Wedding Day Recession Blues on MSNBC

We just spotted this article on MSNBC about the impact of the impending recession on wedding budgets and thought it was worth commenting on. It says that the average cost of a wedding — close to $29,000 — is expected to dip slightly for the first time this decade, and mentions ways that couples are saving money. For example, 48 percent of caterers reported that couples were spending less on their food.

We were glad to note that skimping on photography wasn't suggested in the article. Obviously, we're a bit biased as far as photography goes. But as a bride or groom, it's important to remember that your photography is one of the only things that lasts long after the wedding is over. Most of your other expenses — catering, florist, DJ, cake, hair — are gone as soon as the wedding ends. You and your bridesmaids most likely won't wear those fancy dresses again, either! But your photo album, on the other hand, becomes your new family's first heirloom. It will help you remember all those details, events, and emotions years later when the memories start to fade, and someday you can share it with your children and grandchildren. There's a wide range of skill levels and styles among wedding photographers, and degrees of quality in wedding albums. You'll get what you pay for, so think twice before going cheap!

The other thing in the article that concerned us was the descriptions of how the down economy has driven some vendors and venues out of business. Not only does this leave brides and grooms frantically searching for replacements after most other options have already been booked, but in most cases those couples never see refunds of their down payments. This happened recently in Tacoma when reception venue Stadium Bistro closed. Read about it here.

Wedding photography seems like it'll be really fun and easy until wannabe pros realize just how much hard work, time, and money go into it. That's when they give up and screw over their clients. Every year we book couples who are in a panic because their initial photographers have disappeared on them, and this year is no exception. For the sake of your family heritage, we encourage you to be very careful to book only established wedding vendors with excellent track records and at least a few years of experience. Ask your other vendors for recommendations, or ask your first choice of photographer to provide references, preferably from both clients and other wedding pros. The local "wedding industry" is pretty tight-knit and most of the top vendors know and support each other, and can make sure you're well taken care of with a high level of quality and professionalism. Recessions are temporary, but your photos will stick around for a lifetime!