Big weddings go budget
If you keep up with current events as I have to for the day job, you know that the news is brimming with doom and gloom when it comes to the economy, even when it comes to happy events like weddings and babies. People are holding off on starting their families because of the economy, but at least people aren’t holding off on getting married — they’re just cutting back their wedding budgets.
Flickr photo by FamilyMan5k
The L.A. Times ran down the budget cutback details of one bride — invitations from Costco, a wedding cake baked by an aunt, wedding rings bought with coupons.
Scaled back, downgraded, digitized and homespun, weddings are getting a major economic makeover this year. While the number of weddings scheduled to take place in the U.S. in 2009 remains steady at 2.2 million, a recent “What’s on Brides’ Minds” survey conducted for gown emporium David’s Bridal found that 75% of brides-to-be said they would have to make adjustments to their wedding budget as a result of the economic climate. The average cost of a couple’s publicly traded “I do’s” is now $19,212, down 33% from its peak of $28,732 in 2007, according to the Tucson-based research firm the Wedding Report.
In the same issue of the LAT, there was also a story about the shift toward simpler i.e. more inexpensive wedding dresses. Now, I know I basically am part of the industry, but truly I applaud these changes and shifts toward simplicity — amid all the details, brides tend to forget that the whole point of all the hoopla is to get married.
Giving away two wedding-related books
I’ve never done a giveaway before, so I suppose its appropriate that I am doing two for my inaugural giveaway. Here’s the deal — to win either one of these books, fill out this contest submission form, and unfortunately, you have to register with the blog to access the form! What should you enter? For The Wedding Book by Mindy Weiss, submit up to two photos of a wedding where you really admired the decorations and tell me why. For the She’s Gone Bridal! by Liz Razin, submit up to two photos of either bridal or bridesmaid bouquets and tell me why you really love these bouquets. However, these photos have to belong to you.
That’s it! Besides getting one of these books, your submission may be featured in a future Wedding Decorator post. Yay!
I’ll leave the contest open until 11:59 p.m. May 25. If you win, I will contact you via email and get your address and get the book shipped off right away.
Please note, this giveaway is not an endorsement of either book — I haven’t read either one because I’d like to ship them to you in the best condition possible. 
