Tip #20 Money saving tips!

Let's face it. Most people hire a DJ/MC after they have spent all their money on everything from flowers to food. When the realization comes that "I need a DJ" they look at the budget and then come to a conclusion that I only have $500 to spend for music. Often times what happens is they opt for settling for an average at best talent or sometimes resort to a friend to perform on the most important day of their life. Sadly, 80% of these same brides surveyed, said if they had to do it all over, they would have placed the entertainment near or at the top of their shopping list.

Folks.... you only have one shot at hitting a home run. If you want an Entertainment Driven reception where EVERYONE DANCES, EVERONE Comments on how much fun they had 6 months after your event, if you want your photos or video to look better than if eveyone is just sitting around, then you owe it to yourself to take a look at some money saving tips so you CAN HAVE THE DJ of YOUR DREAMS.

R U Ready?

Chair Covers:
At a minimum of $4 per chair, a hundred-guest wedding just took $400 out of the budget for an item that, (imho), only makes a visual impact when the room is empty...people arrive and hang their coats over the backs of the chairs and $4 down the drain! They don't make the seats more comfortable and you cannot really see them once people are sitting in them.

Ice 'Sculptures':
First of all, very few of them are really carved anymore, the proper description would be "ice mold". $1000+ for a hunk of ice that they won't even give you a drink large enough to float it in!? Even if you don't use this savings toward the Deejay, then at least upgrade the food choices instead of this melting money waster.

Flowers:
Very few things bring so much to the look of a room or fill a dumpster so quickly! Encourage plants and living arrangements that their guests can take home to enjoy.

Cake:
Does anybody really need a life-size fondant replica of the Bride??? Cakes are meant to be eaten, get a nice one, but ensure that it's edible, appealing and plated early enough for guests to actually enjoy. Keeping the top tier in cold storage for the first anniversary is a cruel joke perpetuated by the former generations who fell for it when they were newlyweds...suggest a gift certificate from the bakery for a 'personal-sized' cake of the same recipe to be baked fresh next year.

Limousines/Carriages:
While it's a special personal moment, and you should pamper yourselves, don't get these things if you're doing it just to show the guests...UNLESS YOU MAKE SURE THE PLAN INCLUDES HAVING THE GUESTS GATHERED WHERE YOU'RE ARRIVING/DEPARTING. Many times, the guests can't see where you pull up from the room, and many B&G's don't make a Grand Exit to a waiting limo, so why have one on the payroll?

Bubbles, Disposable Cameras, Favors:
Nice ideas, but history has taught us that these are simply expensive doodads for the children to monopolize... bubbles rarely get blown at the couple when they arrive or depart as intended, but they do get spilled on the dancefloor/playground with surprising regularity. The idea of your guests capturing that Kodak moment for you is a wonderful dream that rarely sees fruition...but you do get 30 or 40 shots of the same things that the gaggle of kids all run around taking one shot each of! If you must buy favors for the guests, choose wisely considering what YOU would be inclined to take home and cherish if it was given to you.