Event Planning, Event Venue, Wedding Reception
This is the second in our series of slashing the costs of your wedding and reception. You can find part one here.
- Trim the Guest List
- This is the hardest thing to do, but the fact of the matter is that a whopping 25% of your list is not going to show up, even though they sent an RSVP. That is 25% of your dinner costs, wedding reception favors, seating costs, invitations, etc. So, make sure you focus the invites for the people who are vested in showing up – like family and very close friends.
- Get Creative with Food Costs
- Buffets are the usual way to slash the food budget, but they are still very expensive. The food is usually very good still. But you can do even better with a theme wedding.
Book a food truck for your wedding. If you’re having a traditional Mexican wedding, have a Mexican food truck at your outdoor wedding! Guests can order exactly what they like and it fits perfectly with your theme. Food trucks are super popular these days and there are so many ethnic choices. It should be easy matched to your wedding theme.
- Go Eco-Friendly with Flowers
- There is another way to use a florist – get their flower petal scraps to use instead of throwing rice!
For decorating tables flowers are flowers. You might want red roses on the wedding couple’s table. For the rest of the tables go with hand-picked wildflowers from your favorite meadow. You can pick them a day or two before the wedding and keep them in buckets of water. Wildflowers are just as beautiful and they set a more natural look.
- Forget About Typical Party Favors
- Sadly, many guests leave favors behind—so skip them and have edible options like pretty packaged cookies, fine chocolates or even homemade jams.
Villa Ragusa is Here to Help
Be sure to ask us about how to save on our inhouse catering and booking dates! We give large discounts for our typically show times on the schedule. Talk to our Event Coordinator today.
Event Planning, Wedding Reception, Wedding Venue
For most couples there isn’t any reason to overspend on their wedding. You really can get more for less. Then you’ll be able to spend the most on what matters the most, like your Honeymoon!
Here are Some Ways to Cut the Fat from Your Wedding
- Off-Peak Wedding Reception Date
- Venues and vendors often offer discounts for weekday or off-season weddings. And you can sometimes add an afternoon or brunch wedding to reduce the cost even further.
- DIY Invitations & Décor
- You can make your own invitations and save $100s or even $1000s, depending on how elaborate the invitations are. So, save the environment and go digital. You can design your gorgeous wedding invitations using an online tool and print them or send them digitally. A company like Evite can also track your RSVPs and keep your wedding on track.
- Rent or Buy a Pre-Owned Wedding Dress
- Aside from your rings, the wedding dress is a huge expenditure. And a wedding dress is something you’ll wear only once and then you’ll keep it in storage for the rest of your life. Sure, possibly your future daughter might want to use it, but if you’re not buying a well-crafted top of the line dress, it is not likely to hold up.
There are budget options like borrowing from a wedding dress collection your church curates for brides of all ages. You will give the organization a donation. This will save you $1000s!
Or you can buy a used dress from a former bride who is selling hers – then donate it back to her after the wedding. Now it is “something borrowed”!
Villa Ragusa is Here to Help
Our Event Coordinators are here to help you with a beautiful location for your wedding and reception. We have rooms that can fit less than 200 or up to 800 guests. If you’re having a tight budget wedding, we give generous discounts on typically slow times on our calendar. Be sure to ask us about when to book your event.
Event Planning, Wedding Reception, Wedding Venue
Hiring a wedding planner sounds like an unnecessary expense, but actually, they might save your sanity as well as your relationship.
Weddings! Yikes!
Wedding ceremonies and receptions are chaotic to plan. They are expensive. You will feel like this is the most important decision in your life so you must get every single thing perfect. But you don’t have to get everything absolutely perfect.
So, here is how you get it done right.
Hire a Wedding Planner
Planning a wedding is something that is not as fun as you thought it was. Actually, it is a bit of a nightmare. Every person you know, and some you have never met before in your life, will tell you exactly what you need to do. To make matters worse, if you don’t do it the way they want you to do it they’ll be hurt. If you hurt a stranger’s feelings, that’s sad. But when it is Grandma. Oh, boy.
The way around the nightmare is to hire a wedding planner. This is a person who knows wedding ceremonies and receptions like nobody else. Your planner will tell you about things you never heard of before. This is a person who has a list and asks you many questions. Then sketches it all out, gets your approval, makes adjustments, lines up vendors and boom! Your wedding is done. Haha, not quite.
Tragedy Strikes
Your planner will probably warn you that always, always, always something will go horribly wrong! Your 6″ shoe heel will break off just before going down the aisle. Your caterer made the wrong menu. It rained and your back up place is locked – you and 500 guests can’t get in! There is always some tragedy that happens. But when you hire a wedding planner they jump right in, wave a magic wand over every single incident and save the day.
You won’t even know all that your wedding planner is doing for you because they take care of things and tell you later – after your big day.
It is the wedding planner’s duty to save the day – over and over – shielding you from all of it. And they keep Aunty Alice and your soon-to-be mother-in-law muted. That is worth every penny you paid right there.
Banquet Hall, Corporate meetings, Event Planning, Event Venue
Nothing makes a buyer happier than being invited to an intimate, exclusive event. They can hobnob with the corporate elite and see what’s new, all in one luxury weekend. Villa Ragusa can help you make your customers feel like kings.
Location, Location, Location
Las Vegas is so overdone and it isn’t the luxury location it once was in its heyday. And well, there is too much going on there to fit into a weekend, so your buyers are going to miss most of your event.
Villa Ragusa is a top tier event center located in Campbell, California, a city in the heart of Silicon Valley. Which is exactly where your buyers would love to be to keep their finger on the pulse of what’s happening.
Draw Them in with Top Keynote Speakers
Aside from a fabulous location, the speakers are who are going to draw them in. If you can get a top Silicon Valley tech speaker with name recognition, it’ll do a lot in getting your buyers into a seat at your product launch. The keynote address doesn’t have to have much to do with what they are buying from you.
If a tech guru isn’t possible, there are hundreds of top name comedians who will book a corporate gig. There are plenty of actors who will, too. Just contact their agents or publicists.
Wine, Dine and Give Awards
This event it all about your buyers, so give them a first class weekend they will always remember. They’ll show their loyalty by increasing your sales.
- Have a 5-star dining experience.
- Pull out the dance floor after dinner.
- Offer a brunch on the second day before the day’s events.
Keep It Under 800 Guests
You’ll need a few hundred guests to keep them busy networking, talking business and participating in the event. Have a break away lounge area for quiet conversations away from the main room. Ensure there is enough staff to cater to your crowd to keep their top-tier event on track.
We are here at Villa Ragusa to help you plan and host an unforgettable product launch. When you choose our event center you’ll access to inside catering, but we also allow outside catering. Give us a call.
Event Planning, Unique Party Ideas, Wedding Reception, Wedding Venue
While tradition will walk you down the aisle, it’s the games that keep everyone dancing all night. But the secret is in the selection of the games.
A wedding reception is a chance to create unforgettable memories with your guests.
Incorporating fun and interactive games can break the ice, keep the energy alive, and ensure everyone has a blast.
Here are five exciting reception games guaranteed to entertain your guests:
1. Wedding Shoe Game
You’re looking for a crowd favorite? This classic game is one.
The bride and groom sit back-to-back, each holding one of their shoes and one of their partner’s.
A host asks funny or revealing questions like, “Who is the better cook?” or “Who takes longer to get ready?”
They raise the shoe of the person they think fits the answer. It’s a hilarious way to showcase your relationship dynamics while keeping guests laughing.
2. Wedding Scavenger Hunt
Engage your guests with a fun scavenger hunt!
Create a list of items or scenarios for guests to find or recreate, such as “Take a photo with the bride and groom” or “Find someone wearing blue.” This encourages mingling and adds an adventurous twist to your reception.
3. Table Trivia
Place trivia cards about the couple on each table.
Guests can bond over fun facts like “Where did the couple meet?” or “What’s their favorite travel destination?” You can even turn it into a competition with a prize for the table that gets the most answers correct.
4. Dance-Off Challenge
Keep the dance floor buzzing with a dance-off!
Select a few guests to compete or open it up for everyone. Play different genres of music and let your guests show off their moves. It’s a lively way to entertain and keep the party energy high.
5. Giant Jenga or Lawn Games
For outdoor receptions, offer giant Jenga, cornhole, or ring toss. These games provide a relaxed vibe and are great for guests of all ages.
Reception games add a personal and playful touch to your wedding.
At Villa Ragusa, we’ve witnessed how these interactive activities ensure guests leave with smiles, laughter, and cherished memories of the special day.
Banquet Hall, Event Planning, Holiday Parties, Retirement Party, Seminars and Workshops
Perhaps we can say icebreakers are the fastest way to find out who’s been rehearsing their ‘fun fact’ all week. But it doesn’t have to be fun facts.
What else? Well, there’s always super fun icebreaker games that will get everyone talking and laughing in no time.
Here are some ideas that you can steal for your event.
Two Truths and a Lie
How to play:
Each person tells three “facts” about themselves – two true and one false.
Everyone else tries to guess which one is the lie.
The person who guesses right goes next!
You’ll learn weird and funny things about your friends, and maybe even catch them in a fib!
The Name Game
How to play:
Stand in a circle.
The first person says their name and an action (like “Dancing Dave”).
The next person repeats the first person’s name and action, then adds their own.
Keep going until someone messes up!
It helps you remember names AND gives you a good laugh watching your friends do silly actions.
Would You Rather?
How to play:
Come up with funny “would you rather” questions.
Go around the room and have each person answer.
Debate why you chose what you did!
Example: Would you rather have fingers as long as your legs, or legs as short as your fingers?
You’ll get to know people’s weird preferences and have hilarious discussions!
Guess Who?
How to play:
Everyone writes a fun fact about themselves on a piece of paper.
Put all the papers in a bowl.
Take turns pulling out facts and guessing who wrote them.
You might discover your friend has a secret talent or a crazy experience you never knew about!
Categories
How to play:
Pick a category (like “Types of Fruit”).
Go around the circle, with each person naming something in that category.
If you can’t think of anything or repeat something, you’re out!
Last person standing wins.
It’s fast-paced and you might learn some new words!
The Emoji Game
How to play:
Write down movie titles or famous phrases using only emojis.
Have everyone try to guess what they mean.
It’s perfect for the phone-obsessed crowd and can lead to some funny misunderstandings!
Tips for Playing Icebreakers
Start with easier games to warm people up.
Don’t force anyone to play if they’re really uncomfortable.
Join in the fun yourself – don’t just watch!
Have prizes for winners (candy works great).
Be ready to change games if one isn’t working out.
Remember, the point of icebreakers is to have fun and get to know each other. So don’t stress if things get a little silly – that’s part of the fun!
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