Credit Crunch Weddings - Are Brides Economizing?

Credit Crunch Weddings - Are Brides Economizing?



by: Nicola Ray



Recommended Reading (Audio Book Suggestion)



Planning Your Unique Wedding: At-Ease, On-Budget & In-Love

As the nation's financial health grows worse, it seems like budget weddings are becoming more and more common. Wedding specialists say that brides are spending less on traditional wedding items when it comes to the various elements of their special day.



Formal, white weddings are expensive, and the wedding industry capitalises on a bride's intense desire to have the day of her dreams. Well, they did a few years ago. Now, even specialised wedding shops will accommodate their lower-budget needs and ideals.



Wedding dress shops, essentials of the wedding industry, are a great example of this change. Many shops are running constant sales, especially on off-the-peg dresses, and these sales can save you hundreds of pounds.



Even jewellers are feeling the crunch as more couples choose white gold rings or palladium over more premium, expensive platinum. Shiny new wedding rings look beautiful either way, and, really, no one can tell the difference in the price or metals.



Wedding cake makers are also making changes as more brides are saving money by asking for fancier two-tier cakes rather than the more traditional three-tier. The third tier isn't usually necessary, and more brides are proving that a wedding can be both stunning and affordable as they make choices about budget cuts.



Brides are also saving on venues and services from photographers, videographers, and caterers as they schedule weekday weddings. Most venues and service providers will discount weekdays, as they typically don't get much business on these days.



In spite of not having a lot of money to go around, budget brides are showing that a dream wedding is possible with less money than has traditionally been spent on weddings, and vendors are more and more willing to help with budget weddings. The best way to save money is to set your priorities and spend extra on those while you cut spending on less important or noticeable items. Only you and your fiancé actually know what you spent on your wedding day, and your guests will still be wowed by the celebration.

Should Your Family Be a Part Of, Or Apart From, Planning Your Wedding?

Should Your Family Be a Part Of, Or Apart From, Planning Your Wedding?

By: Timory Koch

As a wedding planner I have a lot of experience dealing with the families of the bride and groom. The most likely to be involved are the mother of the bride (M.O.B.) and the sister of the bride. Often there is a parent who is paying for some or all of the wedding and wants to know that their money is safe and in good hands. Sometimes someone wants to be intricately involved and receive a copy of most emails. Either way is fine with us - we are here to serve you in whatever way makes the whole wedding most enjoyable and easeful for you!

We at Aloha Ever After say it is completely up to you how much (or how little) your family is involved in the wedding planning process. Now here is the real question: how much do you think they should be involved?

When you think of planning your wedding with your mother, mother-in-law, father etc. … how do you feel? Does your stomach get tense or do you smile? Does your mind start immediately with worries or do you feel like a load is being taken off your shoulders? The answer lies in your response to such questions as these.

There are many families who are not involved at all with our weddings. Sometimes they are not even present for the wedding; other times part of the family is able to make it out to help the couple celebrate. (Lucky for them it’s such a gorgeous event … after all, how much more beautiful can you get for a location than a Kauai beach wedding for example?) Sometimes the family is only the lucky recipient of some beautiful Hawaii wedding photography because they had to stay at home for one reason or another. As you can see, there is a huge variance of involvement by families.

If you have a good relationship with someone in your family it can be a great benefit to planning your California destination wedding, or a wedding anywhere for that matter. Since you will not be at home it can be useful to have someone be your helper. In our opinion enjoying your wedding and enjoying planning your wedding are of the utmost importance. One of the most important ways to help create this ease is to delegate! (Delegate, delegate, and then delegate a little more!)

You will find that most people are so happy that you are getting married, happy that you’re in love, happy to be included, happy that you’re getting married on a beautiful tropical island etc., that they would love to help out! So send them to pick up your wedding dress at the cleaners. Ask them (or us) to research the closest dry cleaners to your hotel. Give them the list of important tasks to be done the 48 hours before your wedding. Here is a brief list of things that should be delegated to someone other than the bride and groom:

- Cleaning of anything (gowns, shoes, vacation rental, etc.)

- Buying gifts for guests, family etc.

- Putting someone in charge of which photos you want taken after the ceremony. Have them stand next to the photographer and call out the names of the family groupings you’d like to have a picture of before the photographer is ready for them.

- Any computer research. Stick someone else on the computer and go take a walk with your fiancée.

- Finding anything you are looking for in the city of your wedding: (e.g. restaurants, activities, directions). Why not send someone else to the concierge desk or to an activity booth? They’ll have fun and sort out what you need to know and what you don’t.

- Checking last minute details. Give someone a list of numbers, names and instructions. Then relax and let go. Your day will be perfect whether or not it is micro managed by you. Go get a massage.

Remember, this is supposed to be one of the best days of your life. If you’re a stress case and practically fainting from lack of eating and fatigue … will you look back on the day and feel it was everything it could have been?

Look after yourself by delegating, and use the stomach test to help decide how much your family should be part of, or apart from, your wedding planning.