Category — Budget Wedding

Paul Falardeau

A bride recently emailed me with a request for more information.  I want this blog to be YOUR forum, so feel free to challenge me, question me…heck, even ridicule me…if this stuff isn’t valuable to you.  Here goes…

Q: Regarding your post about wedding costs decreasing, can you please cite where you got those numbers and what the breakdown of expenses is. I think brides would be interested in seeing what categories the decreases are in, if it is across the broad, etc. etc. - Maura

A: Maura,

Thanks for asking your question.  I’m getting the feeling that you doubt the numbers I quoted?

GOOD.

Don’t take anything “they” tell you for granted.  It’s Step One to planning your dream wedding inexpensive…and avoiding the lies the wedding industry wants you to believe so that you overspend on your wedding.

NOTE:  To learn more about the wedding industry’s LIES exposed, check out The $10,000 Dream Wedding and the Bride’s Secret Weapon Special Report.

On the other hand…is it tough to believe that the average cost of wedding is going down when everything “wedding” is so darn expensive and wedding vendors use any excuse to rack up the price?

Sure.

But it’s true.  Brides are beginning to reduce their expenses for the first time in decades.  And they actually spent 24% LESS on their weddings in 2008 than they did in 2007.

These statistics come from The Wedding Report and in particular their recent report, “Average Cost Of Wedding In 2008.”

And I quote…

“The average cost of a wedding in 2008 was $21,814. This is a 24% decline over the 2007 average of $28,704.”

This data was collected from 3,620 surveys of brides before and after their weddings, as well as wedding vendors.  These costs were not included: Honeymoon Items, Bridal Shower Invitations, Engagement Announcements, Engagement Ring, Bridal Shower, Engagement Party, Engagement Photographer, and Engagement Videographer.

A breakdown of costs by category is available for a fee at The Wedding Report.  However, the average cost of wedding expenses in every category is predicted to decrease in 2009.

In addition, wedding vendors report that brides are choosing to invest their money in entertainment and photography…the parts of the wedding associated with making and preserving memories…rather than areas of decor.  So the amount spent on entertainment and photography is remaining the same or only reducing slightly…while brides are spending much less on flowers, favors, invitations, etc.

I’ve posted the specifics on the average cost per item in 2008 as broken down in their report.  Bear in mind that this is a national average.  The average wedding cost is actually much higher in metropolitan areas (like where I am in New York) and much less in rural communities.

While this is bad news for the wedding industry…it’s GOOD NEWS for you as a bride. Vendors are scared and they are dropping prices to get your business. Knowing this information empowers you to get the best deals…so use it!

Your Friend & Wedding Coach,

Stephanie

2008 Average Spending per Item

SpaceOdissey

The average cost of wedding plummeted to $21,814 in 2008.  This was a 24% DECREASE from the 2007 wedding cost of $28,704.

All throughout 2008 the wedding industry kept predicting the same thing it had seen for the past two decades…GROWTH.  “Wedding prices will keep going up,” they told themselves…and the brides they were trying to deceive.  “It’s inflation.  We have to keep raising our prices.”  And my favorite, “The wedding industry is recession-proof.”

WRONG.

The average wedding cost in 2009 is predicted to DROP another 8%…or more.

Is this a reason for you to get scared?  Should you give up and elope because there’s no way you can plan an affordable dream wedding?

Heck, no!  Now, more than ever…You’ve got the POWER.

Wedding vendors are scared.  They’re scrambling to hang on to their piece of the market…while recession-savvy brides are spending less.

Wedding vendors are dropping their prices to make the sale.

Just last week I learned that one popular wedding venue’s bookings are DOWN with 35 fewer jobs booked than last year.  A wedding planner friend of mine reports that venues are calling her up and begging her to send them jobs.

They’re begging.

All you’ve got to do is give a little shove and those wedding vendors will be slashing their prices to get your business.  Believe me, it won’t take much.  Just hint that you might walk away…and you’ll have them eating out of your hand.

If you’re not sure how to give that little shove to tip your wedding vendors in price slashing mode, download my free Bride’s Secret Weapon Report. 

It’s easier than you think.  It’s up to YOU to make the most of your wedding dollars to plan the wedding of your dreams.

Did you ever buy something you really loved…?

Get home, knock yourself over the head and think…

Why the heck did I buy that?!!?

Maybe you overpaid.  Maybe you didn’t really need it.  Maybe it wasn’t as nice as you thought it was when you examined it in the (post spending spree) light of day.

Whatever your reason, you suffered from BUYER’S REMORSE.  And chances are you were a victim of the treacherous advertising industry.

Advertisers use every trick in the book to get you to BUY. And if they can get you to buy without thinking, chances are you’ll spend even more.

The wedding industry is no different. They know you’ve been planning your dream wedding in your head for years.  They know how badly you want your wedding to be unique…how much you want to feel beautiful…how you want your guests to say yours was the best wedding ever…how you want your wedding day to be unforgettable.

And they will USE IT to get your money.

Let’s be honest.  In today’s economy, you can’t afford to spend one penny you didn’t have to spend on your wedding.  But it’s up to YOU to stretch your wedding budget to the limit and get your dream wedding at an affordable price.

The New York Times revealed one advertising trick in this article last weekend:  The 99 Cent Pricing Scam.

By pricing items so that they end in 9 cents…$1.99, $79, $1,249…advertisers get you to buy more and spend more.  In fact, raising the price of margarine from 65 cents to 69 cents made sales GO UP 222%!

It’s crazy.  It’s illogical.  But advertisers know the tricks and tactics they can use to make you buy…even when it’s not in your best interest.  It’s like you have an automatic button in your head that says BUY…and if they know how to push it your money is theirs.

You better believe the wedding industry is going to use this against you.

So what can you do?

You’ve got to learn how to use the wedding industry’s own tricks against them.

If you’re planning your own wedding for under $10,000 like I was, download my FREE Bride’s Secret Weapon Report.  It teaches you the psychology you can use to MAKE wedding vendors give you deals, and exactly what to say and do to avoid getting ripped off, taken advantage of, and scammed.  When it comes to your wedding, this will probably be the most important thing you’ll ever read.

Did you know there is a completely legitimate, legal way to write off the entire cost of your wedding dress?

Yes, you read that correctly.

Donating your wedding dress to a charity after the wedding lets you write off the entire retail cost on your taxes.

You might have done this in the past with the clothes you donate to the Salvation Army, but few brides ever think of doing this with their wedding dress.  When you make the donation, the organization signs a form verifying your donation…and you get to write off the entire retail cost of the dress.

Wait…it gets better.

If you donate your wedding dress to Brides Against Breast Cancer, you’ll assist another bride in affording the dress of her dreams, help cure breast cancer and get that killer write off on your taxes.

Brides Against Breast Cancer resells used and new donated wedding gowns to brides across the United States.  Find a Brides Against Breast Cancer charity gown sale in your area on the website.

These aren’t all used dresses.  Many of them are designer samples and discontinued gowns that have been donated by boutique shops across the country.

This is only ONE of the little known write offs for your wedding that I reveal in my eBook, The $10,000 Dream Wedding.

Have a wedding write off story?  Leave a comment.

With all the media attention and focus on the ECONOMY, money-saving, penny-pinching tips and resources are popping up all over the place.

Take advantage of this when planning your wedding. For the next step in wedding budget stretching techniques, check out my ebook.

Do a quick Google search for “wedding discount” or “budget wedding” and you’ll find endless lists of budget boosting savings tips and ideas to make your wedding inexpensive.

Don’t limit yourself to wedding specific sites, either.  Many “frugal living” or “thrifty shopper” principles can be applied to your wedding so that you can keep wedding prices low and still have the wedding you’ve been dreaming of for years.

Try a few of my favorite sites on for size:

Wisebread.com - This group blog gives suggestions for everything from eating healthy on a budget to investing wisely to finding the best deals.  Hang out with these thrifty guys and gals for a while and you’re sure to absorb some budget stretching ideas…just by osmosis.

FrugalLiving.About.com - I am all about About.com.  Ways to make money, save money, invest money and find the best bargains doing it.  From do it yourself to “regifting” etiquette, you’ll find it here.

RetailMeNot.com - Do yourself…and your wedding budget…a favor and check this site before buying ANYTHING online.  Search by store for coupon codes that give you 5-40% off discounts, free shipping and freebies.  Here’s a search of wedding discounts on the site…but don’t forget to check out the “non-wedding” stores, too.

PriceGrabber.com - A must for online price comparisons when shopping for the best deal.

Delio.com - Offers comparisons of Ebay prices with retail sellers, plus tons of online coupon deals.

DealNews.com - Tracks the best deals in the most popular spending categories, plus the lowest price deals they can find.

DealTaker.com - While the home page lists lots of deals, troll the forums for the best unknown deals out there.

Got a favorite internet price buster site I didn’t mention?  Leave me a comment.

Alan Turkus

Every where I go, people are SCARED about the recession.  They’re complaining about rising prices…no raises…lay offs.

It’s about time for some good news, don’t you think?

Not to be contrarian (now, would I say something to contradict the mainstream?) but…

Now is the BEST TIME to be planning your wedding.

Sounds crazy, I know.  But bear with me.  Here are three reasons why:

1)  Wedding vendors are offering deep discounts.

For the first time in decades, the so-called “recession-proof” wedding industry is hurting because of the down economy.  Wedding vendors are as scared as you are.  Right now, with all the fear out there, they’re willing to bend over backwards to get your business.  If you want discounts, all you have to do is ASK.

This recession puts YOU back in control.  Download my free wedding discount report to learn how to put this to work for you.  The wedding deals available right now are unbelievable if you know where to look.

2) The recession makes it cool to be frugal.

Years ago, if you send postcards instead of reply cards or made donations to a charity instead of buying elaborate wedding favors…you were considered CHEAP.

But everyone can relate to needing to save a few bucks these days.  It’s acceptable to trim excess expresses and plan a really affordable wedding.  In fact, it’s COOL to be stylishly frugal.

You have more support to make your wedding inexpensive from your friends, family and society than ever before.

3.  The recession forces you to decide what’s really important.

Back in the day, it was easy for wedding vendors to take advantage of brides.  All they had to do was say, “If you don’t have this for your wedding day, you’ll regret it,” or “Your wedding day won’t be as special without this one-of-a-kind lace handkerchief thingy…” and brides would collapse in tears, opening their wallets in submission.

No more.

The pressure of a recession forces you to decide what’s most important to planning the wedding of your dreams.  And with that focus comes POWER.  It puts you in the driver’s seat.  You’re calling the shots and creating the wedding discounts you need for an unforgettable wedding.

How are you recession proofing your wedding?  Leave me a comment.

One of the biggest questions brides have is:

“How do I ask for a wedding discount?”

The question implies that there is some kind of “proper” wedding etiquette for asking a wedding vendor for a discount.

Know what I think?

(You’re gonna find out in about two seconds…)

SCREW that etiquette wedding crap.

It’s your wedding, and if you’re serious about planning the wedding of your dreams on a tight budget, you can’t worry about being “proper” and following Emily Post’s wedding etiquette guidelines for everything.

So how do you ask for a wedding discount?

I explain the “Soft Pitch” and the “Harder Pitch” approaches in great detail in my eBook on planning your dream wedding on a budget.  But here’s the jist…

#1 - ASK. Simply asking for a discount increases your chances of getting one 75%.  3 out of every 4 wedding vendors offer a discount when asked.  (But most brides never ask!)

#2 - Sincere Flattery Will Get You Everywhere. Be generous with the compliments before you make your request for a wedding discount.  There’s a psychological principle at work that compels wedding vendors to give you a discount.  (Download my free report, The Bride’s Secret Weapon, to learn more.)

#3 - Don’t Feel Bad About Asking! Professional wedding vendors are used to dealing with this question.  They won’t take it personally…or if they do they’ve got deep psychological issues.  Think about it this way: do you take it personally when a sales person quotes their price?  Of course not.  A professional shouldn’t take it personally when you quote the budget you have to work with, either.

Take control.  Take your advantage.  Plan the wedding of your dreams…the way you want it…at the prices you can afford.

If I can do it, so can you!

Photo by Julie Ray

There’s no question that David’s Bridal has risen to the top of the stack (or the top of the search engines, at any rate) when it comes to selling elegant wedding gowns for less.

But the gossip and rumor about DB seems to be unending.  Some brides swear to god they’ve found both great bargains and great treatment…others just swear and spread their list of complaints.

What’s the truth about David’s Bridal?

The Pros:

• You CAN find a great gowns discount.  They run frequent specials with dresses that start at only $99.  Will this fool you into thinking it’s a designer gown?  No.  Will you still look beautiful if you choose the right style?  Yes.
• One stop shopping for inexpensive wedding gowns and all the trimmings.  Check out these four wedding gowns looks including accessories from head to toe for under $800.
• When you register on the website, you get entered into a contest to win a free wedding dress in a monthly drawing.  You can opt NOT to receive any offers and promotions, but I still recommend creating a specific “wedding” email account with Gmail or Yahoo.  (Unless you want tons of spam, this is highly recommended for all your wedding related email inquiries.)
• Accessories, favors and invitations are available all in one place, many at reasonable prices.  They even have green wedding favors.

The Cons:

• Service varies from store to store.  Some get great reviews…others don’t.
• Alterations are not included in the price.  Most brides recommend hiring an independent local seamstress to minimize the stress.
• You can get lured in by the $99 dress deal…and end up spending A LOT more on various accessories and “upsells.”

The Verdict:

Like anything else, YOU have to decide what’s right for you.  If you’re dying for a couture designer wedding gown…this probably isn’t the place for you.  If you’re looking for an affordable option on a great dress…check it out.

Do your research.  Have an idea of what you like…and what you can spend…BEFORE you go to DB.  Have a definite plan of action.  Being a smart bride means being a prepared bride. I teach you exactly what to do and say to snag your dream dress for less in my eBook.

What’s your take on the debate?  Leave me a comment.

When it comes to weddings, green is the new June.  I’ve been seeing the phrase “green wedding” batted about everywhere.

But when you’re planning a wedding on a tight budget, an eco friendly wedding might not even make your priority list.  I mean, you’re more worried about saving your green…CASH, that is.

The good news: planning a green wedding that’s good for the environment is also good for your pocket book.

Green weddings are all about conserving energy, making environmentally friendly choices, using local and organic products whenever possible.  But it turns out that many of these eco friendly wedding options will also save you money.

REDUCE.  REUSE.  RECYCLE.

Those three words embody the task of the budget bride…and go hand in hand with planning a green wedding.

Green Wedding Dress Savings - A green wedding dress uses eco friendly, all natural fibers and no imports, like these selections from Threadhead Creations.  Unfortunately, these green options often come with a high price tag.

The answer: buy a used wedding dress.

You can buy a designers wedding gown at a steal AND help save the planet by reusing a dress that otherwise gets worn only ONCE.  Find your used wedding dress at the links in my previous posts on Used Wedding Dresses and Discount Designer Wedding Gowns.

Green Invitations Savings - Buy invitations made out of recycled paper and request that your guests RSVP by telephone or email.  You’ve just saved a bundle on reply cards, envelopes and postage.

Take it to the next level of green wedding planning by skipping physical invitations altogether.  Send email wedding invites through a site like Evite.com…FREE.

Green Wedding Flowers Savings - Have your florist use local, in season flowers for your wedding.  Local blooms are the most economical option and they require much less in travel and delivery costs.

Green Wedding Favors - Ideas for green wedding favors can be found online with a quick search on Google.  Wildflower seed wedding favors are available for less than $1 each.

Go one step further and SKIP your favors altogether.  (You know I’m a big fan of this one!)  Make a donation to your favorite eco friendly charity instead.

Green Wedding Venue - An eco friendly wedding venue or caterer uses local, organic ingredients as much as possible in the menu…and they can prove it.  It doesn’t cost any extra to hire a green business; you just have to seek them out.

So even if you don’t consider yourself a “green” bride, consider these options to plan an affordable wedding.

Got a green wedding idea?  Leave me a comment.