| Practical Plans For Romantic Weddings Essay, Research Paper
Practical Plans for Romantic WeddingsHaving the wedding of your dreams may not be as costly or time consuming as you might think.The average cost of a wedding in the United States today is $18,000. The costs depend upon several items, such as, how far in advance you can plan your wedding, what time of year you choose, what day of the week you choose, what time of the day you prefer, what your priorities are and most importantly, how flexible you can be. I will discuss and give you some insight into some of the major items and expenses involved in planning and carrying out the wedding of your dreams.The first major expense you will incur is the reception. The cost of this is going to depend upon what time of the day and what time of the week you choose.Most couples choose Saturday afternoon or Saturday evening. You will be competing with other couples who also want these time slots. The majority of couples will usually get the date and time slot they want, but if you are on a tight budget and/or have time constraints, an alternative would be to consider choosing a Friday evening, Sunday, or another day. These days are considered “non-traditional days” in the wedding business and here is where being flexible can save you a substantial amount of money. Some reception sites and caterers will offer discounts for having your event on a non-traditional day. Bands and DJ’s may also give you a discount for using non-traditional days. You may even want to consider having your event in the morning or afternoon instead of in the evening. Food is the largest expense for most wedding receptions and dinner is the most expensive meal to serve. All these suggestions could save you a considerable amount of money!Another major expense to consider is the photography of your wedding. Wedding photography can be extremely expensive. A standard wedding album can cost you from $500 to $2,000. Communication is the key to getting exactly what you want in your photography. Ask to meet the photographer who will be photographing your wedding. Have the photographer put in writing all the photographs you want taken. Make a list of all the “special” photographs you want taken and discuss the list with the photographer. For example, I had four generations on my side of the family who were attending my wedding. I made sure my photographer knew who they were and picked a time for him to be responsible to gather us briefly to take a picture. Don’t be shy about communicating.
Invitations are another item that can be very costly if you do not know how to order them properly. Remember, if you invite two hundred people to your wedding, you don’t need to order two hundred invitations because some of your guests will most likely be in the same household. You only need to send one invitation per address. Remember, don’t over order! Also, if you do not want children attending your reception, a polite way of communicating this to your guests is by having the words “An Occasion for Adults” printed on your invitations. By incorporating this polite message into your invitations, you will end a clear message to your guests, most of whom will respect your wishes.Other cost factors to consider are the flowers, the music and your wedding rings. Consider substitutions such as silk flowers instead of real flowers which can run from $100 to $1,000, depending upon which flowers are in season. Consider choosing a pearl or aquamarine for your wedding ring and then trade-up to a diamond in the future. Choose a DJ instead of a live band. A good DJ will have on-hand a variety of music and he or she can double as Master of Ceremonies at no additional cost. Also, be aware of some of the bridal business traps such as Bridal Faires.Bridal Faires can be a good event for the future bride and groom to attend. But BEWARE! Almost every vendor there (usually 50 to 300 vendors), has a raffle for some sort of free prize (i.e., limousine service, free tuxedo rental for the groom, etc.). By signing up for these raffles, you are also giving your name, address and phone number to be put on their mailing list and they will most likely give it to another mailing list. Expect to get a lot of junk mail for the next year. If you do decide to enter the raffles, bring your pre printed mailing labels or a pre-address mail stamper. These tools will save you time and save your hand from writer’s cramps.For all of these services (excluding the Bridal Faire), you will need to sign a contract and leave a deposit, usually 50% of the bill. A word of caution: Don’t sign on the dotted line until you read the fine print and know what the refund policy is if you have to cancel your wedding.Remember, you’re planning a party to celebrate your love for one another and people are supposed to have fun at parties — even the guests of honor!
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