Today is Valentines Day, so I thought I might tackle the topic of WHY people get married and what exactly weddings are all about. My two cents? Love. It’s about the love, people. It’s about the person whose eyes you want to stare into for the rest of your life. Its about celebrating that giddy once in a lifetime feeling. And celebrating it with the other wonderful people you love. Because love is special. So here’s my question. Does spending a ton of money on your wedding day make that love any more special? Seriously, does it?
Yesterday I sat down in a Starbucks with a potential client. I told her (as I do all of my clients) that she should meet with other photographers, see how their prices, products and photography differ from mine and most importantly see who they get along best with. As we talked she asked me why my prices are lower than other photographers. I explained that I keep my overhead low and keep things simple, you won’t get a lot of flashy packaging from me. The reason? I work hard to attract a particular type of couple. They’re the couple who reads the paragraph above answering, “Heck no! Money does not make our love any more incredible, amazing or breath-taking!. They are backyard brides, DIYers and often people who didn’t even know you could have custom designed wedding logos for your special day.
Depending on who you ask, the “average” cost of a wedding in 2009 was between $15,000 and $25,000. No kidding. With that money you could buy a car outright, put a nice down payment on a house or save for your child’s college fund. Or you could spend it on one day. One beautiful amazing day that you will cherish forever, but will go by in a flash.
If that number sounds absurd to you, don’t worry. You’re not alone. Lots of savvy incredible couples are taking the internet by storm, sharing their stories of beautiful, personal, sentimental, NOT average weddings that didn’t cost a fortune. So below I’m presenting you with a list of fabulous sites with real advice on maintaining your sanity while planning a wedding on a realistic budget and doing it all with style and grace.
If anyone wants to share their wedding planning stories, tips, tricks or photos please feel free to get in touch and I’d be happy to feature you!
Here are a couple photos of my best friend Michelle’s dress. She spent months looking for the perfect dress to reflect her style, coming finally to the realization that she needed something custom. That’s when her mother offered up her wedding dress and together they had it altered and rebuilt into the perfect dress. It was gorgeous, represented the importance of her family and tradition and came in well under budget.
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