Top Five Money Saving Tips For Baton Rouge Weddings

Did you ever wonder how some people have the most gorgeous Baton Rouge weddings without a huge price tag? There are ways to save money on all parts of your wedding day without breaking the budget.

1. The first thing you can save money on is the music. You do not need an orchestra playing during dinner hour. To save money, hire some musicians from a well respected music school in your area. If you are having a band for your wedding reception, ask if they will play during dinner hour, too. However, if you want to save money in this area, forget the band and hire a DJ. You will save hundreds this way. If you must have a band, choose a smaller band with five or so pieces and a talented bandleader. You don’t need a large band with a bongo player and three saxophones.

2. The second thing to save money on your Baton Rouge wedding is the paper costs. Stick to basic invitations. You do not need upgrades that will make your bill skyrocket such as colored ink or foil stamping. Do you need printed menus on every table? You certainly don’t need them. There are venues that will add simple menus into the cost of your bill. Another way to save is to make your own invitations. All you need is a computer, printer, and a little imagination. Instead of hiring a calligrapher to do your invitations, hand write them yourself.

 

3. Decorations take up a huge part of your budget, but there are ways to save here as well. First, gather some friends so you can all decorate your own wedding venues Louisiana rather than paying someone big bucks to do it for you. Use plants and decorations and people can take them home afterwards. Buying your flowers wholesale will save you a ton of money and then hire a florist to make up arrangements for you.

 

4. Wedding transportation can quickly become costly. If you are set on being picked up and arriving in a limo, hire a regular limo instead of a stretch limo or a fancy Hummer limo. These are usually double the cost of a regular limo. If you can’t afford a limo or want to save even more, have a friend drive you and the rest of the wedding party where you need to go. You can also hire a private driver to drive your car so the entire wedding party can enjoy themselves instead of having to drive everyone around.

 

5. Food is another huge chunk of a wedding budget. Champagne is expensive so do without it. Your Baton Rouge wedding can cost you less if you have a buffet style wedding instead of paying per plate. The cake is something you really don’t want to skimp on so shop around for the cheapest prices. Just be sure to choose a butter cream or cream cheese frosting since it is cheaper than fondant. You can also do a simple cheesecake instead of a traditional cake. And lastly, never have an open bar.

A Few Ways To Save On New Orleans Wedding Venues

Here in Louisiana, weddings are a little less expensive than the national  average, where the cost of a wedding is over $25,000, but some brides are  able to capture their dream wedding on a tight budget. When brides realize they have to trim their budget, they often sacrifice their dream wedding look for something a little more lackluster. New Orleans wedding venues  make your dream day a reality on your realistic budget. Here are some  ways you can create an affordable, yet picture perfect day for your  wedding.

 Find A New Orleans Packaged Deal

New Orleans wedding venues offer great package deals for wedding parties. The best place to save on your budget is at Louisiana plantations, where they include the cost of you and your bridal party’s stay. Many hotels will do the same and almost all venues will include the cost of set vendors to use at your wedding ceremony and reception. Also, if you book your wedding at a plantation or hotel, catering is available in house. In-house catering reduces your worry about food on your wedding day and fits within your budget. By choosing vendors who are connected with Albany Plantation will ensure a discounted rate.

 Priorities!

Make a list of your must haves on your wedding day and start there. Sometimes you have to sacrifice, but you don’t have to sacrifice the things you have dreamed about since you were a child. Decorations may be a big deal for your big day, but choosing a New Orleans location could give you the best of both worlds, offering a gorgeous location, while trimming the need for décor. Focus on what is truly important on your wedding day.

 

Size Matters  The number of guests at your New Orleans wedding and the number of people in your bridal party can make all the difference in your budget. Yes, hotels and plantations will give discounted rates on rooms for your wedding party and guest, but you don’t want to eat up your budget in accommodations. You could even consider cut guests from either ceremony or reception to include all your guests, while sticking to your budget. Remember your wedding day is special and should be shared with those you love.

New Orleans Weddings Are All About Location

The debate about location always comes up during budget discussions for your wedding. The best way to save money when planning your wedding is having your ceremony and reception in the same location. Albany Plantation, one of the nicest New Orleans wedding places, offers you a variety of spaces to give you different locations for your ceremony and reception. Whether your party is small at 50 guests or large at 250, we have different space options, consider using the same space for both your ceremony and reception. Discuss all the options with our manager to ensure you are getting the best bang for your buck and the wedding you have dreamed about.

There are plenty of things to take into consideration when trying to fit your wedding into your budget. We promise to make your wedding day the day you have always dreamed about by helping you stay within your budget.  So give us a call and arrange a visit today 225.567.6545or email us at [email protected]  Also visit our photo gallery for more pictures of the plantation and grounds.

Louisiana Plantations, How to Choose the Right One

Every bride dreams of the perfect location for her wedding; where the beauty of her surroundings enhances her natural beauty. Whether it is inside a little country church, an ethereal walk down a tree lined aisle, or in an extravagant ballroom, brides want that perfect location. To capture the fairytale location for a fairytale wedding, brides like to choose plantations. Louisiana plantationsoffer all the splendor of an indoor wedding and the charm of any backyard wedding. But there are some things to consider when choosing the right Louisiana plantation for your big day.

 Budget Buster: The first thing to keep in mind when selecting a Louisiana plantation is your purse. There’s no reason to select a plantation that is out of your price range only to cause more stress for your big day. Louisiana has plenty of plantations to choose from, so you are guaranteed to get the look you want for a price you can afford.

Accommodations: Accommodations go hand in hand with budget, especially if you are an out-of-town bride. It’s true, brides choose Louisiana plantations because these are the best and most beautiful wedding venues Louisiana has to offer, but when there’s a wedding, all your friends and family want to be there. That’s what makes plantations so great; there’s plenty of room for everyone. Many plantations offer package deals when booking a wedding to accommodate your wedding party and family members. These packages usually include discounted rates for the rooms, catering services for the bridal party the day of the wedding, and access to in-house salons or boutiques to help everyone look their best on your special day.

Louisiana Plantations Are Packed With Fun !!!

Planning for the Big Day: Plantations are staffed with great people with genuine southern hospitality to help you plan your big day, along with event planners to meet with you and your wedding planner to help create your special day. Some plantations may even provide their own décor to use that can stand alone, or supplement your decorations.  Albany Plantation staff will be there to help set up your big day and also clean up after your celebration.

 Vendors: Plantations want to help you have the most beautiful wedding possible and enjoy your experience at the plantation. They also understand that brides want a reception that guests will remember for a lifetime and that involves hiring vendors. Plantations will usually offer a list of local vendors that they have worked with in the past, and who are familiar with their setup. Plantation vendor lists usually are an array of choices from DJs to bands, and event decorators to photographers. Having a small selection of vendors makes it less stressful on the bride, but also ensures your wedding day is as perfect as you pictured.

Louisiana plantations want to give you the best experience they have to offer. With their southern hospitality, they give you the help you need in accommodating your wedding party, friends, and family before the big day. Plus, they want to help make your wedding day perfect, and will set up and ensure every detail is in place to give you the wedding of your dreams.

Louisiana Cajun Wedding Traditions

When it comes to tradition, weddings take the cake. The style of dress, the order of the ceremony, the venue, even the reception, is largely steeped in tradition. These traditions are usually passed down from our parents, grandparents, culture, and even the book of etiquette. If there is any culture that emphasizes tradition it has to be Cajuns, who thrive in a traditional environment, which makes family and a good time the center of any event. Nevertheless, when it comes to weddings, Cajuns have their unique traditions, and Louisiana wedding venues are perfect for engaging in those traditions. Cajuns understand the sanctity of a marriage ceremony as an official ceremony happening before a priest that came every few months. Before the oil boom of the 1930s, couples would have to travel to a large city or wait for a traveling priest to come to a nearby town to have an official ceremony. Many brides and grooms became impatient, so to substitute for an official ceremony, the families of the bride and groom would hold a broom for the couple to jump over to authorize their marriage. Even though couples jumped the broom and celebrated their marriage, they always made their marriage official before a priest.

  Louisiana Weddings

After the ceremony is complete, it is time for the real Cajun spirit to come alive in the reception. When the bride and groom enter, they have the wedding march, or “La Bal de Noce,” where the bride and groom march around the dance floor until everyone has joined, and then the couple shares in their first dance. If guests want a dance with the bride and groom, they must pin money to the bride’s veil or the groom’s suit, which is great way to ensure the couple will have the finances to start their new life together. Many Louisiana wedding venues are very conducive to this tradition. Guests are encouraged to toast the couple and sing French songs. Many of these songs address weddings, marriage troubles and the overall bitter-sweetness of marriage. The wedding dinner has traditional Cajun food, gumbo, catfish, and home-style cooking. One Cajun tradition that has become popular is a groom’s cake. The original tradition holds that the groom’s cake is chocolate and the groom’s grandfather or godfather must cut the cake.

Cajuns understand the value of tradition, which is bringing families together and having a good time. If you are a Louisiana native or a bride that has fallen in love with Louisiana wedding venues, you will be impressed with the hospitality and traditions of the Cajun people.

Wedding Dress Styles For Louisiana Plantation Weddings

 

The first things brides do after they are engaged is go wedding dress shopping. The most important thing to keep in mind when selecting a dress is your venue. You do not want to select a wedding dress that is too formal and upstages your venue. Fortunately, with many of the wedding venues Louisiana has, particularly plantations, you cannot be too formal for your wedding. Here are the five best wedding dress styles for Louisiana plantations.

 

Simple but Elegant: Nothing beats the simple, elegant look of a sheath dress for the beauty of a plantation’s grounds. A simple dress will enhance your beauty and the beauty of your surroundings. The simple elegance will offer a serene sense of beauty to your big day, giving guests a peaceful, yet joyful, experience.

 

Strictly Ball Gown: There is the all time favorite style of dress, the princess-style ball gown, which will suit the grandeur of Louisiana plantations. You can walk down the aisle to your Prince Charming, with all the grace and beauty of a princess. There should be no fear that your dress will upstage the setting, as it will simply transform any Louisiana plantation into a kingdom in need of a princess.

 

Fit, Flare, and Flirty: A stunning fit and flare dress can set the stage for a wedding of dramatic proportions. Fit and flare gowns give you a sultry look without looking out of place at a plantation. These gowns look romantic against the garden backdrop of a traditional Louisiana plantation.

 

The Short of It: A short wedding dress seems to be as non-traditional as a southern bride can get; however, short wedding dresses can enhance the down-home country feel of your Louisiana plantation wedding, in spite of the plantation’s own extravagance. This style of dress will help guests to feel as if they are right at home in their own backyard, while still maintaining a beautiful wedding.

 

Going Old School: With a vintage style gown, you can have all the lace and appliqué possible, or be a Grace Kelly lookalike, all in order to transport your guests to a different decade. The best part about having your wedding at a Louisiana plantation is that you are never out of style, no matter which era you choose.

 

Louisiana plantations make great wedding venues, not only because of their options for ceremony and reception, but also for the style that makes any bride feel beautiful on her wedding day. No matter which dress you choose for your big day, a plantation as a venue will only enhance your style.

 

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