First, the bride and groom prioritized their wedding wish list. Their reception was their top priority. The couple wanted a traditional seated dinner followed by dancing until the wee hours. They chose a country club as their reception site. Country clubs, which are equitably owned by the membership, provide a good value because the site fee and banquet menus usually offer good value. In addition, because the reception was held at a country club, the rental requirements were very low since most of the items needed were already available at the site.

The couple focused the bulk of their expenses on the dinner, the live band and the flowers chosen as centerpieces. Although the couple cut back on areas of the wedding that were less important to them, they never cut back on their guests' comfort and enjoyment.