Diaries of an Event Planner-Weddings in a Recession

Wedding season is in full swing and our calendar is pretty full. A positive sign in difficult times. The challenge we are facing this season, more than in the past years, is BUDGET. Couples are coming to us with smaller budgets and the deals we were able to make previously are not as easy to negotiate.

We want our clients to enjoy their day without the worry of budget, so we have had to get more creative than ever before. And to be honest, this budget challenge has become the best part of the planning process.

We have called on the help of friends and family of our couples to contribute their talents to help create the day envisioned by their bride and groom and the outcome to date has been extraordinary.

Take for example a couple whose who had really wanted live music to play during their outdoor ceremony but whose music budget allowed for little more than a DJ with a smoke machine! Through light conversation, we discovered the groom, Best Man and two of the three groomsmen were in a garage band. So I got to thinking how sweet it would be if the groomsmen played the music for the ceremony. Long shot, right? But why not ask? So I called up the Best Man and he took the idea even further. As the bride walked down the aisle, the Best Man and a groomsman on guitar, another groomsman on base and the third groomsman on harmonica, all standing at the front of the aisle played their own version of "here comes the bride". Both the bride and groom were awestruck and beyond touched, the guests loved it and most importantly a unique, and very memorable moment was created for zero dollars!!! (We will post pictures of this moment in the near future).

This is just one of the ways we saved this couple money; the bride's aunt made and jarred strawberry jam for the couple to give away as "thank you" favors and the centerpieces were large vases filled with citrus fruit.

This weddng was the smallest budget we have ever had to work with and dare I say it, the most fun wedding I have had the priveledge to plan!