Tag: affordable wedding dj

A WEDDING HALL AND FOOD FOR UNDER $1,000?

Looking to really save yourself some money on your wedding and still have it come off great? It can happen if you plan everything correctly.

A recent affordable wedding I DJ’ed at South Schenectady Fire House Banquet went perfectly and was classy, to boot. The hall is new, super clean, has all the facilities you need and a full kitchen. It also comes complete with the tables and chairs needed for about 100 people. And, most importantly, they allow for outside catering (this is key).

The bride and groom had to quickly put their special day together, due to a life threatening health situation with a family member. They wanted their loved one to be able to attend and didn’t have a whole lot of time to save.

HOW TO BOOK A GREAT WEDDING (HALL & FOOD) FOR ABOUT $1,000!

Here is what they did:

1) They contacted and rented the South Schenectady Fire House, and was able to rent the hall for $300. This was a great place to have the wedding because, across the street is a fabulous Italian restaurant called Canali’s.

2) They then had Canalis Restaurant (at 126 Mariaville Rd, Schenectady, NY) provide the catering, just the food as a pick up order for 100 people or so. The food bill came to under $700.

3) Next, during the cocktail hour, someone went over and picked up the food. Then, they served dinner buffet style.

4) They did their own bartending (beer and wine).

5) They cleaned up the hall themselves.

Now mind you, they did not have anyone serve the food, but the quality was as good if not better than many of the big name wedding halls in the area.

What can we learn from this?

If you can find a hall that lets you bring in your own catering, you can save a whole lot!!! What you are typically paying for at an expensive wedding hall is serving, clean up and facilities. Finding a nice place like The South Schenectady Firehouse with a great restaurant nearby that will cooperate with time is a game changer!

There are many ways to save for your wedding. One of the keys to our success is keeping prices affordable and ala carte so customers can customize and pay for only and exactly what you want. This has made us VERY busy this summer in the Albany – Troy – Schenectady area.

Here is a top 10 list of ways to really save money on your wedding:

1. FRUGAL FLOWERS – Some vocational schools have Floral Classes. Sometimes you can work with your local votec to turn your wedding decoration into a classroom assignment and only pay cost of the flowers. Also, check with the hall to see who else is having a wedding there that weekend. You may also be able to save on flowers by sharing.

2. THE WEDDING SET UP PARTY –  Turn on the tunes and have your wedding party come over a few days before to put together favors, set up decorations and centerpieces, create flower arrangements and anything else that you would have to pay more for when it comes completely assembled.

3.  AFFORDABLE DRESS – Buying your wedding dress online and  even in thrift stores, can be a great resourse to save literally hundresds of dollars on the wedding dress.

4. DAY SELECTION – Booking outside your hall’s primetime definitions will really help you save. Typically, prime time is Fridays & Saturdays (sometimes Sundays) April thru October. 10. Ask for Help – Who do you know? Why spend a bundle on the officiant, musicians, photographers and even DJs, if one of your guests can make this happen for nothing.

5. CAREFUL OF WHO YOU INVITE – Don’t invite anyone you haven’t seen or even talked to in five years. Don’t encourage singles to bring a date. Avoid inviting work colleagues. And let your friends bring their children.

6. SAVE ON INVITATIONS – Online is totally acceptable now, so you can save a bundle on postage right there. If you do not want to go the e-invite route, at least shop your invitations online. Competition is fierce and you are bound to find a deal if you look enough.

7. CATERING OPTIONS – Always provide your own caterer when you can. If your hall does not allow this, ask where money can be saved. See if they’ll let you provide your own liquor, or if serving only wine and beer will be cheaper than a full bar. Also consider only having open bar open during your cocktail hour, then serving an inexpensive wine with dinner.

8. EBAY YOUR SPECIAL DAY – Anything you buy and whenever you can, please always check the eBay and Amazon first! You will find awesome deals, for sure!

9. DECOR FOR LESS, NOT MORE – You do not need expensive flower arrangements everywhere. There are countless ways to save on decorations. Sometimes, candlelight can be the most romantic and beautiful alternative to fancy centerpieces and decorations.