party is wearing outfits that are the same. This doesn’t have to be the case. It is possible to have a uniform looking bridal party without forcing them to wear actual uniforms. Not every person is going to look good in the same outfit. Everyone has a different body type and looks good in different styles of clothing. Luckily, the bridal industry has come up with new lines of formal separates. These are mix and match skirts and tops that can be combined to create an elegant gown. The beauty of these separates is that each woman in the bridal party can find the styles that suits her body best and makes her feel the most comfortable. The bride will be pleased with this compromise because all of the separates, if ordered from the same clothing designer, will be the same color. This will create the uniform look that the bride is hoping for, while keeping her bridal party happy and comfortable.

Another solution to the bridal party dress problem is to take the party shopping together. This is best when the party is small. If there are only a few women, then it is possible to go to the bridal shop, pick out several options, and have each woman try the dresses on. They may be able to come to a consensus about the dress. If this doesn’t work, then consider the separates idea or consider designating a single color and having the women choose a dress in that color. Again, this works best with a smaller bridal party.

The bridal party is integral to the wedding day. These are the people who mean the most to the bride and groom and have probably helped immensely in the wedding planning process. It would be a nice gesture to make sure that they are comfortable in the chosen bridal attire so they will have a great time at the wedding as well. So, ditch the pink taffeta and dress the bridal party in style.

When a bride orders her wedding bouquet, it might not seem that any “activities” will come from it other than as a thing for the bride to hold. But the bridal bouquet can be the source of many interesting activities and meaningful gestures.

During there ceremony there are all kinds of possibilities. Certainly you can go traditional and have a flower for both the mother of the bride and mother of the groom. The moms, in particular, love this activity and guests usually appreciate it as well. But what if you turned that traditional gesture on its head and supplied flowers for both the mothers and the fathers?

If the bride supplies flowers to both the men and women, there are a couple of ways to do this. What if dad’s flower was enclosed in a verse that he will then get up and read at the ceremony? What if it was a flower to recognize the members of the family who have passed, and it gives dad an opportunity to recognize those family members?

If the bride chooses not to have a unity candle, but wants some gesture like it, she can have her bridal bouquet designed by having several small bouquets put together. At an appropriate time during the ceremony, the bridal bouquet is “broken up” and various people might receive a share, such as the mothers and fathers of the bride and groom.

Now, if the bride wants to hang onto her bridal bouquet during the wedding ceremony, but is willing to have some fun with it at the reception, there are a few options there as well. How about a dance involving the bridal bouquet? This is silly, but fun. The bridal bouquet is on display somewhere near the dance floor and guests must guess a flower that’s in the bouquet before they can enter the dance floor. The first few guests might not have a problem as some flowers are obvious, like roses and tulips, but others might give people pause. Of course, this won’t work if the bridal bouquet is all roses or some other single and obvious flower but for a traditional mixed bouquet, it can work well.

For a naughty touch, the bride can hide her garter in the bridal bouquet and actually put it on her leg before the groom takes it off. Or she can have a couple of breakaway bouquets that are wrapped in garter belts, so hers doesn’t get thrown, but instead the tiny bouquets with garter belts attached are thrown.

When it comes time for the bride to throw her bouquet, there are several options. Some brides choose not to keep their bouquet and simply pluck one flower out of it before chucking the whole thing during the bridal bouquet toss. This is an alternative to having a special bouquet set aside for throwing, and there are others as well.

Are there are a lot of single women coming to the wedding? Maybe one thrown bouquet won’t be enough. Many brides these days are opting for something a little more fun. There are a few options, really. One popular option is to have the florist create several small bouquets and then bundle them to look like one bouquet. They are tied lightly with a ribbon. When it comes time for the bouquet toss, the bride unties the ribbon, and throws the “bouquet” which is actually several little bouquets. Several women will catch the bouquet, rather than just one.

A winter wedding may limit your romantic honeymoon options slightly, although many couples find the decision making process that much easier with less destinations to choose from. Budget-conscious travelers will find ample honeymoon packages to Las Vegas, Nevada — the city that never sleeps. Vegas is certainly not all about gambling, as there are plenty of romantic activities, such as indulging in the Mandalay Bay Spa, visiting the Wine Cellar tasting room, taking a gondola ride at The Venetian, sailing on Topaz Lake or dining at Alizé at the Top of the Palms, to name a few. Another great destination for January travelers is Saint Barths Island in the French West Indies, where you can catch some rest and relaxation amid 14 quiet beaches and dine on world-class French cuisine. February newlyweds would not be disappointed with Buenos Aires, which is very warm all year round, offers fine dining and boutique shopping, and may even send you home knowing how to Tango. Of course Hawaii also offers luxurious, romance-filled vacations with ideal weather any month of the year.

Come springtime, the Caribbean waters are all the rage for romantic honeymoon plans. In Jamaica, the weather is dreamy and the luxury is unparalleled at a place like Half Moon in Montego Bay (www.halfmoon.com). This 400-acre estate will offer you a personal butler, chef and housekeeper on a beachfront suite. While you’re there, you can snorkel, go rum tasting at Appleton Estate, visit the underwater marine park at Cornwall Beach, eat local Caribbean cuisine at Pier One Restaurant and catch a steel drum band. Another romantic vacation destination for March, April or May is Belize. Divers will be able to see the plankton-eating whale sharks migrating this time of year and you can also tour a jaguar reserve if you’re feeling adventurous. If you simply want to relax, then you’ll love The Placencia Hotel (www.theplancencia.com) or Sandals all inclusive resort (www.sandals.com) — not to mention, the Swedish spas, waterfalls and kayaking. While you’re visiting, be sure to try some local Creole cooking at The Capriccio restaurant! For an even more intimate experience, you can stay overnight on a privately owned island called Ranguana Cave (www.robertsgrove.com).

Autumn can be a challenging time for planning a romantic honeymoon because it’s hurricane season for many of the coastal paradises. However, these cooler and less touristy months are ideal for traveling Europe. In Spain, you can stay at the five-star La Pleta Hotel & Spa in Baqueira (www.lapleta.com) up in the Pyrenees Mountains for more seclusion and pampering. Horseback riding, mountain climbing, archery and massages are some of the activities here. In Venice, you’ll find many romantic vacation ideas, such as wine tasting, gondola rides in the Venetian canals and partaking in the international art and film festivals that occur each fall. Try staying at the Hotel Dei Dogi (www.boscolohotels.com), which will give you that historic 18th century vibe.

Rehearsal dinner invitations do not need to be as elaborate, elegant and dramatic as the wedding invitations, although they can match a theme wedding. Only basic details are included, such as the date, time and place of the dinner and an RSVP number. The couple can choose to print out the invitations themselves, use invitation kits or even seek out printers to do the job for them.

Searching for printers and suppliers of invitations for the rehearsal dinner is now easy. They can choose to go through the traditional route and send out invitations through snail mail or in person, or they can utilize websites that will help to customize invitations that can be sent by email. All they need to do is go to the website, pick out a design from the hundreds of invitation ideas, fill out the appropriate details and send. Or they can enlist the help of invitation kits to get invitation ideas and then have them printed. The couple can send out the invites or have the printer send them out. All the couple needs to do is supply the names and addresses of the guests.

Should the couple decide to have one, rehearsal dinners are meant to give the couple a chance to relax before the big day. It gives them a chance to just sit back and appreciate everything they’ve done and everything their family and friends has done for them. A rehearsal dinner will also give the couple the chance to talk to the people who matter the most. Just don’t forget to send out the rehearsal dinner invitations.

The power of light is always amazing when you are putting on a special wedding reception for your friends and family. Look to the addition of candles as favors to compliment any candlelit centerpiece for a special touch that your guests can then use once they get home. As well, many places offer individually wrapped votive candles that you can also have personalized with your names and your wedding date. Take it to a whole new level once you have the favors set up to match the theme colors of your wedding. Favors wedding guests can use, like candles, candle holders and handmade items are often popular.

Here is some good wedding advice. If you are going to be holding a garden themed or spring time wedding, then you may want to look into something that is able to be planted or floral in nature. This could mean anything from embellished seed packets that your guests can take home with them and plant in their very own vegetable or flower garden. Another marvelous idea would be to have favors such as a small potted plant for each place setting at your wedding reception. These types of favors wedding guests will love because they can be planted in their garden or in a pot and they will remember your wedding day fondly for years to come.

It may seem daunting to choose wedding party favors with all the choices available. Sometimes choosing favors wedding attendants will use and enjoy for years to come is a good idea. Jewelry engraved with the date of your wedding or the initials of the recipient is a thoughtful and personalized wedding gift. Another great gift is a basket stuffed with personal items from lotions, snacks, salts for baths and other luxury items.

Don’t let the stress of planning your wedding take the fun out of choosing favors wedding guests will love. Whether you go for the traditional or the more eclectic, just remember it’s your wedding and there are no wrong answers. However you choose to honor your guests is your choice and you can do it in any manner you deem appropriate, from fun gifts to gifts of tradition like jewelry and flasks.

Making sure to pay special attention to the details of second weddings, such as the wedding location, wedding decorations, the wedding ceremony program, the wedding theme and other such considerations, will help to make sure that the day is unique and memorable. Often, it is such specifics that make the day stand out and it also helps to create precious memories that will be treasured for many years.

When it comes to second weddings, it may mean that either the bride or the groom, or both, have children who must be taken into consideration. In such cases, the advice of experts is to make sure that before anyone else is told about the engagement, that the children are first talked to in a calm and nurturing environment.

This way, the children are able to openly ask any questions they might have and won’t feel constrained or pressured because other people are present. This is also a good time to ask for their input. Often, second weddings go more smoothly if the children are allowed to share their ideas about wedding locations or with the planning of the wedding reception.

After the children are informed and have had a chance to accept the plan, it is then appropriate to tell the parents of the bride and groom. At this point, siblings and friends of the couple can be informed as well.

When there are children to be considered, there are most likely ex-spouses and former in-laws who will need to be informed about the wedding as well. In cases where such relationships are strained, it should not be considered an obligation to share this information face-to-face or even by telephone; a simple note will suffice. However, it is important not to put the children in the position of sharing such news.

The guests who are invited to second weddings are not considered to be obligated to give wedding gifts for such occasions. In the majority of cases, couples marrying for the second time already have duplications of household items and don’t want to add more to a house that will soon be very crowded as two families try to blend together. It is advised to discreetly ask for no gifts in the invitation, or to ask that donations be given to a charity in the name of the couple.

Etiquette guides suggest that it is not appropriate to extend an invitation to second weddings to former spouses, regardless of how good the relationship with them is. Having the former spouse there can be confusing to the children and makes it very awkward for everyone else who is present who may know the ex-spouse.

Second weddings can create meaningful and memorable ways for the children of the couple to be involved with the wedding ceremony proceedings. Children can be a part of the official wedding party by acting as junior bridesmaids or junior grooms men. Any younger children can take part as a ring bearer or a flower girl. Some couples also choose to involve the children in the ring ceremony as well. For children who are not intimidated by being in front of people, they can also read a poem or sing a song as part of the occasion.