I think 'wedding' services cost more for good reason....let's hear it!?

Question

Prompted by a question by a bride wanting to con her photographer into a cheaper package, I am curious what everyone thinks.......I feel like wedding services cost more due to the importance of the day and stress involved. Weddings are much different from a child's birthday, usually there are meeting to set things up, potential changes, hysterical brides, etc. I think that's why it costs more.......there is simply more at stake.

I have read posts by budget brides who complain about the cost and I am wondering, why do you complain instead of shopping within your budget....even if it means having a friend do the pics or flowers... or even the cake? Why rail at the vendors?

Or better yet, pick the most important element to you in the wedding and allow for the 'best' in that area and then budget the rest? I don't 'get' how people with the proverbial 'champagne taste on a beer budget' can continually blame others for their inability to get the very best for the very least?

Lara - not trying to pick a fight with you :-) but I am confused, aren't we all living within these monetary constraints? I mean, we all want a big, lavish house with a fancy car and a maid (lol....4 kids, I really want that damn maid!!!!)....if we should all be able to have the glamorous and lavish wedding we desire regardless of our income or budget, where does it stop? I think a fancy wedding is a priviledge, like a Mercedes or a 3 carat diamond...honestly, it's a priviledge that not everyone has....myself included.

And as for the person who pointed out about not having friends to provide wedding service, that's true....I just meant perhaps if you did. I realize you don't want your cake looking like it came from an Easy Bake oven nor the pictures like a 3 year old took them.......

Answer 1

I don't disagree that some people want everything for nothing and they're cheap and blah blah blah blah. I get your whole argument, I really do, and for the most part I agree with you.

But you also have to admit that there ARE vendors out there who charge more because they can, especially ones in areas where the competition isn't great. My husband paid almost $300 for a tux rental when his brother got married because the tux shop was the only one in the town where the wedding was held. When we got married, competition in our area kept the prices far more reasonable.

I think saying you're dealing with hysterical brides and the pressure on you is a cop out. If you think you're under pressure from one person, imagine how a couple feels under pressure from their families, their budget, each other, etc. Each vendor is just one small part in a very large wedding machine. If you want to talk about stress, I think that score goes to the bride and groom, and not so much to the wedding vendor. Realistically, the vendors will have other jobs, other weddings, other ways of redeeming themselves. Sure, they may feel bad if some bride's pictures or flowers or cakes get screwed up, but then they move on to the next job. Meanwhile, the bride and groom have memories of their wedding day colored by a bad experience.

I'm all for getting a fair price for good work, and I'm willing to pay more for quality goods and services. If you can justify your higher prices because you provide great service or an outstanding product, more power to you. I'm happy to pay for it when I know I am getting a good return on my investment.

But don't charge me double because you think you can or because you think I'm some nut job bride that's going to make your life hell. If you don't like the business, get out of it. Find a job where you don't have to deal with people you automatcally assume are hysterical and out to screw you out of your living.

Answer 2

As wedding professionals the insurance we carry is expencive. (to cut corners hire someone without insurance - doesn't sound like a good idea does it? Most of the venues around here don't even let you on the property without it) Advertizing is expencive.

Yes some do take advantage of Brides. But only the Brides who do not ask in detail what the price includes. I am a wedding officiant and I have had brides say they only want 20 minutes of my time, when 20 minutes doesn't even get me from here to their hall. I do a very custom ceremony and usually have a good 5 hours into every ceremony I do. I usually run about 20 minutes, am onsite an hour before statr time, provide my own PA and give them all a book with their words and a pretty certificate of marriage. There's a guy who charges the same as I do who refuses to meet with them before the ceremony, speaks 8 minutes of the same old blah blah blah, and shows up 5 minutes before start time.

A birthday party you dress far less formally than a wedding. And the time schedule is not as crutial. Weddings you leave time before and after just incase. Any lateness costs someone something that they have paid for.

Amount of communication before. The good professionals will check in on you, make sure that you're not stressing, all calls and emails will be returned within 24 hours.

If they are good and working full time it is insulting that you don't value their time and effort. If I let a couple chew me down to half price to come and do the 4 sentences that it takes to legally marry them, with no PA, no prep time before or on the day, this is what a room of 250 people and the staff of where ever the location is, will believe is a representation of what I do. They can find someone who offers what they want and I will stay available for a couple who is looking for what I do.

Price and level of service don't always go hand in hand. Some deals are no deal at all and some are stellar. Educating yourself is the best thing to do. Ask the Brides on your local chat board (the knot is huge 4 that) What questions should I ask when interviewing a ____ Another good question why did you pick your ___ over the others? Is there anything you wished you had asked when inerviewing ____

Answer 3

Some wedding services do cost more for a reason (eg the gown - more material, etc). However there are also many companies that gouge brides because they know every bride (or at least most), wants to be a "princess" and have a dream wedding. They quote a fee and no one questions it so they get that price. I don't see any reason why you can't get a better bargain for the same thing. In my case we have a large budget, but I don't necessarily want to max it out. Every time I have asked for a better deal, I have gotten a better offer. I'm not trying to scam anyone out of their hard-earned money. But I want to come to a price-point that I think is reasonable for the cost.

Answer 4

I think that many wedding vendors know that it's someone's special day and take advantage of it. They know that everyone will spend more than they should because they think..."I'll splurge...this is important." I believe also that wedding vendors very rarely get repeat customers, so they can't sell their product the same way as other types of businesses. (Assuming that a second wedding is usually cheaper and set up by different vendors).

On the other hand, I totally agree with your suggestions for alternatives and that people should be realistic about their budgets. Most people don't realize that the key to an elegant wedding is keeping everything simple, simple, simple. And simple is CHEAP. I see the gaudiest wastes of money at these events. I wish these people would save it for a house!

Answer 5

I have been on a bachelor party in vegas, and the worst thing we did was get more than one room. It ending up costing more than what a suite would have cost us, and we never used them! There were eight of us and trying to get everyone to go and do something at the same time was crazy because you will always have someone who is winning some money that doesn't want to quit gambling, and then there is always the friend who is losing money and doesn't know when to quit! I would say share the cost of his flight, or hotel room cost. I would also say take him to a nice dinner. After that he is on his own, especially if it is him insisting on going to vegas. Another crazy Idea is to drive from wherever ya'll are that will save everyone on the flight! I am doing that the weekend after NYE, and instead of $450 for each of us to fly to Vegas it is going to cost about $125 for each of us (4 People). Then we save money on a taxi also! Hope this helps~

Answer 6

You are very perceptive.

It IS a VERY important day.
But we buy into the fantasy that if a bride uses white tablecloths instead of colored ones, well she just isn't doing it right. How dare she make such a faux pas!

It is true that there are some vendors that do increase the price for a wedding because the market can stand the increase. But not all are out to gouge.And yes, it is a VERY stressful time. Yet you know something? You can get married without all this fanfare. But you cannot get married without someone legal to marry the couple and sign those documents, yet we are the least paid of all the wedding services.

People complain that it's a shame ministers charge a fee. Well, I won't apologize for having to feed my family.
I write a ceremony specifically for a couple to represent who they are & the love they share. I am "on call' to help, settle nerves & answer questions. I invest many hours into a wedding. And I'm not the only one.
I am not the most expensive in the area, nor am I the least. But I am a bargain!

It is wonderful when a couple recognizes this.

I'm sorry I got on my soapbox about this.

Answer 7

I don't think there is anything wrong with wanting the best, even when you can't afford it. When it comes down to it, this is the (hopefully) one time in our lives we are making such a huge step, and we want it to be perfect. To alot of people, myself included, we can only imagine having the very best of everything to complete our perfect day, and it's really ashame that money is the biggest factor in hindering our lavish ideas. Just because we don't make six figures, does not mean our wedding should not be as glamorous and elegant as those who do- but such is life right?

and for the record and because I see the suggestion made all the time, not every single person getting married has the luxury of knowing a 'friend of the family' who is a florist, photographer, cake designer, dress maker (yup, seen that suggestion, too), etc. In fact, I know none of the above.



...which is why I resort to simply complain. ;)

Happy Friday!

Answer 8

Well, I know that my parents paid a lot of money to ensure that my wedding was beautiful, and they said it was well worth it. But, there are plenty of vendors out there who are charging ridiculous amounts of money and not providing adequate service. Some vendors raise their prices due to competition, but do not raise the level of their services along with the monetary hike. If you are paying for a service at a increased price because it is a wedding, then the vendor better provide services equal to that price. You should get what you pay for, and unfortunately, as far as weddings go, this is often not true. You often find your paying for an increased service charge because of a wedding,but not receiving any better services than another event.

Answer 9

i agree with you to a certain extent, and as a budget bride I have researched extensively and gone for the best that I can afford within my budget. However, one classic example is this, my "wedding dress" is not a wedding dress, it is a simple cocktail dress. I emailed several dress makers asking for quotes, they ranged from £500 to £700. When I called and asked for a quote for a cocktail dress, they quoted me £180 - £250 for the exact same pattern. How can they justify that, fair enough if it was a "proper" wedding dress and warranted a lot of work, but it didn't. Also, things like room hire are usually bumped up, for a wedding one venue quoted me £3000 room hire charge, when I called asking about a family party they quoted £1500 for the same room and same service. We are not using that venue I may add, we are having ours at home (no room hire charge lol).

Answer 10

I feel the bridal prices are based on the quality of the service you are requesting. Unfortunately for those of us with smaller budgets, things might not be as "perfect" as we imagined them to be. Woe to those with bigger eyes than pocket books.


Take, for example, a $3000 photographer. You will have more pictures taken at the wedding.. They'll be available in a variety of sizes. They'll be properly touched up, and more creative. And you'll probably recieve them on time, if not earlier.

Better example: I've worked at an upscale bridal boutique, where the price ranged from $3000 to $7000 dresses. We waited on our brides hand and foot, from extra chairs for family/friends, getting everything they requested from our stock, getting water if need be, and recommending simple destressing techniques if the pressure was too much. We rarely got complaints.

Vendors may have high prices, but the benefits are amazing.