65 Days - The High Cost of Weddings

The average cost of a wedding in the United States is $19,581.  (What does The Onion think about that number?)  $19,581 is actually a drop in average wedding costs.  In 2007 the average cost of a wedding in the United States was around $27,000! (EEK)

According to CostOfWedding.com, DC weddings on average cost couples between $27,342 and $45,570 total.  They go on to say that couples should expect to pay, on average, 50 to 100 percent more when choosing well-experienced professionals, designer labels, popular event locations, unique or custom products and services.

A DC budget wasn't a Rachel and Sam budget.  Thankfully, we're not alone.  CNN outlined a few tips for people planning their weddings on a budget by using creative methods and give mention to two blogs I have been following.  Check it out!

Here are a few ways that we have tried to save on wedding planning:

• DIY projects - centerpieces, cake topper, tiered cupcake holder, and other decor
• Booking a non-hotel venue
• Shopping unlikely wedding shops for sales - Saks, Anthropologie, and Marshalls
• Exhaustive research and internet shopping
• Finding non-established vendors for stationary
• Asking for help
• Cutting our budget and then cutting it again.

Just some thoughts!  We're open to more ideas if you want to share! 

OK. Back to the invites :-)

337 Days - $10 Challenge: Cake Topper Edition

In an effort to continue to save money on our wedding planning, Sam issued me a Cake Topper Challenge! He wanted to see if I could find a cake topper for $10. Ask and you shall receive, honey! I give you the Cake Topper Kit from Etsy seller GooseGrease:

For $10, my bridesmaid, Laura and I are going make a custom cake topper for Sam's and my wedding! I am super thrilled because not only do I love a bargain, but I love that it will be personal to Sam and me.

Hopefully, Sam's next money-saving challenge will be this easy. . .

407 Days - You have got to be kidding!

I left a message with the reception venue yesterday to tell the catering manager I was ready with a credit card to put down our deposit. Today, he called me to tell me that there was a five percent surcharge for using credit cards. WHAT! Five percent is a pretty hefty amount when it comes to the costs of renting a reception venue and all the related catering costs. The crazy thing is that I have done quite a bit of research on credit card rules. (I am doing work on credit card interchange fees). According to Visa's rule book, merchants aren't allowed to charge surcharges to consumers. The same thing goes for the small merchants that put up signs with $10 minimum purchases - not allowed!

Even though I know these rules, I don't plan on calling Visa to tattle. Why, you may ask? Yes, it would be a lot easier to just charge my credit card, but I don't want to upset my vendor. I would like to build a good relationship with our catering manager. The last thing I want is for an "accidental" cake drop on our wedding day. (I don't think that would actually happen, but I don't want any bad feelings. I feel like our venue is one of the best deals in DC. So we will pay by check and spread the costs out over a longer period of time and all will be well.)

426 Days - Continued

I just got an email from theknot.com telling me that we are 14 months away from the wedding.  WEIRD!!  I feel like I should let The Knot know that we are also a week and a half away from Sam completing the Bar Exam.  We are 35 days away from going to the North Country for my friends, Michelle & Casey's wedding, and my sister's bridal shower.  We are one month and two weeks away from helping my youngest sister settle in at GWU.  At some point in the next month and a half, we will be looking at apartments in NoVa. We are also 85 days away from my sister and her fiancé's wedding.

The email said I should work on my budget.  Thank you, The Knot, for the reminder.

El Budget

So one of the factors that may really put a damper on planning a DC wedding is our budget. According to www.costofwedding.com, the average cost of a wedding in our area is between $27,284 and $45,641. EEK! After picking up our jaws off the floor, we thought realistically about that price range. Sam and I consider that amount to be a really good down payment on a house and definitely not appropriate for a one day party, albeit a fabulous party. So without giving you too many details about the finances, we do not intend to pay ANYWHERE near that much.

One of the good things about starting our wedding planning now is that it gives us an opportunity to shop around and look for good deals. My sister is getting married in October of this year and she has graciously gifted me with her copy of Bridal Bargains, which I have been scouring for ways to save money on our big day. I also picked up a copy of The DIY Wedding, which has given me a lot of ideas on how to save money, while also adding some personal and environment-friendly touches to our big day.

I am also a firm believer is researching what other brides have done to save money. So I have been checking out wedding blogs for inspiration. Some of the best ones I have found are Style Me Pretty, A Practical Wedding, Snippet & Ink, and Etsy Wedding. What I like about these blogs is that they provide ideas of how a couple can create a wedding that is meaningful and personal without giving in to the hype of the bridal industry. That's the goal - a wedding weekend that is meaningful, personalized and budget-friendly.