Monday, March 16, 2015

Quote from @jwbride for newlyweds-to-be. "Realistic $$$ wedding budgeting !!!Most of us are on a budget, but what should we expect to get for the allotted funds? This is a current chart of US wedding spending, on average, which has topped $30,000 per wedding! And tbh, these prices look too low for several things- no NY area bakery sells wedding cakes for 100 or more people for the price shown here, and most good photographers rates begin around $2400 in my area- their business expenses after taxes would leave them earning less than they would working per hour at McDonald's, otherwise. (good wedding photographers spend about 50 hrs per wedding with editing time) bear in mind that averages are combining that friend going into business and charging $500 for photography with the best guy in town who charges $5k and up-Just as you don't expect the same experience at McDonalds as you do at the best new restaurant, price differences often reflect huge quality differences on some items, such as videography and photography. So adding it up, how can we keep out of debt and yet still have a nice wedding? Weigh priorities carefully. and recognize the consequences of cutting back in each area, making educated choices about what matters most to you. Cut the budget for what matters less, and put that money towards what matters more. And consider a gift registry for cash rather than gifts- (see a former post on making it non-tacky!). I've seen wedding cakes made by friends that looked like the leaning tower of Pisa, flowers by friends that were just exquisitely beautiful, pictures taken by hobbyists that made the bride sob with regrets for months and even years, literally, after she received them... So what is worth paying a pro for, and what isn't? Most who give it thought will opt to prioritize those one or two things will last long after the dress is at the cleaners and the flowers have died, after the cake is eaten and the Jimmy Choo shoes passed on to little sisters. The photography, a beautiful album. and perhaps a skilled. unobtrusive videographer rather than those ... with beyond-disrespectful ceremony behavior..."



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