More Wedding Trends in a Tough Economy

More wedding trends happening in this economic slowdown, according to “ The Wedding Report:”

Outdoor weddings are very popular.

Holding your wedding outdoors (weather permitting of course) is a good way to economize. (Here is a good site to help you organize this.) Having it in a large backyard, a park or even the grounds of a museum are often less costly than a paying for a traditional church and secondary location, such as a hotel, country club or banquet hall. This means that you have a shorter reception, usually in off-peak hours. Since you are having ceremony and wedding reception at the same location, you can also take advantage of the all-inclusive wedding packages that many caterers and vendors offer.

Wedding couples prefer buffet reception dinners to sit‐down meals

Sit down dinners are extremely expensive. These usually cost more than $35 per person whereas a buffet can equal out to about $7-$15 per person. You also seem to have more choices as to the kinds of foods served and the side dishes.

There are other options, such as food stations, appetizers, and desserts-only. I went to a wedding recently where the wedding couple’s family had provided an entire table of desserts and pastries for a crowd of 250 people, along with a small wedding cake. (Here is a site that will help you set your wedding budget so you can determine what you are going to pay for food)

Amateurs (friends or family members) more often do the photography.

With the rise of digital cameras wedding couples have the option to request that several members of their family (or friends) take all their photos. Sites like PhotoWorks can provide elegant wedding photo books and prints so that wedding couples having family/friends take the pictures can still have professional-looking results. Plus you get photo books that are put together with their favorite pictures from a number of different sources. Those who are hiring professionals are settling on smaller packages and supplementing their pictures with table disposable digital cameras and fewer set portraits.

Brides are spending less on wedding gowns.

One of the most expensive items a bride can purchase is her wedding gown. Unless she has unlimited funds available, many brides are also seeking vintage or second-hand wedding gowns. (A good article on how to find these types of wedding dresses is located at this site.)

Hugely decorated ball gown styles are being replaced in many cases with simpler color accented informal gowns that provide a narrower silhouette. Brides are buying wedding and bridesmaids' dresses online, from discounted wedding gown sites, and even from overseas. (This has precipitated a rise in alterations to make the wedding gowns fit better, but someone had to benefit from this trend.)

Also many brides, instead of hermetically sealing the wedding gown away are reselling their wedding gowns on places like eBay. (There is even a site dedicated to this located here!) In some cases, brides are purchasing their wedding gowns and bridesmaids gowns as a package so that there is a price break.

Destination weddings are becoming more popular.

While these all-inclusive destination wedding packages at different resorts have been popular for quite some time, wedding couples are seeking destinations closer to where they live as their option for wedding and honeymoon packages. Fewer people are being asked to accompany the couple and since they will be paying their own way to the wedding, including travel and accommodations, the actual cost of the wedding will be decreased accordingly.

As more trends develop over the next several months, the Wedding Report (and I) will be here to let you know about them as you plan your wedding in these bleak economic times.

Wedding Reception Rentals

Saving money on your wedding doesn’t mean that you have to skimp on those aspects of your wedding you think are important. Being frugal and a good shopper is not the same thing as being cheap. You can still have an elegant and stunning wedding reception without breaking the bank. (Here is an article that shows many ways to save.)

You can cut corners by making your own printable wedding invitations, wedding programs, response cards, and even wedding reception placecards, while at the same time offering your guests a fabulous celebration of your wedding.

One of the best ways to save money is to have an outdoor wedding reception – weather permitting, of course. If you have a large yard or know someone who is willing to allow this in his or her yard, by all means plan for your wedding reception to occur there. Just know that this is still going to cost you some money, but you still pay less than at a hotel or party center.

A large tent or canopy may be required to protect you and your guests from the sun and/or rain. If it’s either very hot or very cool, you may need to consider fans or heaters. I know the tents range in price from $300 - $5,000 depending on their configuration. Check with your wedding rental vendor what exactly you'll need and how much you want to spend. This is a site that provides a number of different services and vendors for you to start your comparison shopping.

While a dance floor is provided at a hotel or hall, you probably will have to rent one along with the tent. The floors come in a number of sizes so, again, check out what you are renting. If possible, try to negotiate a complete tent and floor package deal. This could save you a bundle. A guide to renting party equipment for your wedding is located at this site.

You are going to also need tables, chairs, some sort of linen and tableware. If you caterer does not supply them (or you are doing all the cooking yourself) you may also need to rent warmers, food stations and serving pieces. (And trash cans, plastic trash bags and so on.) Again your party rental supply vendor can come to the rescue! One of the good things about renting glasses, dishes and so on is that you send them back to the party supply store unwashed, so that saves a huge clean-up cost!

Shop a variety of vendors and compare prices. See if they will give you a package for your guests for one price and also if you can negotiate away the delivery, set-up and tear down fees. Those are wedding budget items that are often hidden but can build up and give you sticker shock!

When you are considering saving money on the wedding reception, also consider that if you have a cocktail wedding reception with dancing instead of a full sit down dinner or buffet, you will only have to rent about half the tables and chairs since by the nature of a cocktail wedding reception or any cocktail party, guests stand around and mingle.

By renting you can avoid owning all sorts of unnecessary items (I mean who really needs a dance floor in the middle of the back yard?) but can still throw the wedding reception of your dreams.