1. Probably the single most effective way to slash
the cost of a wedding is to trim the guest list, says wedding planner
Charlene Hein of Everlasting Memories by Char, in Lakewood, Colorado.
That’s because the biggest expenses—food and alcohol—are figured on a
per-person basis and will obviously increase as the number of people
you’re inviting rises.2. Know the value of your business to a hotel and use that information to negotiate a good deal, advises Anthony Milkey, director of resort events at the Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort and Spa, in Dana Point, California. For example, you might be able to get your catering fee reduced if you let the manager know that you expect to have guests renting, say, thirty hotel rooms for two nights and eating most of their meals on property.
3. When negotiating, make sure you’re speaking to someone with the power to make the changes or substitutions you’re hoping for (at a hotel or banquet hall, this would most likely be a director of sales or catering; at a florist’s shop this might be the manager or owner). Lower-level employees simply may
