By Georgina Clatworthy

Your wedding reception will be the biggest party you will ever organize and host so it can be useful to pick up as many wedding reception tips as you can as your progress with your wedding planning.  A good source of tips and advice is from real brides – they have been there and done it, so they can offer you up some tried and tested tips which could make a big difference to your day.

Here are a few real brides tips to help you with your wedding reception planning:

‘Don’t loose sight of the budget and spend money on silly things’ – The golden rule of wedding planning! Your budget will dictate everything so keep it in check and avoid the temptation to overspend on little details for your wedding reception that you don’t really need.

‘Don’t get caught up in the details, people are there to see you married and have a good day.  Make sure you have a good time and everyone else will’ – In essence, spending all your time worrying about whether or not the ribbon on the wedding favors is the right shade of blue rather than finding some fab entertainment or fantastic catering could leave you and your guests a little disappointed.

‘We saved money on most things by making sure that we shopped around to products and services that give us the best value’ – always shop around and get quotes for everything before making any final decisions.  It will help your budget and you can find yourself with many more options than you thought possible.

‘Get family members to help you make things like favors and stationery’ – not only will this save you money, but it will also add the unique and personal touch to your reception.

‘Look for favors that can double up as place settings’ – have your guests names printed onto your wedding favors or include them on some pretty tags.  Doubling up on things like wedding favors and place cards will save you money and time.

‘Use the internet, I was never off it.  I found lots of bargains, offers and tips on websites that saved me money and gave me lots of ideas’ – the internet has revolutionized our lives and our weddings!  Use it wherever possible for supplies, decorations, favors etc.

‘Hold the speeches before the meal so the men can relax and enjoy their food’ – wedding speeches can be nerve racking for those who have to give them, so give them a break and get them over with sooner rather than later!

For other tips and advice from real brides check out your bridal magazines and sign up with online wedding forums where you can chat with other brides-to-be, brides who have just got married and many other wedding professionals.  They can be a fantastic source of tips, ideas and useful resources, so make the most of them.