Tuesday's Tips

Good afternoon everyone! As promised I am going to talk about weddings this week. I’ve finally hit that time in my life when everyone around me is getting married, and I’ve noticed a lot about the way people spend their money when it comes to this grand event. Also take note that I am not currently married, so my observations are those of a person who has not planned a wedding.

1) Picking a venue doesn’t have to be expensive. I recently attended a wedding that was at a very large church in a booming suburb of Columbus, and the reception was held at a local private high school. These venues were both very beautiful, and in speaking with the groom (a close friend of mine) I learned that the reception hall was quite pricey (the bride’s parents are members of the church which saved on that cost). A wedding I will be attending in October will be held on the beach in Hilton Head, SC and I also know the general budget for the entire wedding is only slightly more than what it cost to rent the private high school for just a reception. The point here is that you can hold the ceremony just about anywhere and find affordable places.

2) Don’t go overboard on little details. Flowers smell wonderful and brighten up the room. Chocolate fountains for dipping fruit are really neat. Party favors are a great way for people to take home a small item to remember the day. All of these things sound important, and may very well be important, too many people. However, these types of extras are things that are rarely remembered by most people a week or month after the wedding. I just went to the wedding at the large church on the 1st of August and I have no idea what color the flowers were. I remember there were a ton of them at the reception, but that’s about it. So don’t feel the need to go overboard on the little things you think people will remember, because often times they don’t, and neither will you.

3) Make sure you don’t skimp on the truly important things. I have heard from a number of people that the one thing they wished they hadn’t scrimped on was pictures. Pictures are one of the only things that you can see time and again to relive the special day, but many people find them too expensive and can’t work them into their budget. However, by spending a little less on flowers, the dress, venue, or a number of other things they thought were important they could have worked it into the budget. And make sure the people attending are the people you want there. Many friends of mine had 300+ people because their parents thought they needed to invite the entire family. They would have been more comfortable with only 100-150 people, and because they invited so many they were uncomfortable and ultimately not as happy on their wedding day.

So that’s what I’ve learned thus far, and after the next 3 weddings this year I’ll probably have learned some more. Feel free to share comments about your own wedding experiences (I’m looking at you Look Photography).

I’m on a 168 hour break, so until then Stay Tuned…