Times are tough. As a result, the cost of “the average American wedding” has dropped by thousands, as wedding couples face the decision of having a big wedding OR saving up for the now-required down payment on a house that has become an unheard-of obstacle to the American Dream (in their lifetimes) until recently; and worried parents may be reluctant to tap what’s left of their withered 401K’s. Or worse–somewhere among the couple and the parents, one or more may have lost their job and income. Certainly everybody is cutting back on the use of credit–which is good, because there’s not as much credit around as there used to be. There just plain isn’t as much money–whether green or plastic–to throw around these days. And nobody has stopped holding their breath to see if it’s maybe going to get even more difficult before it gets better.
This has brought about a resurgence in traditional “church” weddings, which are beautiful, traditional, and can help cut costs dramatically. Another option for brides who long for their opportunity to wear that beautiful gown and have their wedding albums reflect classic, traditional surroundings is: miniaturize.
Many cities–even small towns in outlying areas–have beautiful bed-and-breakfasts, often in painstakingly-restored Victorian homes, with interior décor to match. Usually these will offer an affordable wedding package, but with limited space, trimming the size of the guestlist down to your nearest and dearest–somewhere between 30 and 50, depending on the particular place. Often a weekday ceremony will be substantially less than weekend rates, and with this smaller group of guests, it’s possible that a weekday just might work out.
Sometimes the “package” is just for the use of the facility; sometimes it comes with an Officiant; sometimes for a bit extra you can get a small cake and champagne. For whatever the package does not include, the management will no doubt have arrangements with bakers, florists, photographers, even caterers if you should wish to present a light meal or some hors d’oevres–and part of these “arrangements” should be to save you money because you were referred to them. (Just in case, shop around; if you can do better for those services, and are confident of the quality you’re being offered, get them elsewhere. Also, “catering” may be overshooting the mark for a group of this size–one or two close friends could probably do hors d’oevres for up to 50 between them.)
The argument against this small-scale lavishness is obvious: why spend all that money on a wedding gown, cake, etc., for just a few people? Well, lots of reasons–the best one being that maybe the people who matter the most to you, are enough. Maybe, while economizing, you still want your wedding ceremony to be something that’s a step up from “everyday life”–that is, elegant and memorable. And maybe you want your wedding album to still hold all the classic shots with a beautiful background, in the dress that was the one part of the dream you really didn’t want to give up. Is that shallow? Your children will be looking at those pictures one day. You may want the message to be: our wedding was something special, something worth dressing up for.
I recently spoke with the owner of one such place, located in a quaint “Bavarian” town nestled in the mountains, a beautiful 2-1/2 hour drive from Seattle: Leavenworth. Although not an overnight bed-and breakfast, The Wedding Haus is a restored, redecorated Victorian home (seen above) providing a special-occasion atmosphere and opulent backdrops for photos. The owner, Ellie Ownbey, reports that they have, in fact, seen an upswing in business this year in spite of the recessionary tightening of the purse strings–perhaps as couples do seek to grasp the romance of all the frills while slashing bills. So–more people, spending less, can be good for the smaller wedding venues.
If you’re more focused on your ceremony itself than a huge, rocking party afterwards, this can be an elegant and long-remembered way to host those closest to you at this important time.
