Chicago is a great place to visit or to live. If you’re planning a wedding there, you’ll have lots of options for your ceremony and reception. If you’re on a budget, start with this list of the best affordable wedding venues in Chicago.

When you’re trying to plan an inexpensive wedding, the most common advice is to cut your guest list. Going from 200 to 25 guests can save a lot of money. In order to stay on budget, start by looking at the most affordable micro wedding venues.

If you’re looking for a unique way to serve a meal, consider renting a food truck for a wedding. Depending on the food you choose, hiring a food truck can help you stick to your budget. Plus, it’ll give your guests a fun experience and a cute photo op.

If you need wedding reception food ideas on a budget, try planning a unique and fun menu. Instead of a cheap version of a traditional wedding meal, plan an unusual or unexpected theme, at a different time of day.

If you’re looking for an edible treat, popcorn wedding favors are a fun surprise for your guests. You can offer the favors prepackaged, in individual boxes or bags. Or set up as a popcorn bar or buffet, for your guests to serve themselves.

If you’re looking for a sweet treat for your guests, there’s lots of ways to serve candy at weddings. You can pre-package candies, and give them out as a wedding favor. Or you can set up a wedding candy bar or table.

Once you’ve decided on your wedding menu, there’s still one more decision - what should you have for dessert! One idea is to serve mini desserts for wedding treats.

You can also serve a traditional wedding cake, a single tier cake, or no cake at all. Your guests will love having their choice of mini desserts for an after-the-meal treat.

Everyone’s talking about the wedding boom this year. Ever since you-know-what, it seems like every single wedding venue is booked out, fully booked and overbooked. If you’re a couple trying to plan a wedding, finding a venue could be a real problem. Especially if you’re on a budget.

You could try waiting a year or two. You could plan an elopement wedding. Or you could look at non traditional wedding venues, or dates, in order to start planning your wedding this year.

Trying to figure out how much alcohol to buy for your wedding? Use this Wedding Alcohol Calculator to find out exactly how many drinks you should plan for your wedding guests. Simply enter your number of guests and see the total number of drinks, plus a breakdown of drink types and a shopping list.

If you want an evening reception, but don’t have the budget for a full dinner, you can plan a cocktail wedding reception instead. It’ll be a little shorter than a traditional wedding, but you’ll still have time for mingling, dancing and any wedding events you’d like to include.

With traditional wedding reception venues, there’s a lot to think about - and a lot to pay for. If you’ve got a smaller budget, you might be getting discouraged by all the rental fees, catering minimums and expensive meal packages. And once you’ve covered the food, you’ve still got a bunch of other stuff to pay for.

Got a tight budget for your wedding? Or maybe you’re not into big weddings. If you want to keep it short and sweet - and affordable - a cake and punch wedding reception could be perfect for you. You’ll have time to make an entrance, have a few toasts, then cut the wedding cake. If you’re into it, you can even toss the bouquet or garter and open the dance floor for an hour.

If you’re looking for a way to serve a meal on a budget, a taco bar menu is a great choice for a DIY wedding. There’s a lot of tasks when you plan to make your own wedding food, but if you stay organized, a food bar is doable for any couple. Especially if you get help from your family and friends.

Whether you’re planning classy or casual, BBQ is a great way to feed your guests. It’s delicious, filling and fun. With barbecue, you can choose a menu that fits your wedding style - and your budget.

BBQ food is an affordable option when you’re hiring a caterer. If you’ve got a smaller budget, you can order BBQ from your favorite restaurant and semi-DIY your wedding meal.

The most expensive part of your wedding is usually the meal at your reception. If you need to save money, there’s a few different ways to lower your costs. The best way is to choose a simple, inexpensive meal and have it served buffet style. Whether you’re hiring a caterer or doing it yourself, the food you choose will have a big impact on your bottom line. Filling your menu with inexpensive food that’s easy to prepare is the best way to save money on your catering bill.

Offering a signature drink is a great way to add style and color to your cocktail hour or reception. It has a lot of practical benefits, too. Signature drinks are faster and easier to serve. If your bartenders can simply pour wine, beer and signature drinks instead of mixing individual drinks, you’ll avoid long lineups at the bar. If your cocktails are pre-made, your guests can get them quickly and start enjoying the cocktail hour. If you’re trying to save money, offering them as part of your limited bar is a great way to save money, too.

If you’re going be horrified by a cash bar, stop reading now! Cause I’ll be honest - I’m a fan. When I go to a wedding, it’s to celebrate a marriage and show support for people I love. If they can’t afford to pour free drinks all night, I’m ok with that. The only time it’s a problem is when I don’t know ahead of time. Common etiquette has a lot to say about including cash bar on the invitation. But common sense says that if it’s on the invitation - I’ll know to bring some money

Once you’ve figured out your menu, you need to start thinking about the drinks for your wedding. How you serve the alcohol at your wedding depends on your venue and the type of food service you’ve booked. If you’ve booked a full service caterer or venue, you’ll need to purchase your bar package from them. If your wedding is at a space that allows DIY you’ll have a lot more options.

Most wedding experts say that 50% of your budget should go to your food and venue. But what if your budget is smaller than average? If you’re only spending ten thousand dollars - is five thousand enough to rent a venue and pay for a caterer? What if your budget is even smaller? Maybe your budget isn’t big enough for a traditional caterer. But don’t get discouraged - there’s lots of other options.

Choosing the best bar service for your wedding depends on your budget, your guests and the type of wedding you want. If you want a low key celebration with a champagne toast and maybe a bit of wine sipping, go ahead and plan that. If you’re having a longer reception, you might want to have more drinks for your guests.