Terms (and any variation of such) that will make any wedding planner break out in hives...

1. Discount

2. Tight budget

3. DIY

4. Cheaper

Bottom line is this...if you are trying to have a wedding of 100 or more guests and your budget is less than $25k, you may want to consider talking to family about contributing or allow yourself more time to save up to cover the costs. That may sound harsh but it's the reality. The average simple wedding of 100 guests costs an average of $35k, without doing some serious compromising on the quality and your vision.

With that said, couples on a smaller budget tend to think that there are corners they can cut to come out...cheaper....(ugh, we're feeling itchy already) but this is rarely the case.

So here are some common myths so you what what's real and what's hype!

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MYTH: THINGS COST MORE JUST BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE WORD “WEDDING” IN THEM. 

 

Truth: This may be the case when you’re looking at things from the outside, but it’s not because the word “wedding” is involved.

We can tell you that if there is a different price tag associated with something for a “party” versus a “wedding”, you’re wrong. Weddings are *different* than parties. A party has the opportunity to happen more than once. A wedding presumably does not.

As a result, you put more of an emphasis on your wedding day. You want it to be amazing and memorable. It’s why you spend more money on a wedding than you would a birthday party (unless it’s the norm for you to have extravagant birthday parties), right? So why WOULDN’T you expect things to cost differently?

A product or service associated with a wedding typically is more demanding than that of a simple party. A wedding requires more emails. More calls. More planning. More logistics. It. Is. Different. And we're pretty sure there would be a lot of upset couples if they weren’t receiving the level of service and additional communication that is expected with a wedding. A wedding requires a higher level of service, and as a result, might come with a higher price tag.

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Note: Now sure, there are indeed people who don’t change their level of service, yet still increase their prices just because the word wedding is in them. But this is NOT the norm. To avoid running into this issue, be sure to ask what is included for the price you’re paying.

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MYTH: IT’S CHEAPER IF YOU HAVE YOUR WEDDING ON A DAY OTHER THAN SATURDAY.

 

Truth: For the most part, this is oh-so-wrong. It’s now pretty common for a wedding to take place on a day such as a Friday or Sunday. Now a weekday, that’s a different story. This myth does have different aspects though, so let’s discuss:

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Vendors: A wedding vendor is going to work just as hard if your wedding is on a Friday or a Sunday. They’re not going to put in less hours of work just because it’s not a Saturday. Plus, it’s actually becoming REALLY common for Friday and Sunday weddings- even Thursdays too! Besides, do you really want to ask your vendors to half-ass it on your wedding day? (Not saying that they actually would) Yeah, I didn’t think so. Some vendors who aren’t already booked fully for that weekend may offer a discount. But don’t expect to get cheaper prices if your wedding is on a day other than Saturday. 

Myth DEBUNKED when dealing with most service vendors.

 

Venues: Some venues offer food & beverage services and some don’t. So right there we have a difference that determines pricing. Some venues may offer a discounted rate for days other than Saturday. This is going to be even more likely when the venue is not offering food or beverage- just the rental of the space. 

Myth NOT debunked when dealing with venues.

 

For both of the “categories” that we’re looking at, some are looking at the days as “weekend” days, which to me is Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Now Thursday or Tuesday (or Monday or Wednesday), is a different story, and we have definitely seen discounts offered for weekday weddings.

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MYTH: DOING IT ALL OURSELVES WILL SAVE US MONEY (AKA DIY AND WITH THE HELP OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS).

 

Truth: This of course can pertain to several different aspects of a wedding. But most of the time, for the retail price of buying something, you can pay a professional to do it for you, whether it’s buying wholesale or you renting it from them. It’s a funny thing how many people who are DIYing their weddings always end up spending more money than they thought they would. It just doesn’t look like it because it’s in small increments here and there. I’ve over-purchased for plenty of DIY projects myself. (If you want to DIY to include friends and family in your wedding, DIY things that can easily be DIY’d. And definitely know exactly how much of everything you need!) If you stick to the pros for things, chances are really good that you’ll end up saving your money. 

Myth DEBUNKED.

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MYTH: HAGGLE, BARTER, OR LOW-BALL WITH VENDORS TO GET A LOWER PRICE.

 

Truth: So your boss just came to you and says

"I know you have years of experience and a skill set that we need here but I'd like to to take a pay cut so we can afford you. We realize that you have 10 other companies that are willing to pay you the salary you are worth but we would just like to accept less from us!"

What message does that send? They want you to pass up money that you are worth because they don't value what you do enough to match that! Haggling with vendors on their prices is not advisable- they’ve set their prices because that’s the income they require to do the work they do. In most cases, prices reflect their experience and the work they produce. Bartering, now this depends on what you’re bartering with, but the things that we’ve heard of haven’t been ideal for wedding vendors. If you have a business that you can barter with that they can truly get a benefit from, then by all means go for it. Maybe someone will bite. However, if you’re in the pest control business trying to barter with a photographer, then that’s a big fat no. Finally we have low-balling vendor prices. we’ve heard of this happening and the outcome isn't so pretty. Saying that you really can only afford the bare minimum but want them to provide more or the equivalent of what everyone else has paid full price for? Yikes. In a nutshell: Just try not to go there.

Instead, let them know what your budget is so you can work together to get you as close to your vision as possible while still staying within your financial means. Vendors pricing...it is what it is, and it’s usually already at the lowest point it can be because people in the wedding industry aren’t doing it to make a fortune- they’re doing it because they love weddings! :) 

Myth DEBUNKED.

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MYTH: BUFFETS ARE CHEAPER THAN PLATED DINNERS.

 

Truth: Buffets sometimes require MORE food than plated meals do, and so they can end up being more expensive, depending on the number of guests you have and types of food being served. Buffets are an option that entail less serving staff, so they are less expensive in that manner. Of course all of this is dependent on how many guests you have! 

Myth sometimes DEBUNKED.

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MYTH: COCKTAIL STYLE RECEPTIONS ARE LESS EXPENSIVE BECAUSE YOU NEED “LESS FOOD” THAN A SIT DOWN DINNER.

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Truth: Yes, cocktail receptions don’t have a full-out meal. They do, however, have a lot more appetizers and small bites, which could add up to just as much food as if you were having meals served. And then, since it’s “cocktail-style”, guests are definitely going to be drinking more. Cocktail-style receptions do require serving staff like sit down dinners do, so you will still be paying for the service. And again, this comes back around being dependent on how many guests you have! 

Myth sometimes DEBUNKED.

 

MYTH: “I HAVE A FRIEND/FAMILY MEMBER THAT CAN DO ___, SO WE WON’T BE NEEDING TO HIRE ANYONE FOR THAT”.

 

Truth: Ah, but of course! Everyone always knows someone who can do photography, planning, DJ, food, etc. BUT it always turns out that they forget that they want to be guests and end up a) slacking on what they’re supposed to be doing or b) backing out altogether, leaving you to have to pay someone or c) it results in feuds over one thing or another and relationships are damaged. Trust us and tell the friend/family members that you want them to enjoy the wedding. Neither you or they will regret it. 

Myth DEBUNKED.

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MYTH: “MY MOTHER (OR AUNT OR FRIEND, ETC) IS GOING TO DO THE FLOWERS IN SILK TO SAVE MONEY.”

 

Truth: Silk flowers can actually be more expensive than fresh flowers! And they always LOOK fake- doesn't matter how good you are at arranging flowers, those plastic “veins” on the flowers are a dead giveaway. Bottom line for this one- silk flowers are NOT going to save you money. 

Myth DEBUNKED.

 

MYTH: DESTINATION WEDDINGS COST LESS.

 

Truth: Usually not, but it depends. If it’s you and your fiancé eloping, then yes, it’s going to be less than a wedding. If you’re inviting family members, there are more events that have to be held and more things that need to be taken of. Transportation, rooms, welcome dinners, rehearsal dinners, wedding dinner, breakfasts. Not to mention what it costs for your guests to get there. Get the picture? If you want to do a destination wedding, know that it’s not going to be less than what a wedding would be in your own town.

Myth sort of DEBUNKED.