The Main Event by Memory Makers Event Planning, LLC

The article below is from Money magazine's most recent issue. Much of the information seems fairly accurate for an Idaho wedding except the cost of clothing. Most brides don't pay over $1,200 just for a gown; the gown, veil, shoes and jewelry maybe. The cost to rent a tux is a bit high as well. I was also surprised to see the percentage of bride's parents who pay for the wedding. In this area, the costs are more often covered by both sets of parents and the bride and groom, though not usually equally.  Enjoy.

"Need a professional florist to provide centerpieces for our conference. Must be cheap." "In search of a photographer for 6 hours. I can pay $500. Event is in...... (1.5 hours away)" I participate in several event forums. The above are examples of some of the requests posted. Though the person making the request is serious, she/he has most likely not spent time researching costs to learn what the local market considers a reasonable charge for a florist or a photographer. The person asking for a cheap florist may end up with very old flowers poorly arranged and possibly an astronomical delivery fee. The person seeking a photographer on such a limited budget may get someone who has never photographed an event and the photos could be a disaster.

This past weekend I coordinated two weddings. The first was paid for by the two sets of parents with a small amount contributed by the couple. The second was paid for entirely by the couple. According to a survey conducted by http://www.getmarried.com/ , 92 percent of couples today help pay for some or all of their wedding expenses. As the economy continues to lag, couples are rethinking their choices and watching every penny. Nationally, wedding expenditures dropped approximately 10 percent between 2008 and 2009 and that trend may continue. As couples consider what is important to them and what they can live without or compromise on, some are  turning to used items. A gently used gown may be a consideration or used centerpiece items. Men are increasingly choosing to wear suits they own rather than renting a tux. Couples are looking for the best deals in locations. Fewer are hiring bands or even DJs, choosing instead to create their own music on an iPod or lap...

I was interviewed by a reporter for the New York Times for an article that appeared on April 4 about the role of the groom and his family in wedding planning. Perhaps it is more common out West, but most of my grooms are involved in the wedding planning process and have been for over ten years. In many cases the couple are professionals in their late twenties or their thirties when they marry. They make all the decisions together, and often they pay for the wedding themselves with little or no help from either of their families. The reporter was surprised when I mentioned the increasing involvement of fathers of the bride in the planning. Again, that has been occurring for the last eight or ten years. The fathers seem to be particularly interested in choosing  the location/locations and the catering. Sometimes they attend a few of our meetings with merchants. In other cases, they attend them all. The increasing involvement of grooms and dads refle...