BULLETIN - The “average” wedding will not spend $28,700! Real average closer to $15,000. · 95 days ago by Marc Fuller
Most of us are aware of the constantly quoted and increasing “average” wedding spending number. I wonder how many of us really understand what the number means? In trying to understand business comments from many wedding professionals in this current economy I thought I should really try to see what the average wedding was spending.
This is a graph from theweddingreport.com projecting per wedding spending over the next few years. The graph informs us that total projected per wedding spending for 2008 is $28,704. 
I think this is just simple mean average of total US wedding spending divided by the approximately 2.2 million weddings projected. But does the average wedding really spend anything close to $28,700? If you mean do half the wedding cost less and half cost more? No. In fact over 80% are projected to spend less!
Here is another graph 
which I created from the same data that divides the number of weddings into four spending ranges. You can see that 50% of the weddings spend less than half the 28K+ “average”. And another 32% spend less than the average. Meaning that more than 4 out of 5 weddings will spend less than “average”. And only 18% of the weddings will spend more than the $28,704 average.
Publicizing an “average” so much higher than what the majority of brides want to spend is amplifying their fears, uncertainties and convincing them that their desires are unattainable. Are we helping to create some of the bridezillas? As an “industry” we have helped setup spending expectations that fewer than 20% of the brides will meet. As wedding professionals I think we need to stop it. No bride should ever be made to feel timid about her budget.
A New Year’s Resolution for your Wedding Planning · 251 days ago by Tim and Lisa
We wish you a Happy New Year!
We hope that the past year was wonderful and that this next year is absolutely spectacular!
Do you have a wedding to plan during this new year?
Congratulations!!!
For people around the world, this is a time of reflection on the past year and a time of making wishes for the new year.
This is also a time when people make a special effort to make a positive impact on their own future by making a personal decision. Ideally, these decisions are fully backed by the person’s willpower and the person shows great determination in reaching their goal. That makes it a resolution.
Have you considered making a resolution to plan a beautiful wedding that reflects the spirit of your united love?
Have you considered making a resolution to plan your beautiful wedding on a budget that you can afford?
We hope that you make these resolutions as you face a new and wonderful year.
You should support your resolutions with action!
1. Draw out a plan of what your wedding should be like.
2. Figure out how much money you can afford to spend on your wedding.
3. Create a plan that will allow you to reach these goals.
For help with these action steps, please download our wedding planner, Wedding Planning on a Budget. There is a small download fee of $19.95 but this is really next to nothing compared to the hours of wasted time, piles of spent money, and nights of unnecessary headaches that you will surely avoid by using this powerful wedding planner.
You can learn more about the wedding planner by visiting this information page.
We wish you a happy new year, a great wedding planning experience, and all your dreams come true!
A Harry Potter Dream Wedding.... · 477 days ago by Rosalind
((((update…apparently the above link did not work for a while…as you can see it should be fixed now))))
Ok, well it wasn’t a dream and no, Harry Potter did not get hitched. But it was actually a real wedding that I stumbled upon during my vacation this fall that was done in true Harry Potter style.
My hubby and I went to Scotland to visit family. My cousin Julie shuttled us here and there and wore her self out giving us a tour of Scotland that we never dreamed of. We went to so many places I can’t even begin to count…but we visited castles. First of all I love castles. And I tell you, Scotland is the place to go for the most unbelievable castles and locations for ren’ weddings!
Among all the castle, one really stood out: Blair Castle (http://www.blair-castle.co.uk). it is Beautifully maintained and lovingly owned by the Duke of Atholl. We met a wonderful guide by the name of Sandy that chatted us up as we were touring the second floor of the castle.
Now the castle itself needs a bit of introduction, it truly looks like a real fairy tale castle…all white on a lawn of green and rolling gardens to kill for. In the blue room Sandy told us a bit about the history of the castle and then started chatting about the previous weeks wedding of a bride and groom that hired the grand hall of the castle for their wedding. The grand hall as well as the stairways and rooms look like it was used as a set for one of JK Rowlings stories. It was such a beautiful setting for a wedding let alone for an afternoon of my puttering around.
However, what ultimately struck Sandy as making this bride and groom different from the rest was what they did with the rings. The couple hired a “falconry” (http://www.falconryscotland.co.uk) to have a white owl (the Snowy Owl (Nyctea Scandiaca)) to swoop down from above and deliver the rings to the groom. The falconress explained that there was no guarantee that the bird was not going to do the specified task, he may simply fly away with the rings and not come back for a week or two. But true to the owls training, and on que in the most impressive “Harry Potter” setting, the owl flew down and delivered the rings on que.Three days later while we were at Edinburg castle, we met the owl and the owner of the falconery that had been hired to do the wedding. We were amazed and couldn’t believe our eyes…in front of us was the beautiful the Snowy Owl (Nyctea Scandiaca) that they had used. The hubby took a photo and I have put it here.
So when looking for something to set your wedding apart from the rest, consider stepping into another realm of not only time but also of fiction, to make your day one that not only your guests but the staff of the location talk about for years to come!Reserving Hotel Rooms For Your Wedding Guests · 509 days ago by Misty
I work in a hotel. So here are some suggestions from an insider. LOL.
1. Be sure you consider your guests when you are looking at hotels.
College students invited? Look at budget minded hotels – Motel 6 vs. Hiltons
People with kids? Hotels with pools and free breakfast.
Not planning any extra activities? Hotel near shopping or tourism activites.
2. See the rooms. I cannot stress this enough, if a place will not show you a room you do not want to book there ever!
Do be considerate of what time/date you go to see rooms.
Try to go after noon, but before 6pm unless you can schedule an appointment.
3. See (and try)the amenities. Our hotel offers free hot breakfast and we have offered for people booking groups to come try the breakfast.
Look at the pool. Can you see the bottom of the pool and the markings on the side? If not, their room maintenance may not be up to par either.
Do they offer a Satisfaction Guarantee? Usally they will have a sign posted or it will be on a brochure. Try to avoid asking this question, as it may seem like you plan on complaining to get it free.
4. Do not book on Orbitz, Expedia, etc. until you check the hotel’s own website and check with the hotel. They do not offer the best rates on those websites, you always pay extra for the convenience. It’s like grocery shopping at a gas station.
5. Be sure you ask about group rates. But know you are not guaranteed lower rates just because you have a group.
Avoid peak times to get lower rates. In Springfield, Il our examples would be: state fair, Memorial Day weekend, Labor Day weekend, New Year’s, high school cheerleading championships, etc.
Sometimes Friday or Sunday may be cheaper than Saturday, so be sure if your guests are staying multiple nights they give you the best rate for each night.
Don’t be discouraged if the first person you talk to cannot give you rates, often you have to be redirected to a sales person (who is sometimes off-site).
You can go to most convention and visitors bureaus to get quotes from multiple locations. This gives you the upper hand, because you can try to get the locations to price match their competitor.
6. It’s okay to hold more rooms than you need, but be sure you tell the guests they have to book before your group’s drop date. That is the only way to be sure they get a room and get it at the right price. Also, do not hold the rooms on your credit card unless you are prepared to pay for all the rooms or any no shows or cancellation fees.
7. Read your contract before you sign it.
Discuss [1]
Plan Your Dream Wedding without Nightmare Costs · 558 days ago by Tim and Lisa
Contrary to popular opinion, beautiful weddings can be achieved while spending little to none of your (or your parent’s) money. We should know! We planned our beautiful dream wedding on less than $2,000 and want to share a few insights to help you plan your dream wedding on a tight budget.
The first thing you need to understand about planning a wedding is that the budget is your foundation. That is why we call it wedding planning ON a budget. Before you do any planning, you need to sit down with your fiancé and figure out what you can afford to spend. Consider what type of help your parents will be providing and what you have available in savings. The amount you are both comfortable spending is your wedding budget.
Once you have a set amount of money earmarked, it is time to figure out how you will achieve your dream wedding without spending more money than your budget permits.
You and your fiancé should develop a vision of what your wedding will look like and write it down. Ask yourselves the following questions: What aspects of your dream wedding are most important to you? What would make your wedding day a dream come true? Don’t be shy about flavoring your wedding with touches that reflect your personality. Personal touches not only add meaning, but make the occasion more memorable.
At this point you have two clearly defined goals: – A budget that tells what you can reasonably afford to spend. – A summary of how you envision your dream wedding.
Keep these written goals in a prominent place in your wedding planning folder and refer to them throughout your planning experience.
Now it’s time to save the big bucks! There are several websites that feature discounted wedding products and services. A search using keywords like “discount wedding ideas”, “discount wedding products”, or “wedding planning on a budget” will present hundreds of sites to browse for products and services that may suit your vision.
Discounted wedding products and services may not be enough to help you achieve your dream wedding within your budget. In addition to discounted products and services, you must follow strategies that will produce FREE wedding products and services for your wedding.
Learn how to get these FREE wedding products and services. Download the book that tells how we planned our beautiful dream wedding on a $2,000 budget. Discover our proven step-by-step system for planning a dream wedding on a tight budget! Show your wedding budget who is in charge: www.WeddingPlanningOnABudget.com.
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Nearing the End of the First Year · 563 days ago by Misty
It’s hard to believe, but I have been married for 11 months now. Really the time has gone so quickly. People say the first year is the hardest year, hopefully that’s true!
A New Show Called The Wedding Bells? · 591 days ago by Marjorie
Do you watch Who’s Wedding Is It Anyways? or Bridezilla? I do and I enjoy those shows for several reasons. First, it’s not my drama and sometimes you have an opportunity to get a great hint or tip. Well, Fox is due to release a new show called The Wedding Bells. While watching American Idol last night I got to see a quick preview. I think it might be an interesting twist and take on the perspective of weddings. It looks like it will be a lot of fun. I think it might be worth watching at least one show. What do you think?
Remebering Your Wedding · 599 days ago by Marjorie
A friend of mine is planning her wedding. She’s actually getting down and dirty with all the little details. And like any bride making sure she’s making her dream happen to the best of her ability (budget). She turned to me and said, “I want to remember everything about this day forever.” Then she asked, “What was the best memory of your wedding?” I started to think back to that glorious day, which seemed like it had taken forever to plan. But the day itself came and went in a flash. The first memory is of me hiding behind a door speaking to my husband, not sure what about but I was hiding so he wouldn’t see me in my dress. I remember walking down the aisle with my father, the ceremony and the kiss with my new husband. I could see the faces of our guests when they cried. My bridesmaids looked lovely in their hunter green 40’s style dresses. Then it quickly flashes to us, outside the reception area with my girls, trying to pin up my train. I recall our first dance, father daughter dance, mother son dance and the surprise performance from my side of the family. After that the evening was a party that became a complete blur. So, I thought, do I lie to my friend and tell her I remember every little detail as she’s hoping to? But, I thought no, it won’t benefit her if I lied. I felt I’d give her false hope that every little detail she’s struggling over will be remembered. So, I was honest and shared with her my memory.
Let me tell you she was astonished. She was amazed that it took me a bit to remember what the center pieces were on the table. She couldn’t believe that a lot of the details I helped plan were fuzzy. Now it’s not that the wedding and the planning wasn’t important. It’s just that’s what I could recall. I loved every bit of it, the good, bad and the ugly. But, I realized I remembered the things that were in the first place the most important to me. I know there are some women who will believe that every detail they make will be remembered. And there are others who are bit more realistic and understand that time takes its toll on a memory and yes you may one day have a senior moment. But I came to a realization. I told my friend that, “Yes, every detail while planning was the most important. But think about what truly means the most.” For me my list was, naturally the invitations, the wedding vows, my dance with my father and new husband, the bridesmaid’s dresses and the fact that everyone had a decent time. Those are the things I should have stressed on the most. Especially because all the other details, well you can’t control. The wedding song you originally plan on dancing to might get lost in the shuffle. A new song might need to be chosen last minute. The bubbles you wanted at the ceremony may accidentally be left in the reception room. The traffic you hadn’t counted on could have made you about an hour later than expected. I could go on with all the wrong things that happened. I could even tell you about the family tiff I chose to ignore. But, all of it, the stress of it, could not be controlled. I let it go at the wedding to enjoy myself, which I did. I had a blast. I should have had that attitude while planning it, instead of stressing. Now, I know there might be some people who agree and some people who do. But it’s definitely just a thought to ponder over. What do you really want to remember at your wedding?
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Bridal Show Season is Upon Us · 608 days ago by Misty
Yes ladies, it’s that time of year again! Time to grab your bridesmaids & head on out, or drag your groom!
A newlywed’s tips for getting the most out of bridal shows:
- Go early if possible.
- Register to win prizes and discounts, you never know what you may need.
- Watch the fashion show. You can see great color ideas and may even see that dress you want!
- Collect pamphlets and samples to add to your idea collection.
- If there is a vendor you know you want, visit their booth, they may have a bridal show special! We got one free hour with our DJ because I booked him at a bridal show.
- Have fun!
- Try all the free cake & champagne you can get your hands on.
Discuss [1]
Will 2007 be the year of the flying pig? · 618 days ago by Misty
2007 is the year of the pig (or boar) in the Chinese zodiac.
According to Wikipedia):
In China, the Pig (a more correct form would be the Boar) is associated with fertility and virility. To bear children in the year of the pig is considered very fortunate, for they will be happy and honest.
Take the time to count up your successes from 2006, revel in the moment with your family & friends and prepare for the new journey that is 2007.
So will 2007 become the year that all your impossible dreams are realized? I say 2007 will be whatever you make of it. Whether it’s a year full of new beginnings or failed resolutions, it’s set to be the best year yet!
Have a safe and happy new year!
7, 7, 0f 07 · 628 days ago by Rosalind
The lucky day of the century is apparently upon us. As a wedding professional (http://www.BellsofIreland.com) I have noticed a distinctive spike in people wanting to book that date.
A few items of note I felt needed to be brought to folks attention because of this unique date.
First it is the week of the 4th of July. And almost every person I know of takes that week off. That is large corporate folks and small business persons alike. Here in the Massachusetts area there is a mass exodus to Cape Cod or to the lakes in NH. Consider the availablity of your guests…send out your “save the date” notes immediatly. Do not dispair if folks decline out of hand due to pre-existing commitments and vacation plans.
If you are looking to have your wedding on that date and or have already set it, be aware of the vacation traffic patterns in your area. For example, Las Vegas will probably be filled with people trying their luck on the “luckest” day. Getting hotel rooms may be a bit tricker, not to mention costlier for you and your guests. Budget accordingly.
Anticipate travel time to and from your event. Consider your guests journey, and come up with creative transportation solutions like shuttle service (limo bus) from a easier location to get to. You could create a festive pre party atmosphere (with the limo companies descression of course) with assorted nibbles and party favors! Have an out of towners party tour of the city/town you are having your wedding in the day before the event.
Due to the demand of availability on that day costs or average fees may increase….Normal budgeting rules may not apply. When looking for vendors, find a good “fit” for this date more than any other. Bargain shopping on this date is not going to be an easy task…. nickel and dime a vendor down and you may find yourself hearing “We just cannot accommodate you, as we just had our final booking for that date 5 minutes ago”. I am certainly not saying open your check book and tell ‘em what your bank balance is and write a check for that and your reserve credit limit….what I am saying is find vendors first rather than fees. Have your budget ready but look first for a “click” or “fit” with vendors. If they like you they may be willing to book you rather than the bridezilla that has 2x your budget.
Consider your options…and if you have not booked the facility or sent out the save the date invites….you may want to rethink the date.
Care and Handling of Flowers · 642 days ago by Rosalind
There are lots of “must do’s” according to the TV talking heads today regarding flowers…not to mention silly myths that have a grain of truth or two but certainly are not truths to any means.
When getting flowers, first of all enjoy them! Put them in a central location where you can see them in the house or in your office and show them off!
There are 4 ways to get flowers
1) in a vase
2) in a arranged form (eg basket, planter, assorted tin or plastic container) where the major “mechanic” is a green foam that is wet. This foam is called floral foam. These two previous delivery or purchase options are sold with hydration in the saleable item.
3) as a corsage . A corsage is a wired arrangement that has no hydration and no possiblity for any. And finally we come to design option 4) where you recieve a cut wrap or european handtied bouquet. For this final 3d option there is no “hydration” mechanic but there is rehydration once they are placed in a vase or in your own floral foam based design.
If you recieved or purchased a prearranged floral display as described in #2 above, all you need do is add new water to the container. Add lukewarm water or room temperature water. Try not to add ice cold water. Flowers don’t like to be shocked. Just keep it out of direct light….the cooler location, the better but do place it some where where you can enjoy it .
For option three (because why really should we go in order here anyway?) a corsage (wire and taped arrangment…) really should only be stored in a cold (not freezing location). A refridgerator will do over night if you are saving it for an event the next day. But be aware of flowers that do not like ethaline gas such as orchids. Fruit and other food in your fridge gives of etheline gas….which for lack of a better description, kills orchids and other tropicals. Just keep this in a separate cool location like a cooler wtih a frozen pack or two.
Ok, so now we are down to designs one and four… Vase designs and cutwrap (handtied euro bouquets). These are the arrangements EVERYONE loves to give advice on. The odd ball advice such as soda (lemon lime specifically) to be added as “flower food” to a vase leaves quite a bit to be questioned. The real target in any vase arrangement is bacteria. Bacteria will coat not only the exposed vessles in the stem but the vase as well.
Always wash your vase as well as cut a bit off of the bottom of the stem. If you don’t its just like putting a clean kid in to a dirty bathtub to rinse off. Cutting the stems under running water is not nessasary not to mention silly. If you got a bouquet home from the florist that has been out of water for 15 minutes of so, go fill up a basin and cut them under water. But don’t waste your time by taking stem by stem out of a vase and cutting under water. No florist does this once flowers have become hydraded. They do cut them under water once they have received them. After all they have been out of water for possbily 1 week (yes,1 week…but that is another article I will save for later).
The other myth about cutting them on a “angle” is a good theory, but honestly unless you have a laser cutter, no angle is going to be flat prohibiting water from getting up the stem. Any one flower square vase arrangement will have a flat cut so all stems can be the same size and height…and those flowers should not be moved and cut to place in a new vase. The arrangement works on tension of one flower pressing upon another. Just leave it be and add new water like a floral foam arrangement, because you will never get it back together propperly.
The funniest myth I ever heard was about the penny. Now as copper has some antibacterial properties (and here is that grain of truth), it does work for direct contact with germs and such. However the content of the penny I think after 1982 when they changed it to a trace of copper, certainly cannot be helping the situation much. If you have an older penny than 1982, then it may work…but consider the other composite materials that make up the cent… the earlier pennies do have a higher percentage of copper but they have other metals as well and who knows what that will do to the flowers.
Now if you really want flowers to last, you need to make some purchasing choices. There are several varieties of roses. The one that I know lasts the longest (in my experence) is a hot pink variety by the name of Ravel. Other long lasting flowers include carnations (this is why they are so poplular amongst the florists), mums (or pom poms), alstro and daisy poms. These flowers are the staple of most florsits and are among the cheapest but longest lasting of the floral spectrum. Because of the longevity and their penny for penny value they are used and abused in lots of funeral arrangements as well as hospital bouquets. Finding a good designer that can design, will help you see the design rather than the “hospital-esq” carnation in the arrangement.
Anyway I hope this helped!
Till next time! Happy flower shopping!
How much will your wedding cost? · 644 days ago by Tim and Lisa
So, how much, on average, does the bride and groom spend on a U.S. wedding?
The answer is astonishing. According to www.costofwedding.com the average U.S. wedding is $27,690 and climbing…
Want to know how much the average wedding costs where you live? Check it out!
Of course, some people have weddings that cost much more. In fact, celebrity magazines seem to play it off as a contest to see who can spend the most on their wedding day!
At the other end of the scale, there is our wedding that cost us less than $2,000 – about $1,800. What is amazing is that we spent less on our entire wedding than many people spend on certain categories of their wedding planning. See the breakdown for the U.S. average:
Current Wedding Cost by Category
Wedding Attire $2,606
Wedding Ceremony $2,525
Wedding Favors & Gifts $1,121
Wedding Flowers $1,969
Wedding Jewelry $2,066
Wedding Music $953
Wedding Photography & Video $3,688
Wedding Reception $14,169
Wedding Stationery $847
Wedding Transportation $410
If you have seen our wedding photos, you know that we had a very classy wedding. There is simply no reason to spend that much money on a wedding when you can get similar results at much less expense.
The problem is that most people just don’t know how to get great results without paying the big bucks. That is where our book comes in!
We would love to see more successful $2,000 weddings out there! Or even a $5,000 wedding would be a rarety!
Hop onto the road of wedding savings with Wedding Planning on a Budget!
Don’t let your wedding become a statistic! Get our book for tried and true cost saving advice!
Post-Holiday Sales & Wedding Savings! · 647 days ago by Misty
The post-holiday sales are a great place to get things for your wedding. You can get anything from favors to bridal party gifts to decorations.
Last year, I hit several stores in search of twinkle lights, bath & body sets to go in the bridesmaid’s totes, mirrored candle sets, and more.
Craft items also go on sale after the holidays, along with scrapbooking materials, so this can be a great source for you DIYers!
Happy Holidays & Happy Bargain Hunting!
Beat the post holiday rush! · 657 days ago by Rosalind
Ho Ho Ho! Happy Holidays and then some! We are on the brink of all the wonderful winter holidays! The warm family get togethers and magical homecomings of the season are almost here! Not surprizingly this is the time of year where rings are recieved and then the race for the dress as well as the vendors begins!
In the industry this time of year is called “Bridal Christmas”. It starts a bit before December 25th, with a small wave of Thanksgiving proposals. Homecoming football games and Thanksgiving tends to create an opportune time for poping the question as one can share the proposal event with all. The biggest wave starts typically at Hanuka and rolls right through Christmas and New Years. Then Valentines day creates a second large wave of brides racing to book available vendors.
Its a fantastic time of year of happiness and joy and a tougher time getting an appointment with a vendor as everyone else has your same checklist of “facility, dress, florist, video, photographer, dj and limo”.
So how do you beat the rush? I don’t have all the answers but I do have some suggestions.
1) if you already are engaged, get your “list” of vendors that you have been mulling over and make appointments NOW. Do not wait till after Christmas or Febuary if your wedding is in fall of 07.
2) If you “know” the question is coming start surfing on line and get an idea of what things cost.
3) Set up a budget…I know, I know you have heard this so many times I am sure you just don’t want to hear it….but truly, do it. Ask friends that got married in the past year or so (no more than 5 years…or the numbers will start to be a bit off) how much they paid for what and what they felt they would do over or add to if they had the chance to throw that big party again.
4) Collect as much information about vendors as you can. Such as business days, approximate pricing, past work and so on. You can do this in many online chat rooms.
5) Look at your schedule if you are going to “drive around” and look for vendors (dress shops, event facilities and florists…especially) and think wisely. Avoid the “day after” craziness by scheduling your unannounced visits for a more calm time. Look more twords the middle of the week…as weekends and the day after a holiday there will be tons of people in places like “David’s Bridal” (It’s really like walking in to Macy’s on Christmas eve). If you really want to do the “day after thing” make appointments NOW for the day after thanksgiving or Christmas. That way you may not have to wait as long for service.
6) Make up your list of needs vs. wants. Be educated in what is with in reach and what is not.
7) Set the date as quickly as you can. I know its a hard line in the sand to make, but many vendors may not talk to you until that date is set.
8) Be ready to “book”. This takes some pre-vetting of vendors before you sit down with them. As stated above, do your homework, that way if you have a great sit down with your potential vendor, you can book the date immediatly. Bring your check book to the meeting. This is a first come first serve industry and vendors take on only what they can handle for each day. Doing your homework before hand allows you to be practically first inline for that date.
