Ah the Recession special part of the magazine. 3 couples, 3 weddings, 3 “low prices”. One paid 15k, another 6k, still another 4k. They all, supposedly, had budgets that were 300% higher than their final tally. Couple 1 cut their expenses by cutting their guest list from 200 to 50. That’s pretty much the only cost cutting tip they did and, to be honest, if you can cut your wedding guest list from 200 to 50, maybe it shouldn’t have been 200 to begin with, just sayin’. However, the pictures look nice, their cake looks Martha Stewart worthy, and I’m with them, I’ll splurge on the photography any day of the week and twice on Sunday.
The next couple saved their money by keeping their guest list at 120 but modifying their ideas about flowers. The bride wanted tons of flowers but instead of real ones, the bride and her sister used silk flowers. And being in the middle of Texas meant that their food/drink expenses would be lower than say, NYC, and they were able to skimp on photographers, DJ’s, and her dress only cost slightly more than the groom’s suit. Not bad not bad.
The 3rd couple kept it simple by having only 30 guests, and they had cupcakes rather than your standard wedding cake. So the big tip is to have a small wedding party. Makes complete sense, doesn’t it?
My 5000 guests will not be denied however though. Not.Be.Denied.
And the face of the gal in the Casablanca Bridal ad is freaking me out. That doesn’t say come hither. That says bad photoshop job. But the Sarah Danielle ad with the mother in the big hat – brilliant idea. Big church hats for all moms everywhere. I like it. In fact, I might demand it. A hat so big, it knocks two people out when my mom is walked down the aisle. YES.
Page 162 is all about negotiating with vendors. You know how I’m handling that? By not having any vendors. Costco and online shopping, for the win.
25 Big-Day glitches to avoid. #2 is about guests complaining about not getting a full meal at meal time. Duh. #5 is about the local power grid, #7 about the weather, and #12 is about being a jerk and playing your music late at night. Honestly, most of these sound less glitches and more brides and grooms forgetting that even though the wedding is about them, there are other people who will be there. Common sense and being thoughtful. What’s wrong with that?
Page 184 and we’re at Kristen Sueoka and Brad Hoover’s wedding. Held in Carmel Valley, California at a ranch with 150 guests. They “saved” money by buying the alcohol and stocking it themselves. And the wedding was Eco Friendly though I guess they didn’t care about the carbon credits the guests would need to fly to the wedding. Wait Wait Wait. The groom brewed 5 special ales FOR HIS OWN WEDDING. I don’t need to read anything else. In fact, I could care less how much this cost. This groom took charge, did something he loves, and made this wedding personal. He was engaged. ENGAGED. And I hope the bride loves home brew equipment because that takes up space. And I like his suit though I wish it was a tad darker. Their cake was nice with strawberries on top. And I like how he’s not wearing a vest. I know that, personally, the rest of the wedding details would annoy me for purely personal style issues and how it’s not really my scene, but, man, this guy, he’s awesome. They should be interviewing him for this magazine. Well done sir. Well done.
And the gals in the Eden Bridals ads look like they’re sneaking off to go to the bathroom. Not sexy. Not sexy at all.
