This is Terrence Round Table III chiming in with a hearty hello from Wedding Reception Central. As your rough 'n' ready rounder table-in-the-field, (that's a reception guest table for all you non-pros), I have had the supreme pleasure of being dressed from top to bottom by Royalty as well as Regular Joe's. With over thirty years of unyielding service to brides and grooms and their doting parents, I speak to you from experience and expertise when I say that a fabulous wedding look doesn't have to empty to coiffers of every last sixpence. The key is knowing where and when to splurge and where and when to tighten the purse strings.

"How so, Terrence" you ask. Well, I suggest you pull up a seat--pen and paper at the ready--and I will expound about table settings Past, Present, and Future. First and foremost, let us speak of the floral arrangement. Brides-to-be love a good bouquet and, without restrictions, want to decorate every inch of the reception hall with fresh flowers. I can't disagree that this beautifies all it touches with a hint of nature's finest. However, it is the choice of flowers that can make or break the wedding reception's bank if you choose totally from the heart without recognising what the head has to offer.

I suggest you do a little research and see what flowers are in-season and what flowers are out-of-season around and about your wedding ceremony date. Without a doubt the out-of-season bouquet will be pricey and restrictive. Word to the wise would be to decorate those centerpieces with the in-season blooms, saving you and yours a king's ransom all the while barely sacrificing on colour and theme. Add to the fold a unique vase to pick up the colour pallet pace and you remain on budget all the while adding a bit of unique style.

Place settings are the next call to order and remain high on the Roundtable Family charts as a choice reserved for you, the wedding reception planners, and not the caterers on hand. Why? Well, simply put, the caterers will doubtfully be as budget-conscious as those who are going to pay the wedding party's bill when it comes to the choice of plates, flatware, and linens. Don't thing a water goblet is just a water goblet, it's just not the case any more. A wider stem length alone could ratchet up your costs unnecessarily. Do you really need to double your table setting costs simply to have a heavier water goblet that Cousin Harold is just going to spill "anywho"? I think not.

My advice in this matter is to know your stemware and flatware costs up front and consider not choosing those that are top of the line. I'm quite sure your guests will be just as content to dine with a fork of a little less heritage so long as their plates are full to the brim with top-notch entrees. I'd also choose cotton napkins over linen napkins for the very same reasons. If you want to splurge, I suggest you wow your family and friends with colourful dessert coupes and intricately patterned napkin rings. This adds a wonderful splash of colour and dresses up a less ornate plate and over cloth. The key is mixing and matching the frugal with the frivolous.

And what of the wedding reception menus? I know it may be extremely tempting to have perfectly matching paper goods, but again mixing and matching is the call to order. From place cards to menus and from escort cards to wedding programs, the choices are numerous and sometimes numbing. The most costly of all choices will be to go with offset printing or letterpress-print. Clearly the look of the letterpress-print is an eye-opener, but here you truly get what you pay for. The look and feel of the guest cards are "to die for". You could save a good amount with offset printing, but if you are going to splurge anywhere, I would suggest this is the area. A way to go might be to do away with every guest receiving a menu card and just offer a few cards to share per table. In this way, friends and family will rub elbows so to speak making the shared menu a wonderful conversation ice-breaker.

Clearly the range of table costs will vary depending on your taste in style, authenticity, and personal preferences. But consider what a respected Roundtable who has "been there, done that, and been in the wedding video" is offering up. Elegance does not have to come attached with a enormous price tag. Do spend for the special item that really makes a difference to you. But then remember to surround that item with a few penny-savers and you'll have beautiful tables and a good deal more in the change pocket for the Honeymoon. Until the next time they roll me out, it's ta-ta for now from Terrence. Good Luck and Good Shopping!