Wedding Wreck Wednesday!

Okay..it is truly their parents fault!

What's in for 09!

In 2009, the number of couples getting married will remain steady overall at about 2.2 million. If the economy begins to recover, we may see a slight increase; however, if we see more economic turmoil the number of weddings will decline in 2009 as couples wait for the economy to recover. Spending will follow the same trend, except that overall spending will be down 10% over 2008, which is already seeing a decline of 20-30%. In 2009, we estimate the average wedding cost to be between $21,000 and $25,000.

2009 Trends

Most trends in 2009 will relate to saving money with the exception of a few. We expect other money saving trends to emerge.

• Smaller weddings with fewer guests
• Destination weddings or destination type weddings closer to home
• Accent colors on dresses and cakes with the most popular being greens and blues
• Increased reliance on family and friends to help plan, pay, and provide some of the services
• Increased use of green and echo friendly products and services
• Simplified decorations, centerpieces and wedding invitations
• Increased use of online RSVP’s vs. traditional mail-in RSVPs
• Off-peak weddings; Mornings, Afternoons, Fridays, Sundays, October becomes the new June
• Buffet meals, Hors d’oeuvre, and cocktail receptions
• Cheesecakes, cupcakes and miniature cakes
• All-inclusive packages

Happy New Year!

Wedding Dates that your guests might rather be somewhere else.

Most of the wedding articles you'll read will tell advice on the best wedding dates to have the best weather and the biggest discounts. What they don't tell you is what the WORST wedding dates are. Here are wedding dates you'll surely want to avoid when planning:

• New Year's and Christmas (Anywhere between the 23th of December and the 5th of January) Thanksgiving (In US, the fourth Thursday of November. In Canada, the second Monday of the month.


• Valentine’s Day (unless you are willing to spend more) – Although many couples pick this date out for their wedding, it could be something to re-consider especially if you have a limited budget. Not only would flowers cost too much around this season but venues would also have high-time high rates as restaurant reservations and venues are in-demand for functions and romantic dinners.


• Mother’s Day or Father’s Day – Like Valentine’s Day, flowers would not be cheap during this time and reservation rates in restaurants and venues would be at its peak.


• Prom Season – Flowers, venues and transportation hire would be too expensive at this time of the year, so it would be wise to avoid this date when choosing your wedding date.


• Final Four/March Maddness- (April 4 and 6, 2009)


• In the US, the weekend before April 15 - tax day! Okay, probably no one would rather be doing taxes, but they might be a little stressed out!


• Memorial Day weekend (May 25, 2009)


• Daylight savings time If you're having a Sunday wedding on daylight savings weekend, will your guests remember to change their watches and get to the wedding on time? It is more of a problem in the spring (when the US springs forward) than in the fall (falls back) as its better for guests to be an hour early than an hour late.


• Labor Day weekend While some wedding experts say these both Labor Day and Memorial Day are good days to get married (as you'll likely find cheaper rates on venues and vendors, and your guest will have three days to travel), I find that wedding guests often have other plans for these weekends. It's also harder and more expensive to travel on those weekends.


• Religious observance. If you are Jewish, or many of your guests are Jewish, you may wish to avoid Friday evening weddings, and Saturday weddings before sundown. You'll want to consult a Jewish calendar before setting your date. Don't marry on Rosh Hashanah (Begins at sundown: Sept. 18, 2009) or Yom Kippur (10 days after Rosh Hashanah). Most synagogues frown on marriages during the Days of Awe (the 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur), as that is a very busy time. Depending on your community or denomination, you may be able to get married immediately after Passover, or may have to wait until after either Yom HaShoah or Shavout.


• If you are Christian, or many of your guests are Christian, you'll want to avoid Holy Week (from Palm Sunday Weekend through Easter Sunday - generally late March to early April), and Christmas weddings. Some churches find Sunday weddings after the service a joyful celebration of the Sabbath, others frown on a wedding during the day of rest. Check with your congregation to be sure. Also, be aware that December is a busy month for most Christians, and thus it is better to plan a wedding for a different month if many of your guests are Christian.


• If you are Muslim, or many of your guests are Muslim, be aware that Shawwal is considered a favorable time for a wedding, but the sacred months of Muharram and Ramadan are very bad times for a wedding. Many Muslim weddings occur on Sunday. You'll want to consult your mosque before selecting a date, of course.
  
  Before you pay non-refundable deposits, or send out save-the-dates, avoid disaster by making sure your wedding doesn't fall on one of these dates.