Tags
david tutera, love, marriage, new york times magazine, Photography, pricing, professional, transparency, vendors, wedding, Wedding planner
The wedding industry has once again been slammed. A writer for the New York Times Magazine wrote a piece entitled The Wedding Fix Is In, claiming non-transparency & uneducated consumers as the industries downfall. I beg to differ. As a past wedding and event professional for 15 years, I saw nothing but transparency with respected vendors who knew their product and how to sell it. The article questions pricing, price gouging probably defines it better. This is how it is. If you hire a professional, someone who is willing to take the time to sit with you, go over what your visions are, and then bring these things to fruition, you’re going to pay. If you’re looking to have a wedding for $30 a head, all inclusive, you might as well go to McDonald’s.
A lot of the problems today stem from reality television, shows such as David Tutera‘s My Fair Wedding. They aren’t realistic visions for today’s average bride & groom. We’d all love to have that fantasy wedding, but the real reality is most can’t afford it. So you’re back to where you started. Shopping around for that best price. But always be aware that there are scam artists out there. Use references & referrals from friends and family members who have actually worked with the person before.
Hire a wedding planner. Yes, do this. She or he will guide you in the direction you need to go, within your budget. More than likely, the planner works with a group of “preferred” vendors, and the savings can be passed on to you. This is not to say that you must go with the planners vendors. You may already have some of your own. Again, she or he is there to guide you, to keep you within your budget. They also see to it that everything falls into place for you, taking on the stress of the event so that you can enjoy your day.
Getting back to transparency. Most wedding vendor sites have their pricing online. The plus side to this is you can view and decide if this vendor fits into your budget without wasting your time or theirs, if the fit isn’t right. All aspects of a wedding do not fall into this category of online pricing. We’ll take photographers, as an example, because they seem to be targeted more frequently than most other event vendors. Keep in mind that every brides expectation of her big day is not the same as the next bride who asks about photography packages. The photographer can begin at your home, follow you to the church, etc, and then complete the day during the reception. A timeline may look something like this:
Brides Home – 10:00AM includes family photos, getting ready
Church – 12:00 – 1:30PM includes ceremony and after pictures in the garden
Reception – 2:00PM – 6:00PM
Total time – 8 hours, without travel time, editing and printing/sending you your photos. If you’re thinking you’re going to spend $500 on photography for an eight hour span, think again. This is where the memories are captured. You want a professional. Not Uncle Harry with his camera phone. Of course you may decide to only have the church & reception photographed, so the amount of time required, changes. And so will the price. Because of the differences in what each bride wants, one set price cannot be displayed. You’ll find most wedding vendor websites, such as photography, will have a caption stating “Packages begin at”. You have a starting point and you can decide whether or not this fits your budget.
It all comes down to this…a wedding isn’t just a party. It’s a once in a lifetime (you hope) event. If the pricing stabs you the wrong way, you might want to consider eloping, or having a small dinner party for your closest relatives & friends. No one says you have to have 200 plus people attend.
It’s all about the love between two people. Even if it means standing in front of the justice of the peace or your town mayor, with your two best friends beside you, then go for it. You’ll be celebrating your lives, together.
original photo via arabiangazette.com
Copyright 2013
All Rights Reserved
Night Owl Poetry - Dorinda Duclos 
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I am all for those who strive to do it themselves or make it family affair but that’s exactly what I tried to do when I first got married…And my mom almost missed my wedding because she was trying to finish everything at the reception. She did actually miss my first dance & cake cutting because she was trying to caterer it with a couple of family friends. I had just graduated with an event planning background and my wedding still went astray…because YOU (the bride) CANNOT be the host and guest all at the same time…
You only have 2 hands… you can’t hold your bouquet, your groom and the clipboard all at the same time. Something has to give; allow a coordinator to assist you in the logistical planning of timelines, budgets and realistic décor & vendors. Then allow us to execute your dreams the day of your wedding so that you and your family can be guests at your wedding and actually enjoy it. I promise A TRUE PROFESSIONAL will show up and will save you more time, money and stress than trying to take on the wedding world alone. We are here to help because some of us do not want you to go through what we went through!
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Thank you all for your comments and reblogs. I greatly appreciate it.
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No one forces anybody to spend money. Suppliers are there to fulfill consumer’s wishes. The wedding industry is an easy one to pick on because it is so off the charts to any regular party, nor is it a regular day- you are making a commitment for life with a guest list of many.
One must remember that the only thing needed to marry is an officiant, two witnesses and the couple. Any celebrations that follow should be based on a budget- and that old saying,
” caveat emptor” buyer beware.
Thanks for writing this sensible article Dorinda. I have read some really nasty commentary about weddings in the last few days that I believe is unwarranted.
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Reblogged this on Bringing It All Together With MOH!!.
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Quality, time, and the committment of the seasoned professional to make your day a memorable one is what’s it’s about. And how we educate brides on “the reality” of what you can get with what you have to invest. Bottom line.
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Reblogged this on Thanks for Noticing Me.
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Let em go spend $499 on a planner (who may or may not show up!), $295 for photo ( who give crappy photos, if they deliver at all), $600 on decor ( when realizing that covers personal flowers for 6 ladies, 2 moms, 2 dads, 6 groomsmen and 3 centerpieces. And then check out the quality of cheap flowers! Rose petal quality roses are basically dead, this CHEAP!). Then what ) a DJ for $299 and doesn’t shut up and plays what he has), $10 on food per person and a cash bar, and a friends cake (good luck finding that unless you make your own food). Then see how they got screwed! I have taken over weddings, at the end, where many of these vendors have taken money and never are found again. A nightmare for everybody!!! Want cheap? you get what you pay for PERIOD! Brides, remember….. EVERYONE is on a budget! Including the professional vendors who have bills to pay and may only do one or two weddings a month. Imagine making ZERO a month…… Overpriced? Most professionals make less than teachers ( not that teachers deserve less but there is always that fight that teachers aren’t paid enough) And DIY? Good luck setting all that up! Ask your friends as they help you set up, how much fun y’all had on your wedding day! Want cheap? There is always the courthouse!
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April, I couldn’t have said it better myself.
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