Wedding Photos

The most common horror story I hear from brides goes like this: It's been a year and we still don't have our wedding photos (or they've been lost, or didn't turn out, or the photographer moved to Alaska).

As a pastor, I know that photographers (particularly wedding photographers) have had a rough time of late, with the advent of digital photography and all. But there is no doubt that wedding parties can save money with photography, or can discuss a good price, when it comes to quality photos. Sure, there are differences, a great photographer can take great pictures, and they are much sharper. But as I've talked to brides and grooms, most don't seem to want or need this type of exposure. They now want something they can have on their computer (a disk) or a few eight-by-tens that they can hang on the wall. They day of the wedding photo album is clearly on the way out.

So, bottom line. Be sure to check all your options with photography. You can save, save, save.

You Asked For It

Some time back I overheard a most telling conversation in a bridal shop. Two women were talking to each other and one asked: "So, how did you manage to find someone who would make a cake for two hundred people for that price?"

The answer: "I asked for it."

When planning any facet of your wedding, don't underestimate the power of asking for a certain price, or begin by telling your help your budget up front. If you say, "This is what I'm willing to spend. Can you do it for that?"--you'll be surprised at how often people will accomodate.

Location Savings

One of the best ways to save money on a wedding is to consider an outdoor, or alternative setting for the ceremony. If you can arrange to have the ceremony outside without much setup, the savings can be significant. Consider a beautiful natural setting--a lakeside, mountainside, poolside or wooded setting.

Over the years I've seen some fantastic outdoor weddings that were done with class and low cost, and the outcome was the same...there was a marriage!

Grooms

I've seen my fair share of weddings where the bride and her entourage are dressed to the hilt, but the groom and his guys are wearing tennis shoes. Is this the new fad in weddings? Are the men suppossed to dress down?

What do you think? What makes for a well-dressed ceremony?

Cake Anyone?

Wedding Savings

There are hundreds of ways to save money on weddings? Has anyone got a great idea they'd like to share with the masses?