I get asked this question daily. Particularly here in the San Francisco Bay area where I’m based. The cost of weddings and everything else here is extremely high. There are answers to explain the cost of a wedding.
The high cost of living means businesses must charge higher prices. Supply and demand more people are seeking to have their weddings here venues, and other suppliers can charge higher prices. My favorite (sarcasm alert) there are a growing number of people who want what they want they are willing and able to pay anything to get it, due to that the price for everyone goes up. These and a few others explain the practical and environmental reasons for the high cost of weddings, the wedding industry reasons.
To me, the answer is more basic the reason weddings have such high price tags is: Your Choices!
I have a simple formula to explain the cost of weddings. People plus stuff equals the cost of a wedding; the more people at a wedding, the more stuff you need, the more stuff needed, the greater cost.
When I say stuff, I mean all the labor and materials to create a wedding celebration. What you choose for your wedding directly impacts the cost. Some of those choices include but are not limited to the number of people you invite, the day of the week, the time of day, the type of meal or no meal the list goes on and on. Every choice you make has an impact on the cost.
You can control costs with thoughtful choices what you spend on each item on the wedding budget and by choosing to limit what, and who you included in your wedding. Note: All these decisions must be well thought through.
My fellow Professional Wedding Planners and I truly shine at helping you make good choices. Even if you eventually choose not to include the full services of a professional wedding planner hiring us to help you work through what you want and can afford is an investment in your perfect wedding that produces enormous returns.
I get calls all the time from couples who have started down the road of planning their weddings, signed contracts, changed their minds about certain things or they are about to run out of money because of the choices they have made. Now they want me to save them.
The vast majority of the time it’s too late for me to do anything more than express my sympathy for their predicament. If you don’t start the process by thinking through and costing everything before you commit the cost of your wedding will spiral out of control.
I’ve heard the complaint over, and over again people in my beloved wedding community don’t explain the cost of things well to clients. That is partially correct however it is also true that people begin planning a wedding without understanding what they are buying, they expect the suppliers to provide guidance. Guidance those suppliers are neither qualified to give nor inclined to provide.
Let me give you a quick example: You hire a caterer to provide beautiful food and gracious service, then you ask them how much you should spend on your dress. Why would they know that?
The moral of the story it’s easy to blame the high cost of weddings on the “wedding industry” I’m not saying there isn’t some truth to that assertion, but it is equally true the choices you make play a huge part in what your wedding ultimately costs. You can have an affordable wedding anywhere (even here in the bay area) if you choose wisely.
As always I’m here if you need me.
A little about Gwen: I launched Where to Start in 1991. My corporate experiences taught me the management skills necessary to work with multiple vendors and get the best for my clients. My broadcasting and theater studies in college play a significant role in how I see weddings.
I love getting to know my clients – finding out what they love in life and about each other. I combine that knowledge with my experience to create your perfect wedding.
I hope you will allow me the privilege of helping you create your perfect wedding.
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