The Press-Dispatch
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Pike Publishing D-3 Happily Ever After 2013 Simple ways to save on your wedding According to a 2012 report in Brides magazine, the average American couple spends just under $27,000 on their wedding. Clearly couples can expect to invest a substantial amount of money for their weddings. While many couples find the cost of a wedding is well worth it, others would like to find ways to save so their big day isn't a budget-buster. Such savings aren't always easy to come by, especially for couples with a very distinctive picture in mind of what their wedding should be. However, even couples strongly committed to a certain wedding style might change their minds once they realize how much such a dream wedding will cost. For those couples as well as couples who simply want to save some money, the following are a few ideas to avoid busting your budget without venturing too far from your dream wedding. as well as old college friends to whom you rarely speak. Distant cousins you haven't spoken to in years can also be cut from the list. Don't go overboard on the gown. Styles are ever-changing, so there's a strong chance brides won't be passing down their wedding gowns to their own daughters someday. What's popular now will likely seem outdated by the time your daughter walks down the aisle. Keep this in mind when shopping for a wedding dress, which can be made in the same design as the one you try on but with cheaper fabrics that are a fraction of the cost. The disparity between gown costs in the United States and Canada should paint a good picture of how easily brides can save money on their gowns. According to a survey of wedding trends conducted by Weddingbells, an online resource for Canadian brides, the average Canadian bride in 2011 spent Trim the guest list. The guest list is perhaps the easiest place to begin just under $1,800 on her wedding gown, while the average American bride spends roughly $1,100 saving money. Many reception halls will charge by the head, so consider if you really need to invite on her gown. Though the reasons for that dispar150 guests or if 100 will do. Such trimming can ity are unclear, it's safe to say there are savings to save you a substantial amount of money. For exam- be had for brides who don't want to break the bank ple, a banquet hall that charges $200 per guest will paying for their wedding gowns. cost couples with a guest list of 150 $30,000 for the Get hitched in the off-season. reception alone. Cutting that guest list to 100 reMany couples prefer to get married sometime beduces that cost by $10,000. When putting together tween the months of May through October. Durthe guest list, remove those candidates who would ing these months, venues and vendors, including best be described as acquaintances. This can inlimousine services, caterers, photographers, musiclude coworkers with whom you don't socialize, cians, and deejays, are more expensive. If you are willing to switch your wedding date to the off-season you can save a substantial amount of money. In addition, you likely won't face as much competition for the best venues and vendors as you will during the peak wedding season. Trim your beverage budget. The bar tab at the end of the reception can be considerable, but there are ways to save money while ensuring your guests can still toast you and yours with a few libations. Rather than offering a full bar, limit the choices to beer and wine, which will be perfectly acceptable to most guests anyway. In addition, rather than paying the caterer for the wine, buy your own and you'll save a considerable amount of money. You may have to pay the caterer a fee to pour the wine, but that fee is negligible compared to what you'd pay the company to provide the wine. Choose a buffet-style dinner. Many guests will no doubt prefer a buffet-style dinner instead of waiter service, so take advantage of that and choose a more affordable buffet-style dinner that allows diners to choose their own entrees and side dishes. When it comes to trimming wedding costs, couples will have to make compromises. But those compromises don't have to come at the cost of a beautiful and memorable event. Save money on the cake A wedding cake is a crowning finale to a momentous wedding day. Couples spend hundreds of dollars on tiered confectionary creations, which provide great photo opportunities and even better desserts. Though a wedding cake is a traditional component of wedding celebrations, professional bakers may charge anywhere from $2 to $6 per guest for the average cake. That could mean spending upwards of $900 for a cake to feed 150 guests. There are many reasons why cakes may be so expensive. For instance, the equipment used to bake cakes does not come cheaply. Ingredients tend to have high price tags. Furthermore, the time that goes into baking and then intricately decorating the cake adds up to quite a bit of labor. For couples who prefer not to spend too much on a cake, there are ways to save money and still savor a delicious dessert. Try local. Ask a local bakery or restaurant if the pastry chef will create your wedding cake. Oftentimes, bakers who do not specialize in wedding cakes will make a cake at a much lower cost than bakeries known for their wedding cakes. If you adore a dessert at a particular restaurant, ask to have it duplicated. Hire an amateur. Commission an amateur baker, such as a friend or family member, to make your cake. There are many budding cake artists out there, several of which have the cursory skills to create a delicious and aesthetically appealing cake. Friends or family members may even make the cake for little or no cost. Keep decorations & flavors to a minimum. The more embellishments and designs you put on the cake, the more expensive it will be. Stick to the basics, and the cake won't cost as much. Look into culinary schools. A student pastry chef may be able to produce a cake for you at a fraction of the cost of what an established baker may charge. This saves you money and the student can use your cake as part of his or her portfolio. Skip the tiered cake. Tiered cakes require careful stacking and engineering. Also, if the tiers themselves are made of crystal or another expensive material, it could inflate the cost of the cake. Choose a lower-profile cake to save money. Did you know? Shop at a warehouse center. Warehouse centers often have an in-store bakery capable of producing cakes for large crowds. These cakes can be delicious and inexpensive. As long as you don't advertise where you bought the cake, there's a good chance no one will be able to detect a discounted cake. Choose ready-made cakes. All you have to do is stack them yourself. Find a bakery near you that keeps a constant supply of specialty cakes in their display cases. Purchase 2 to 3 cakes and find cake pedestals from a party or craft store. Embellish the tiers with a few fresh flowers and you have a tiered cake for a minimal cost. Think of an alternative to cake. Tarts, pies, cream puffs, and other culinary creations may be more affordable and just as delicious as a lavish cake. Formal Wear is a Specialty at our place! It's well known that weddings can be expensive. But just how much money does it take to be considered expensive? Although couples ultimately get to control how much they spend on their wedding and reception, the average cost of the main ingredients to a wedding indicate that many couples prefer to splurge for their special day. The following are average costs, while some couples end up spending far more. Wedding: $26,951 Dress: $1,124 Music: $3,109 Photographer: $2,307 Florist: $1,971 Invitations: $367 Videographer: $1,518 Reception: $13,106 Cake: $591 Transportation: $658 Serve guests from a sheet cake. Some couples opt to have a dummy cake on display or just a small cake for cutting purposes, and then have waitstaff serve from a simple sheet cake. Guests rarely recognize the difference. Don't be fooled by offers of special packages or discounts by some shops... Those same shops will turn around and charge your bridesmaid up to $100 and more for alterations that we offer at no extra charge... Yes – FREE Alterations Here! If you're looking for selection, service and value, look no further. ding suits? king to BUY wed Loo $185!! Quality suits from Siebert's Where Helping You Dress Well Has Been A Specialty Since 1922 482-5514 On The Square, Jasper Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri. 9-5:30; Wed. 9-8; Sat. 9-4 www.siebertsclothing.com