Comments on: An open letter to the Wedding Industrial Complex

By: jenna

jenna — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:12:59 +0000

I agree with you totally on everything except the food. I do remember food at weddings, because I remember it at all events. I love food, I love tastes, I love different flavors. I never complain about bad food even if it is genuinely bad (and most wedding food is – as well as being overpriced – if it’s going to cost that much it should at least be GOOD. But of course not. Oh no, for $100 a head you get Wedding Chicken and Vegetables a la Canne). So while I am with you 100% on everything else, really, good food is important. Some people do notice what they are eating, even at a wedding. They’d never be so rude as to complain (well, some would, but I’m not one of them) but wouldn’t it be nice if they did eat something that was truly yummy? I didn’t say fancy, or expensive. I said yummy. I think you can have the latter without the two formers.

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By: The Business of “I Do” | Girls Guide to the Galaxy

The Business of “I Do” | Girls Guide to the Galaxy — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 16:14:36 +0000

[...] are big business. Some utter the words “recession proof,” some call it highway robbery. Whatever you think, Till death do us part, translates into a lot of green for vendors peddling an [...]

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By: Holly

Holly — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:41:20 +0000

As a Honda-driving, mutt-owning Mama from the midwest, I hear ya sister. Good luck with all the prep and let me know if a crafty sister can lend a hand!

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By: Kim

Kim — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:12:15 +0000

As someone who just did this, I do recommend our venue, The Falls, in Columbia. They are an all-inclusive provider and will work with you on their packages to add or subtract items. You get a lot for your money.

But yeah, otherwise, if you avoid the word “wedding” the price is a lot less.

I did my own flowers and centerpieces, menu cards and programs.

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By: mokie

mokie — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:49:06 +0000

When it comes to chapels and meeting halls, I think the pricing started as a response to problems. Some couples, caught up in “our day,” make inconsiderate nuisances of themselves by running over time and disrupting the rental schedule, rearranging the space (I’ve heard of altar flower arrangements, paid for by churchgoers as memorials, going missing entirely), taking over other areas of the church (eg. Sunday school classrooms) for their own use, and not cleaning up after themselves when it’s all over.

The higher fee is effectively an informal security deposit.

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By: Alexis

Alexis — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:10:24 +0000

i’m not married and am by no means a wedding expert, but here’s a few things that friends have done to cut down costs or that i can think of that might cut it down:
1. the first commenter mentioned cupcakes instead of a cake. my friend did that. they got a bunch of white cupcakes at sam’s, put them on a tiered display-type-thing, and then had a smaller cake just for tradition. it was cheap and quite pretty – nobody even noticed it was cupcakes until they got up close.
2. if you’re planning for a wedding in a “warm” month, i had a friend use a gazebo at a local park. he did tower grove, but there are tons of other parks that have little gazebos. you could tell them it’s for a family reunion – not really lying, just adjusting the truth a little. they probably rent for less than traditional spots.
3. pick wildflowers the day of or the day before to make bouquets. you can store them in a fridge to keep them ready for the ceremony/reception.
4. one friend had the simplest of decorations: white christmas lights. they sparkled everything up, were cheap, and, since they were just white, looked pretty classy.
good luck!

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By: Tricia

Tricia — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:49:17 +0000

Annie, I agree with you! I too am a Mid-Western girl, also not to be taken as a push over. I have run into the same problems as you and it sickens me and left me in tears. No longer will I be another victim of the Wedding Machine. I lucked out with my reception space, as the woman was very understanding and gave us the space for free, as long as we could open up the venue (it’s a Public House) to the public around 8:00 pm. It was a great compromise, seeing our wedding is late afternoon/early evening wedding. I’ve wound up making my own bouquets out of fake flowers, as 4 bridesmaid bouquets and one bridal bouquet of Gerber Daises would cost $900.00. When it comes time for the cake, I’m ordering a cupcakes and I’m telling the baker it’s for a family reunion. My bridesmaids are crafty queens, and we made all the invites and decor and it hasn’t even come to 1/10 what it would cost.
While I too, cannot lie, I’ve learned to become very good at it. It’s the only way I can win at this Wedding Machine.

Best of luck and congratulations!

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By: An open letter to the Wedding Industrial Complex | Girls Guide to … | weddingsetc

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:13:52 +0000

[...] See the original post here: An open letter to the Wedding Industrial Complex | Girls Guide to … [...]

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