It’s the big day and the bride wants everyone to have a great time. But how much time and money is appropriate to spend on each guest at a wedding?

It’s important to many couples to ensure that guests have fun. But ultimately, the day is about the bride and groom. Here are some ways to keep the guests and the wallet happy:

The average amount spent on weddings in Story County can range from $16,000 to $27,000, according to Costofwedding.com. Around $200 is spent on each guest.

When planning a wedding, keep the guests in mind, but don’t exceed the budget.

Once the number of guests has been decided, set a maximum amount that will be spent on each guest. If spending on guests is really important to the happy couple, consider cutting from other areas of the budget.

The price of food and bar expenses can often run up the price-per-guest bill. If a couple is looking to cut down this cost, cut back on the amount of food served at dinner and add a few snack items.

Have snack food or candy available on the table before guests arrive. Snacks like popcorn or chocolates are much cheaper than the foods that will be served in the meal.

Even high quality appetizers can be more cost-effective than dishes served during the meal. Guests will be less hungry for the meal, which means smaller portions and less food overall can be served.

Make sure to have people serve the food for the meals. In buffet style meals, people often take larger portion sizes. Often, caterers can charge extra for serving a meal so ask a close friend or family member to serve that day.

Depending on the venue of the wedding, open bar may be included.

If open bar isn’t included, the price of alcohol is usually very high. Couples might consider having open bar at the beginning and then require guests to pay after a certain point. If the couple is really in a budget crunch, guests can be asked to pay for their own drinks the entire reception.

Extra items given to guests at weddings also run up the bill. The bubbles handed out after the wedding to celebrate the couple often don’t make it past the tables at the reception. Save money by avoiding these unnecessary costs.

Don’t forget that guests can be entertained without any objects at all. Get everyone dancing or chat with the nondancers. Spending time with guests is the most valuable thing a couple can do for its loved ones.

Don’t stress over all the fanciness in pleasing guests. The guests won’t remember the food served during dinner or gift bags they received. They’ll remember getting to share a couple’s happiness on its wedding day.