How is the current economy effecting your wedding?

[mintve]

When I started planning our wedding about 8-9 months ago, things were much different than they are now. How is the current state of the economy effecting your wedding?

Here are some ways I can think of for our wedding:

1. fewer family from out of state will be able to attend
2. rather than a WB w/ diamonds, I will likely get a plain band
3. with layoffs, we helping family members by paying for my sister''s BM dress, FG dresses and the tuxes for our nephews
4. we are not having a get away car, we will use a family car and decorate it

I could go one, but those are some I can think of off the top of my head.

I think the one that is the hardest is the family that won''t be able to make it

 

[lauralu]

Hubby2be and I recently (as in September) just came thru a series off lay offs and now we are doing really well at a time when so many others are just starting to go thru what we had.

We planned on having a small celebration anyway, however I am still looking at cutting corners just because of the feeling we have and know all to well. That things can change on a dime, so I am a little bit frightened of spending to much, just in case... I am also looking into a plain wedding band and hoping to get the eternity diamond band for our first anni.

As far as it effecting others. Everyone we planned on inviting will still attend. We do not have anyone coming from out of state or more than 4 hours away.

 

[lala2332]

I''ve just started plannig, so don''t yet exactly how it will effect me.

BUT I think the downturn in the economy is a good reminder that yes, a wedding is special and you will (hopefully) only do it once, but that there are more important and practical ways to spend/save that money than having the most lavish blowout ever. Its what I keep reminding myself everytime I start to let bridal magazines and others start to overwhelm and push me towards something that is not whay I want or that my parents need right now.

 

[violet02]

This is a really interesting topic.

My stepbrother is getting married Feb of 2010 and they are already starting to make some extravagant plans. He works in an industry that depends heavily on sales and with people saving more and spending less on the types of items he sells I think that may be a problem. Also they are relying heavily on my family and his fiances family to put up a lot of money when both families have taken a big hit in the stock market.

Last year we sold some stock to help finance our wedding. We did it just before our October wedding. Had we waited until afterwards we''d have lost a LOT since the stock market tanked after that. We got lucky. Right now there is a lot of job uncertainty. I bet we''d have had to change things a bit since neither of us know how things will go this year for sure.

 

[Winks_Elf]

We are inviting only close family (first and second cousins, aunts and uncles, etc...no third cousins or friends of parents unless they've been actively involved in our lives all of our lives) and SUPER close friends only.

We will not be having limos, are looking for money saving ways to do things, and I even bought my gown off Ebay! Brand new, $43...about $52 with shipping. I'll probably spend more than that on the shoes and the headpiece, but I am a bargin hunter, and know that I'll get a good deal.

The major expense is the reception, and we have budgeted a strict amount for that. If we have to trim the guest list a bit, so be it. The next big expenses will be the DJ, photographer, flowers, and of course the gifts for the bridal party. For the rings, he's proposing with his mother's engagement ring and a family diamond, I traded a pair of earrings for my platinum and diamond wedding band, and he wants a Tungsten ring so that won't be very expensive.

We are not only looking at getting married in 9 months, but moving in together in 5 months! That's a lot to swallow in one year. While we will save a little combining households, it's going to be an expensive start up to pay deposits or a downpayment. Still not sure if we'll be renting or buying, but I have a feeling it will be renting for at least a year or two.

 

[sba771]

While I don''t have specific places where it is going to effect it yet (since my wedding is 1/2011) my mom did say that a lot of the money she had invested to pay for the wedding is now gone. I am glad that I bought the dress before the market tumbled this badly so at least 1 somewhat large purchase is paid off already.

 

[bee*]

We''re getting married in June and have been planning the wedding for the past 14 months. Nothing has really changed with us in terms of our planning as I shopped around for deals from the beginning as I didn''t want to spend lots of cash on things in the first place. So far all of our guests can make it.

 

[mayachel]

We are extremely lucky, that at the moment, our lives aren''t being directly affected by the economy, but it is still in our minds as we are planning. We are savers, so the money for the wedding is a little crazy feeling. I''d say because our wedding isn''t till late summer of 2010, our biggest hesitation is the fear of what is still to come. Will we make financial choices now, that will be difficult for us in a year? I hope not.

 

[modernsparkler]

My parents have been very lucky but since they are paying for the lion''s share of the wedding, I have been trying to cut some costs to tone things down a bit. One of the recent changes has been bye bye open bar, hello beer, wine, champagne cocktails, and one signature drink. The coordinator has told us that could cut our bar bill by 40% compared to a totally open bar.

 

[DMBFiredancer]

i am afraid that not as many people from out of state will be able to afford to attend. when all is said and done, airfare / hotel / etc adds up to a lot to attend our wedding...and i''m starting to feel guilt that i hadn''t felt before. i am starting to feel so bad for the people who WILL say yes and still spend the $ to come out during these rough times...i need to get over that, though and remember that they are spending it for a good reason.

 

[elrohwen]

Our budget was tiny to begin with, so nothing has really changed with us. Lol. Of course if one of us gets laid off or something we''ll have to do some scrambling (it''ll probably just mean postponing the honeymoon for a while) but right now we''re still making the same amount so our budget is the same.

It''s possible that less people will be able to come than would have in a better economy, but I guess we don''t have anything to compare against so we''ll never know. As far as I know, all of my friends still have jobs so I don''t think the economy will affect their decision to come. Especially if airfare is cheaper, they might be more likely to come.

 

[katamari]

FI and I always wanted to be cost conscious and to not break our parents'' banks. However, the economy is certainly making it easy for us to stay grounded and draw a strict line between necessary and opulent. The biggest thing we are doing is having a very casual party instead of a formal reception to celebrate our wedding.