Location, Location, Location (can save you tons of $$)

Whether you're looking for the perfect wedding venue or an anniversary venue it's important to keep a few things in mind:

size of guestlist
time of year (a beach wedding in January in NY?)
event theme
lighting
and overall location

Picking the right venue will not only create the mood for your event but it will also decide your decor budget. Don't forget to look at the furniture (ask the venue manager about what furniture comes with the rental or what is available on site), walls, windows, entryways, bathrooms, and lobbies. Remember - first impressions are everything. Make sure the entryway wows your guests.

As for lowering your decor budget - think of outdoor venues. Botanical gardens, museum patios, and vineyards all make fabulous venues without much decor necessary. Botanical gardens already provide beautiful greenery and flowers and vineyards provide rolling hills of vines and trees. Use the garden’s flora as your guide. Tropical flowers, exotic plants or brightly colored large arrangements look lovely on pillars or columns next to the bride and groom. Hotel ballrooms usually have no windows, greenery, or character. You end up spending a good amount of your decor budget to drape the walls and create a completely new look - for those budget conscious this is a problem. Stick with unique venues that will wow your guests and cut down your decor budget.

As a wedding decorator I can tell you that botanical gardens are one of the best places to host an event. If it's for a wedding...the ceremony usually requires just chairs (as the natural flowers, bushes, and grass of the gardens cover decor) and the reception usually requires just centerpieces for the dinner tables.

Think outside the box and you're likely save some moolah.