GUEST BLOG POST: Wedding Season
June 08, 2011Wedding season is upon us, with the most popular months for weddings in this country being, in order, June, July, September, and August. Starry-eyed couples will no doubt have images of the Royal Wedding in mind as they plan their own fairy-tale nuptials. Across the country, florists are scrambling not just to assemble the usual profusions of roses and forget-me-nots, but to find leafy trees suitable for a church or temple.
The wedding of William and Kate was indeed a stupendous affair, well beyond the means and expectations of most commoners. Even so, there were some lessons to be learned on how to cut a few corners, without sacrificing all the pageantry. For example, William chose to forgo a wedding ring. Given the price of gold these days, that was quite a savings. He also borrowed his dad’s old car to drive his bride from the reception, instead of hiring a limo. As for Kate, she had her wedding gown, her bridesmaid’s dress, and her reception outfit all made by one designer, no doubt netting a huge discount. In fact, the dresses may have been free, though this has not been confirmed by the Palace.
In all seriousness, there were aspects of the Royal Wedding that budget-conscious brides and grooms might consider:
- Careful control of the invitation list. The expenses of a wedding are in direct proportion to the number of guests. For each guest, there is the cost of food, liquor, reception rentals, place settings and glassware to take into account. The quickest way to break the wedding budget is get sloppy or sentimental about the guest list. Even Will and Kate drew the line at U.S. Presidents and ex-in-laws.
- Control of timing. What’s important here is not only the day and time of the wedding, but its length, especially the reception. The Royals choose a Friday morning, which is usually a less expensive option than a Saturday evening. It was also quite apparent that they had everything timed to the second so as not to incur any unnecessary overtime charges from horsemen, harpists, and butlers. For example, the lunch reception at Buckingham Palace was planned for a crisp 2 hours 50 minutes, after which the bar was presumably closed.
- Focus on what’s important and memorable. Interesting that one of the most memorable moments of the Royal Wedding was the kiss, followed by an unscripted second kiss, on the Palace Balcony. A priceless moment which cost absolutely nothing. Couples planning for their own weddings might take this lesson to heart: the joy, the presence of friends and family, and the symbolism of the day, as opposed to the thread count of the reception napkins or the vintage of the wine, are what will be remembered. Where money should be spent is on one or two categories that are most important to the bride and groom. Often it is the photography, or perhaps the dress or honeymoon, that deserve some extra expense, while cutting costs in other areas will hardly be noticed.
One thing is for sure: Will and Kate are not starting their wedded lives with a lot of debt, aware, no doubt, that fights about credit card bills are a real bliss buster. For all those would-be princes and princesses out there, it’s a great example to follow.