by Andrew S.
There are a three of key areas where you don’t want to skimp, and they all fall under the umbrella of Value-For-Money.
Entertainment: Realistically, the thing that sticks in your mind anytime you go out for a night of fun or a big celebration is: “were you on the dance floor all night?” Having live entertainment provided by your best mate who regularly does karaoke or having your girlfriend DJ because she has 10000 songs on her iPod is almost anathema to getting people on the dancefloor.
Photographer: It’s really important for you to have beautiful photos to look back on. And beautiful photos are not just the ones where you’ve captured “your best side”. Hiring a friend with a camera is most likely not going to get you the lasting memories you should have of your special day. These folks are called professionals for very good reason. A good photographer will convey emotion in the moments they catch. A good photographer is able to have a two-dimensional image take you immediately back to that moment of the day where you laughed uncontrollably at something inappropriate your maid of honour did, or where you spontaneously hugged your best man because at that moment you remembered he really was The Best Man.
Food: Don’t cut corners on food, as this is also paramount to the overall celebration – as a society, it’s part of the way we share our experiences, so it’s worth the bit extra you might otherwise be vacillating about. And why not think about self-catering? It’s going to be a bigger component of wedding celebrations as we move into more “niche” celebration experiences. A venue that has a decent kitchen onsite but doesn’t require you to use their chef/their suppliers/their staff can make a massive difference to your bottom line. And indeed, there are caterers out there (we have excellent examples thereof at Space Between Notes) who are able to bring literally everything they need.