I’ve been speaking to so many friends of mine in the wedding industry and they’re all telling me the same thing, the wedding industry is way down this year. Yes, people always are getting married, but instead of 150 or more guests the weddings are like 30-60 guests at a Country Club or even smaller at a local favorite restaurant. The brides are still buying their beautiful dresses, and the grooms are are still purchasing beautiful rings for their gals, but as far as the ceremonies and receptions, many are having a friend shoot the pictures, getting their flowers from a discount club, having a another friend playing music off an ipod and really cutting back on everything.
I see the main problem coming from the news media. When they report and tell the public is all gloom and doom, people get scared. As soon as they report that spending is up, things are getting better and gas is going down, there is an upturn of business.
A wedding is an once in a lifetime event, even if you need to cut back on certain things try not to forget that all thats left when its all over are the photographs that captured those memories. At least INVEST in a full time professional photographer. You don’t have to always have the Storybook Album, the extra enlargements and the engagement sessions, you can book an Ala Carte coverage and save thousands, then later if you want get a custom designed album. This way you get professional images you know will come out, and you get piece of mind that you wouldn’t have if you had your friend shoot snapshots and most of them came out blurred or the backs of your heads.
Anyone can have a beautiful wedding on a budget, just remember some of the priorities of keeping those memories forever and you’ll never regret it.
