We timed our wedding to finish around the 2:00 p.m. so we could have a cake and punch reception. If we scheduled our wedding before 12 noon or anytime after 4pm, we would have had to spend a few hundred more dollars to feed all of our guests. It's obvious we were trying to save money.

Traditionally, you should serve lunch or dinner if your reception is scheduled around the times mentioned above. However, if you schedule your wedding to finish around 2:00 p.m., you can get away with having a cake reception. Most people will have breakfast or lunch before they arrive.

So, we carefully planned to serve our guests cake a punch between 2:30 and 4:30pm. If the wedding had started any later than that, we would have to serve dinner to everyone. I shouldn't say have to but should serve dinner. It's human nature to expect a meal at certain times of the day.

Having cake and punch also allows you to be more creative with other expenses. You should have a little extra to spend due to eliminating dinner.

Speaking of making all of your guests happy, it might also be a good idea to check and see if anyone in your bridal party has food allergies. If anyone is not able to have nuts due to allergies, get two cakes with the money you saved on dinner.

Our cake and punch reception went off without a hitch. The wedding finished about 2:30 and we proceeded to the reception area. The cake was a hit. We got tons of great compliments from everyone.

As we entered the reception hall for the first time as husband and wife, we were met by our guests with compliments of how beautiful everything was. No one knew we were even trying to save money on our wedding by serving cake and punch.

I must admit, I was a little nervous when we arrived for the first time as husband and wife. I thought about whether serving cake and punch would be controversial but as time passed, it was a silly thing to be worried about.

People are just very happy for you. You're getting married! I can't imagine our guests approaching us to complain about getting cake and punch instead of dinner. It's the beginning of your new life with your marriage partner and friend. So, if you decide on a cake reception, go for it and don't think twice about it.

Think of ways to make your wedding cake the focal point of the room when every on arrives. Add some creative lighting to the table, sprinkle flower pedals around the cake; use decorative colors to accent the table cloths and napkins.

You can also save money by using some of your wedding flowers to make your wedding cake topper. We did and it looked great. Ultimately, we were not concerned about what others thought because we knew everyone had our best interests at heart. They loved the cake, they loved the punch. We just wanted to have the best wedding day ever; and we did.

However, if you decide to have a meal, rather than a cake and punch reception, there are many ways to still be frugal. You can always have your guests bring a dish of food better known as a potluck.

Even though you'll get a variety of food, your bridal party may not like the idea of having to bring a dish of food to a wedding. Keep in mind, the food has to be prepared and carried from one place to the next.

Have cake and punch and see how happy your guest will be. The key to having your cake and punch receptions turn out great is scheduling it during the right time of day. Enjoy! Happy Wedding!

By Wendell Harvey

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