Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla. (May 28, 2015) – Memorable weddings don’t have to break the bank. Mission Inn Resort & Club’s award-winning wedding sales manager Shannon Tarrant offers brides- and grooms-to-be invaluable budget wisdom when planning their big day. Tarrant—recipient of the prestigious Young Innovator of the Year Award 2014, presented by Sensational Ceremonies and Perfect Wedding Guide—knows how to make wedding magic while staying on budget.

Here are some of her savvy tips, guaranteed to keep away the wedding bell blues:

• • Saturdays are most expensive. Consider a Friday or Sunday affair, instead. Mission Inn Resort offers discounts for off-peak days plus the ability to customize its wedding packages to fit individual budgets.
  • What’s most important? Prioritize those elements most important to you—food, entertainment, photography, the dress?—and focus on their costs.
  • Consider brunch. A reception earlier in the day has a lower price per person and a more flexible location rental fee. Plus, who doesn’t love omelettes, waffles, fresh baked goods?
  • Limit the guest list. Yes, it’s hard, but consider that each guest cost almost $200 apiece for food, drinks, invitations, favors, linens, centerpieces, and so on.
  • Seasonality. In Florida, prime wedding season is March-May, and October-November. The other months offer more flexibility, complimentary upgrades, maybe even discounts.
  • Consider one venue that can handle both the ceremony and reception, thereby saving money on guest transportation.
  • There has to be a bar, right? Hosting at a hotel eliminates the worry of guests’ drinking and driving.
  • Rather than a one-day event, throw a three-day party! A resort wedding gives guests a mini-vacation and extra time to spend with the happy couple. Relax, play golf or tennis, indulge in a few spa treatments… and enjoy.
  • The resort’s multiple venues and restaurant options make the rehearsal dinner and morning after brunch easy to plan and more interesting.

Mission Inn hosts more than 125 customized wedding ceremonies, receptions, dinners, and bachelor weekends every year. The resort offers three unique wedding locations plus an additional 30,000 square feet of space for receptions, dinners, and dancing.

Mission Inn has long been known as “the special occasion resort in Central Florida.” It has hosted many memorable weddings, proms, holiday meals, family reunions, and festivities. Often serving more than 1,500 guests for seasonal and holiday meals, the Spanish-colonial-inspired resort set amid orange groves features four different restaurants, abundant event space, quiet courtyards and patios, two championship golf courses, tennis academy, Spa Marbella, lakefront marine center, and nature trails.

For additional information about Mission Inn Resort, access the web site at www.missioninnresort.com.

Media Contact

Karen Moraghan
Hunter Public Relations
(908) 963-6013
kmoraghan@hunter-pr.com