According to Bride’s magazine the average cost for a wedding is $24, 844.  One of your higher cost items in your wedding is your venue.  Lily’s Bridal asked several wedding- planning pros how couples can save on their venue. Here are their top 10 ways for you to save on your venue.

1.  Negotiate – Don’t be shy.  Most venues will be open to this discussion especially if your wedding date falls during slow months. Those months usually are November, January, February, and March. The key thing is to make reasonable requests. Remember they are a business too.

2.  Have a weekday event. The most expensive night for a wedding is Saturday. So how about a Thursday night event? Friday and Sunday would work as well.

3.  Find a venue with views, gardens, or personality. This type of venue would save on decorations. They are naturally beautiful and do not need much more in decorations.

4.  Stay away from larger cities.  Look for venues in more of a rural area.

5.  Have your ceremony and reception at the same place.  You will cut costs on decorations and fees.

6.  Bring your own adult beverages to the site.  Make sure they don’t charge a corkage fee.

7.  Keep an eye on any additional fees. Such as fees for cutting the wedding cake, valet fees, and coat check.

8.  Check out some restaurants for your venue. This would eliminate table rentals, linens, dishes, glasses, and site fees.

9.  Don’t forget to check out Country Clubs. Their views are amazing and their meals are wonderful. You will be surprised with their fees. They are not as high as you may think. The one downfall is you may have to know a member.

10.  Check out hotels that have great decor. The decor can be worked in to your wedding style, saving you on decorations. You may also receive a discount at the hotel for booking rooms for your guests.

Lily’s Bridal hopes you find this information helpful when planning your wedding.