You’ve said, “Yes!” and you can’t wait to plan the big day. That is until you actually start planning and realize that this day may cost way more than you ever thought. Even if it’s bound to be one of the most memorable days of your entire life, it’s hard not to ask, “why do weddings cost so much?”
A Wedding is More Than a Party
The average American wedding costs $33,900. This is a big number at first glance, but when it comes to adding up the expenses of your big day, there’s a lot to consider. The fact is your wedding is not just some party. There is a lot more that goes into a once in a lifetime event like a wedding. Most parties are planned to be fun and memorable for all involved, but your wedding is a day that will have way more sentimental value and higher expectations. Your wedding day is one that you’ve likely dreamt about for a while and will look back on for generations. You want everything to be exactly as you want it to be, and frankly—the expertise that goes with vendors helping you do so is important and of value.
A wedding guest list is the first place where the dollar signs start adding up. Wedding guest lists are ones that are comprised of an eclectic group of people–those who have meant the most to you and your fiancé through your individual (and combined) years. To treat them to a lovely meal and entertainment, as well as a glorious ceremony in which you get to be the center of attention? That’s like taking all the people in your life to a nice restaurant for a fancy meal with apps, wine, and dessert. When it comes to weddings, you essentially are doing those things for a large group of people plus providing the venue and entertainment. That just adds up way faster than you might imagine it would.
Time Is Money
The old adage is true. Time IS money, and you spend a lot of vendor time planning the details of your wedding before the big day. Pricing reflects the pre and post-wedding day time your vendors invest to make your day perfect. The time you spend with your vendors is consuming, and you don’t even see all the time they put into prep and after-the-fact.
Take your photographer for example. Photo editing alone takes hours and hours of precise selection and touching up, often four times the amount of time it actually took to take the pictures. As does the work florists do, with regard to prepping flowers for the big day.
There is a belief that vendors mark their prices up simply because it is a wedding. No one is really trying to increase pricing because it’s a wedding; in fact, we’re working our hardest to ensure you have the best day you can have within your budget. We’re happy when you’re happy, but a wedding is a time-consuming event that definitely requires our full attention.
Weddings Take A Team
There are a lot of moving parts and a lot of consultations between key vendors on your team. AN experienced wedding professional knows that your day is made better when the vendors are working together like a well-oiled machine. This may mean lots of communication prior to the wedding and even meeting at the venue without you to talk about logistics. When the job is easier on vendors because they’ve already got so much figured out when it comes to who does what and what their needs and expectations are for the day. All of this pre-work is factored into pricing, but it is truly to make the day absolutely perfect.
You Pay for Experience
A wedding costs as much as it does because you are paying for professional experience. Often, that’s invaluable. Sure, you can rely on friends and family to do some things, but paying a professional vendor takes so much of the anxiety and worry about something going wrong out of the picture. If your aunt is doing the flowers, but she gets sick the week or day of your wedding, then what? If your neighbor’s sister does wedding cakes for friends, that’s great…but if something goes wrong on her end, it’s a favor she’s offering, and you’re out of luck.
The experience and reliability you gain with professional vendors is priceless, and since it’s one of the biggest days of your life, paying for their experience is worth it.
Weddings Seem Expensive Because Budgets Are Not Set In Reality
A reputable wedding vendor is not going to gouge you with elevated pricing. Too often, a couple will come to vendor consultations with an unrealistic budget because they just don’t know what things cost. Most couples have no experience in wedding planning, so they really do not understand the pricing and all that goes into wedding costs.
The good news is that while a wedding is expensive, we want to help it be the day of your dreams and fit your budget at the same time. We can help you prioritize what’s important for your wedding goals and make them happen. While it’s true that weddings cost money, true professionals just want you to have the best day ever within your budget and we love helping you figure out how to do so.
If you would like to chat more about your floral or planning needs for your wedding please make sure to reach out!
