The recession can make it hard to focus on the bride when the bill for the wedding is looming.

"I think that brides today are not giving up their dreams of their weddings because of the economy," she said. "They’re just taking that same appropriated money and putting it in different locations."

For example, if a bride wants a big, fancy cake, she might spend more money there and less on flowers, Diehl said.

Brides seem to be sticking pretty tight to their budgets, she said, and while they’re not likely to cut back too much, they’re also not splurging like they used to.

"It seems overall, worldwide, brides are not looking to cut their budget," she said. "… But now they’re sticking to budgeted amounts, doing more unique things, so they can still fulfill all the dreams they’ve had."

Wedding experts say there are a number of things couples can do to get the most matrimonial bang out of their buck. They include:

• Checking out bridal shows. They can be a great way to find everything you need with one-stop shopping, Diehl said. Whether it’s cakes or dresses, bridal shows typically offer a wide selection for wedding planning that can fit any budget.
   
• Finding a low-cost location. A lot of brides are looking to destination weddings to save a little money, said Lisa Breault, bridal consultant and assistant manager of Elaine’s Wedding Center in Green Bay. Don’t be fooled — destinations do not have to be exotic and tropical. They could be as close as your own backyard.
   
• Deciding on a different day. Couples don’t have to get married on a Saturday and more are starting to look to other days when prices may be a little bit less and venues may not be quite as busy. Plan a wedding that skips the meal — either earlier in the day or later at night — and you’ll cut your costs, Breault said.
   
• Considering taking on some of the wedding-related duties yourself. If you have the time, make your own invitations, decorations and save the date notes. A number of brides are e-mailing invitations these days as well, Breault said.
   
• Looking online for deals on favors, bridal party gifts and even dresses. But it’s important to be careful and read the fine print and find out ahead of time about return policies.

LOCATION:  Carnival Glory  |  DATE:  August 22   |  GUESTS:  About 20

Our first Bride On The Brink for July will set sail August 22 for a Caribbean cruise with her groom-to-be, a few wedding guests—and it’s also her groom’s family reunion! Talk about a family affair!

Q. When did you start your wedding planning?

A. I became engaged in March 2008. We had already planned since last March to go on a cruise for my fiance’s family reunion in August 2009. I wasn’t sure when I was going to set a wedding date, what type of wedding I wanted to have, and whether it would be in Mississippi, where I’ve lived for the past 12 years, or New York, where my sisters and I grew up, or North Carolina, where my parents live. I actually started planning in May 2009. (Wow! Talk about waiting until the last minute! S) Once we decided the cruise would be a great place to have the wedding, it was a matter of [making arrangements.] We’ll set sail for a seven-day Western Caribbean cruise to Cozumel, Costa Maya, Belize and the Bahamas.

Q. So what’s the most important thing on your mind right now?

A. Right now, I’m just hoping we have good weather and no hurricane. Oh, and I hope the H1N1 flu doesn’t strike.

Q. What’s been the most stressful or difficult part of preparing for your wedding.

A. I like to think I’m “too blessed to be stressed.” Fortunately, the stress is minimal since the [cruise line] is taking care of all the details. The most difficult part was trying to coordinate with my fiance’s family members who had been booked on the cruise for months, since it’s their family reunion. I’ve had to work with the airlines to rearrange [our] flights, which we booked in January. Luckily, I got a sympathetic airline representative in customer service who was happy to help.

Q. Would you have done anything differently?

A. I would have booked [the cruise] earlier.

Q. What’s been the best part of your wedding planning?

A. My fiance is a stickler for being on time and setting deadlines. And he’s great with finances. With that in mind, I knew I had to set a budget and stick to it to keep the harmony. I’m happy that my fiance was okay with having a wedding during his family’s cruise.

Q. You really waited until the last minute to start your wedding planning. Do you have any last-minute details to take care of?

A. My sisters and I are still shopping for bridesmaids dresses. I ordered my own cute cake topper…and plan to order some gifts for the wedding party, like personalized candle keepsakes and mints. I’ll also want to order personalized napkins and a few other favors.

Q. How has the current economy affected your wedding plans?

A. The economy has had an impact on my wedding in a number of ways. This is the second wedding for both of us. We both lost our spouses several years ago to cancer. As far as the wedding, neither one of us was trying to recreate our first wedding experience. So we’ve saved a lot of money by not having a traditional wedding with dozens of guests. Originally, I wanted to go to Hawaii for my honeymoon. But, I’m happy we get to turn a family cruise into our honeymoon. By deciding to have a shipboard wedding, we’ve been able to pay cash for everything in advance and won’t have any credit-card debt when we come back from our honeymoon. I’ll still have a few more bells and whistles, like a limo to take us to our ship. My parents and 13 of my fiance’s family members will go on the cruise, but because of the tough economic times, my sisters and aunt will not be able to come on the cruise. But I’m happy they will be part of the wedding ceremony and reception. I still plan to have an informal celebration/reception when we return for other friends and family who weren’t able to attend. I am having a knock-off designer wedding dress made for under $300, but I won’t know if I’ve made a good choice or not until I receive it. (I’ve secretly fantasized that, as a back-up plan, first-lady Michelle Obama will let me borrow her inauguration gown.)

Q. Any words of wedding-planning wisdom for your best friend?

A. I would tell my friend that, at the end of the day, it’s YOUR WEDDING. If you can afford to have the wedding of your dreams, go for it. If money is a concern, there are always less-expensive options to make your wedding a memorable one without breaking the bank.

Watch for the next edition of Brides On the Brink…30 Days and Counting! It’s for brides, it’s about brides, and most importantly, it’s by Brides On the Brink who are one month away from walking down the aisle.

Become One of our Brides On The Brink!

If you’re about one, two or three months from tying the knot and would like to be a featured bride, please click here to e-mail your contact information and wedding date. I’ll send you the questionnaire to fill out and return. For passing on your wedding wisdom, featured brides will receive a $25 gift certificate* for MyWeddingFavors.com, where you’ll find fabulous wedding favors, wedding accessories, bridesmaids’ gifts and so much more!

* For shipping only within the US and Canada.
Source

Cheap wedding dress bargains are available to brides who start early and do their research.

As a bride-to-be actively avoiding many decisions about my own pending nuptials (despite the many excellent cheap and frugal wedding tips shared by Consuming Interests readers months ago), let’s talk about how an organized non-procrastinator should search for a gown.

First, consider what you’re paying for. Check out what the authors of the Bridal Bargains book had to say about wedding dresses — given the price range, you’d expect things like high-quality fabric and materials such as lace, right?

At the very least, you’d want properly sewn seams. A good friend of mine recently ordered a dress from a popular retailer and found multiple problems: an exposed metal zipper instead of the covered, hidden one pictured in the catalog, poorly stitched seams that bunched in the back and even an unevenly cut hem.

Next, think about how long you’ll wear this dress. I like to justify expensive purchases by dividing the price by the number of times I’ll wear an item. That won’t work for wedding gowns.

Wedding dresses are also cumbersome heirlooms. Some people may preserve their gowns in acid-free boxes, which is a nice tradition if you live in a home with lots of storage, that you never plan to leave. Otherwise, it will be one more thing to carry around as you move through life. And forget about saving it for your kids. Your offspring may not fit into yours or may prefer a different style for their gown.

Finally, don’t get pressured into making a deal. With all the pressure to find the "perfect" dress, it’s not uncommon for women to find themselves buying more than one, because the style of the dress doesn’t match their venue or because they make a hasty decision at a sale that they regret later.

With that in mind, here’s some great options for purchasing an inexpensive wedding dress that you will love:

Start early.  (And be more decisive than I am). If you’re ordering from a store, they often require more than four months to get the dress, and then at least two months alterations. Order with less time to spare and you may get hit with rush charges even though your event is still months away.

And if you’re considering alternative sources I’m suggesting below, the hunt may take more time.

Pick your venue and wedding date BEFORE you buy a dress. You might have to alter any Cinderella fantasies depending on your wedding location. For a beach wedding on a Caribbean island, you might not want something with a cathedral-length train. Or, if you’re getting married in the winter, you might consider a down quilted dress or one lined in fleece (kidding, kidding). P.S. No matter where you’re getting married, don’t pack a wedding dress in your checked luggage, as one bride learned the hard way.

I’ve also heard some ceremony sites place restrictions on what is appropriate attire for a wedding (for the bride and groom, at least). I don’t know of any that do that, but it’s worth checking before you plunk down a deposit on anything risque.

Consider some alternative sources of wedding attire, including:

* Sales in retail shops. Most bridal salons only carry a few samples of the dresses from the lines they carry. If you have at least a vague concept of the style of dress you want, check for trunk shows, where designers come to a store with more examples that you can often purchase at a discount on that day.

Sometimes stores also sell the samples themselves, which is fine if the dress is within alteration-range of a perfect fit. Check for stains, rips or other wear-and-tear problems — if it’s something minor it might still be worth it.

* Check department stores and other unexpected sources. A good tip for destination wedding dresses that can travel well, or others looking for more modern or non-traditional styles: check out special occasion dresses at department stores such as Bloomingdale’s or Neiman Marcus. Also, some bridesmaid’s dresses can be ordered in wedding colors such as white or off-white, but designers might charge a special fee for that privilege. Rrr!

Unfortunately, Isaac Mizrahi no longer designs wedding dresses for Target. Ann Taylor sells bridesmaid dresses and accessories, but a spokeswoman told me they may offer "wedding dress alternatives" in the future.

* Consider "pre-owned" dresses. The Wall Street Journal had a recent story about bargain-hunting brides buying their gowns from preownedweddingdresses.com. Now, "pre-owned" is a big category, which includes not only dresses that have made it down the aisle at least once, but also some brand new dresses that are new-with-tags (NWT).

Take advantage of others’ indecision. Classifieds at sites such as Weddingbee.com, Encore Bridal or smartbride.net are full of stories from "two-dress brides" (and even three-dress brides) who changed their minds and found a different dress. You can also buy wedding dresses on Craigslist and bid on wedding dresses on eBay. (Remember how we showed you how to set up an RSS feed for a Craigslist search?)

I recently talked to a woman who purchased a dress at the Filene’s Basement Running of the Brides, where dresses cost between $250 and $699. She ended up buying a different dress that she felt was more appropriate for her reception location — and is now looking to unload her lovely ballgown before she moves.

Goodwill stores were a good wedding dress source for one Boston Globe reporter. I checked out a number of local Goodwills and was impressed by the extent of the formal wear selection, although there were fewer recent wedding dresses than I had hoped. I’m guessing it’s luck of the draw — the best dresses probably sell quickly.

The savvy shopper at Good Morning America also recommended going to thrift stores and consignment shops for wedding dresses. The Surprise Shop in Towson, which raises money for Trinity Episcopal Church, now has a number of wedding dress samples available on consignment for a third of their original price, as well as accessories such as gloves and veils. Newbury and Smith in Mount Washington had two wedding dresses when I visited, and Regal Rags in Annapolis had a few, too.

Other options: Anyone with experience ordering direct from manufacturers in China, renting a dress or having a dress made, please share advice below. You could also look at wedding gowns on Etsy. One bonus: if you have a dress made to your measurements, then hopefully you save on alterations down the road.

(photo: Patrick Smith/Baltimore Sun)

CAPE CANAVERAL — A wedding party was literally walking on air Saturday at the first marriage ceremony ever performed in zero gravity.

According to Florida Today, Brooklyn residents Noah Fulmor and Erin Finnegan were married aboard Zero Gravity Corp.’s modified Boeing 727-200 aircraft, which is usually used to train astronauts.

The groom said it was a beautiful site when the floating was under control, but he needed a little help when he started twisting.

Finnegan, 30, who works in animation, and Fulmor, 31, a legal secretary, had talked about wanting to get married in space, but came up with a workable solution with the Zero G ride.

The ceremony lasted 8 minutes — spread out over 15 climb-and-dive combinations of 30 seconds each.

Even their wedding bands were made of meteorite material.

After they were hitched, the couple had a reception at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex — gravity included.

The new couple planned to spend the wedding night at a Walt Disney World hotel.

As for the honeymoon — they said they’re hoping for Antarctica.

Source: http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2009/6/22/
newlyweds_walking_on_air_at_first_weightless_wedding.html

Number of Guests – Knowing how many guests you expect to come to your wedding will help guide you when brainstorming for wedding locations. In general, two-thirds of the guests you invite will attend — even less if it is a destination wedding. A large group of guests will require more parking, bathrooms, rentals, and space. A smaller, intimate affair can take place in any number of venues, and in reality, has a much smaller impact on the environment. For the low-maintenance types, eloping with just your sweetie and a witness to the local courthouse is your cheapest and greenest option.

Travel – Ideally you want your wedding to be easy for all of your guests to arrive with minimal travel. If your family and friends all live nearby, the greenest thing you can do is have it in your home town. If everyone is scattered across the country, consider picking a central location, or a spot where a majority of your guests live. Unless you elope, at least some of your guests will likely have to travel to get to the wedding, and since travel is the biggest environmental impact, consider buying carbon offsets to reduce the carbon footprint of your guests travel. Terra Pass and Native Energy both offer carbon offsets for special events — Terra Pass’ can even specifically tailored to weddings. Also suggest that guests rent fuel-efficient vehicles like the Prius — they can check major rental companies like Avis, Enterprise and Hertz.

Ceremony & Reception Venues – Once you have an idea of how many guests will attend and in what city it will take place, you can scout out venues. Naturally green wedding spots are ones that require little fuss or decoration. Some naturally eco options include city parks, gardens, beaches, backyards, organic farms, local CSAs, national and state parks. While relatively fuss and decoration free, these outdoor locations may require renting chairs, tables, and tents, dealing with travel logistics, or even getting permits. Churches are also eco, requiring little decoration and no rentals. Many churches these days also have recycling programs and buy renewable energy.

There are many other types of venues that hold weddings regularly like hotels, restaurants, museums, historical buildings and resorts. These can be great options, since they usually have all of the chairs, tables, rentals, wait staff, catering, etc., but not all practice environmental-friendliness, so do your research and ask questions! Find out whether or not they recycle, buy organic or local food, clean with safe cleaning products, or buy renewable energy. Without these eco practices in place, your venue may not be green at all.

Reception – Keeping the reception within walking distance of the ceremony minimizes your guests traveling between the two. Also morning and afternoon weddings are becoming increasingly popular again — an option that requires less electricity and thus, reducing your environmental impact. Help support your local economy by hiring local companies for rentals, catering, cakes and entertainment. Avoid buying new things or disposable items at the reception and rely on rental companies to supply all of your linens and place settings.

Destination Weddings – Destination weddings are really fun and a good chance for a vacation, but require more time and money for your guests. Be considerate of the travel required to get to your destination and the costs associated. Look for eco-resorts and destinations that use environmentally-friendly practices just like you would with a local venue.

BRIDGETTE’S STORY

With our family and friends scattered around the country and Matt and me in Park City, UT, there was no easy solution our wedding’s location – almost everyone would have to travel. When thinking about locations we factored in travel times, airfare costs, activities during the weekend, car rentals, hotel accommodations and the overall feel of the wedding. We knew we wanted an outdoor wedding, because Matt and I spend so much of our time outdoors. We also wanted it to be special to us as well as a memorable location for all of our loved ones.

In light of that, we decided to have the wedding at one of our most favorite spots in the world – Zion National Park in Southern Utah. We love the serenity, the red rock canyon walls, the Virgin River cutting through it all. The park and lively neighboring town, Springdale, would be able to provide a myriad of activities for our guests to take advantage of — and the area already had a free public shuttle, so no one would need to drive once they arrived. Additionally, most of our family and friends had never been to the park and hoped to extend their stay to enjoy all that the park offered.

We searched Springdale and the National Park for the ceremony site, looking for a place that could accommodate 100 people, had amazing views and fit our budget. For the ceremony, we settled on a little hotel in town, called the Canyon Ranch Motel, which has a beautiful lawn with old growth trees. Our guests collectively booked the entire motel, which meant we could avoid disturbing others and have the whole place to ourselves. The reception was at the Springdale’s Community Center, which had an indoor and outdoor area and was just a short walk along a dirt path from the ceremony. We rented chairs and place settings from Zion Party Rentals, which is a local rental company.

When the big day arrived, we found that our guests enjoyed the National Park, took the shuttle everywhere, relaxed by the pool, took hikes and spent a lot of time outdoors. Because our guests made our wedding into their own vacation, we had more opportunity to spend with them while sharing a place that was very special to us.

JILL’S STORY

My hubby and I live in New York City, but most of our family is in the San Francisco Bay Area, so getting hitched in San Francisco was a no-brainer. We knew that some people would have to travel for our wedding, but since airplane travel has a huge carbon footprint, we wanted to minimize the number of people who had to fly out for the wedding and make it easiest for our immediate family to attend. Locating our wedding in San Francisco, and then having a follow up reception a month later in NYC gave our New York friends the option to skip out on flying out to California, while still allowing them to celebrate with us in a more convenient local.

Once we settled on San Francisco, we wanted to choose a place that was meaningful to us, as well as easy-to-get-to, and would allow the ceremony and reception to all be held in one place, minimizing any sort of carbon footprint (and inconvenience) that comes from having to drive from one place to another. We choose the Presidio in San Francisco — a historic military base that has been converted to a national park –because it is beautiful, serene, and my family has ties to the area (my grandfather lived and worked at the Presidio, and my grandmother is buried there). Perhaps the most important factor for us, however, (and the most important ‘green’ factor), is the fact that the Presidio has a whole host of historic buildings: chapels, cabins, officer’s clubs and the like, that are frequently rented for events – minimizing the hassle and the need to truck in furniture, seating, decor, canopies or anything else offsite. This not only made setting up a breeze, but it seriously cut down on carbon footprint to have everything available on site. Of course, guests were also happy that they could easily walk from the old mission interfaith chapel where we had the ceremony to the reception party at the Golden Gate Club, just down the hill.

My husband and I were thrilled with the location we picked for our wedding. Not only was it ‘green’, but it was beautiful and scenic, super convenient and easy for us and our guests, and special and poignant for us due to our personal ties to the area

Source: inhabitat.com/2009/06/20/green-wedding-guide-location/

How you can cut costs while keeping it a special day

Weddings are expensive. Although formal data on the cost of saying “I do” is scarce, the cost often is $20,000 or more.

The Bridal Association of America, for example, estimates that in 2009, weddings will cost an average $30,860.

If you’re a bride- or groom-to-be, those numbers can seem especially scary in a recession. According to a survey in March by wedding Web site TheKnot.com, 40 percent of brides said they have trimmed their wedding budgets, by an average of 16 percent.

But if you’re looking to cut back, where do you get the biggest bang for your buck? After all, there are lots of expenses you can eliminate, from the chocolate fondue bar to themed wedding favors. Here are five ways to save recommended by wedding planners:

Cut the guest list

One way to reduce wedding costs is to invite fewer people. The tab per person easily will make up half of your budget, said Ali Phillips, owner of Engaging Events by Ali in Chicago.

“Looking at your guest list is really important,” she said.

A smaller guest list not only saves you on food and beverage costs, but also reduces the number of tables and chairs, centerpieces and favors you’ll need. Even your wedding cake, which generally runs $5 to $8 per person, will be cheaper. The snowball effect is substantial.

Get hitched in the morning

Hosting a wedding reception during the morning or afternoon can significantly reduce the cost you spend per person, a good alternative if you can’t bring yourself to cut the guest list.

“You’ll save almost 25 percent to 30 percent of your food and beverage budget,” Phillips said, who notes that she has seen a trend toward luncheon weddings lately.

In addition, many venues charge a lower fee for daytime receptions. In Chicago, for example, the venue fee for an evening wedding ranges from $4,000 to $8,000, said Marcia Hemphill, president of An Urban Affair in Chicago.

Because daytime weddings typically are shorter in length — four hours compared with six to eight hours at night — you may pay half the price.

Change venues

You also can save if you skip traditional spaces, such as a hotel ballroom, and host your reception at a restaurant, Hemphill said.

She said that venues such as a local restaurant tend to be more flexible and may be willing to negotiate deals. “There’s not as much red tape,” she said.

Make your own wedding album

Wedding planners say a good photographer is worth the money. But instead of paying one $800 or more to create an album for you, opt to make the album yourself.

“Have your photographer put all your wedding images on a hi-res disc,” Lauren Paige, founder of Lauren Paige Associates in Middletown, N.Y., wrote in an e-mail.

“There are many places online where you can get a professional-looking wedding album or print your images for less.”

You also could negotiate with your photographer and ask to have an album, say, a year after the wedding, when your pocketbook has had time to recover.

Get creative

Even after the biggest expenses are pared down, wedding planners say there are myriad other ways to cut your budget:

On flowers, ask your florist which flowers will be in season at the time of your wedding. Flowers that are in-season cost less.

When it comes to wedding gowns, it’s possible to find designer gowns for a fraction of retail price if you shop strategically.

For example, some bridal shops sell off-the-rack dresses, many of which are discontinued samples or overstock from designers, bringing down the price. (Off-the-rack means you purchase the gown at the store, rather than order it from a catalog.)

Finally, does etiquette require that you send your guests home with a favor at the end of the night?

“Not at all,” Phillips said. “That’s a tradition we’ve all created. It’s perfectly fine to do without.”

Source

The Washington Post Do I have to give a gift on the registry? How do I trim the guest list without hurting feelings? Can we send our invitations by e-mail? Anna Post, great-great- granddaughter of Emily Post and author of Do I Have to Wear White? Emily Post Answers America’s Top Wedding Questions (Collins Living, $14.99), took questions from brides, grooms and guests on navigating weddings with grace and good manners. Excerpts are below.

Question: My cousin is having a weekday destination wedding. I would have to take a week off work to travel, attend the ceremony and travel home. I believe in this situation the bride and groom must expect that many guests won’t attend, but other family members feel declining will cause hurt feelings. Is it rude of me to decline the invitation?

Answer: No, it’s not rude to be unable (for reasons of vacation time or finances) to attend a destination wedding. Do send a gift though, even if you can’t make it.

Q: We plan to not have kids at our wedding reception. My family does not like the idea. Am I right for not wanting kids there even if one of them is my 18-month-old niece?

A: It’s up to the couple and the hosts (as in, those paying, such as parents) to decide about kids or no kids at the wedding. So yes, it’s up to you. But you may have to smooth some ruffled feathers, or lose some guests who can’t find child care. And be sure not to make exceptions – it’s not fair to those who do find child care.

Q: We’ve been in several of our friends’ weddings; does that mean they should be in ours? Is it OK to not have a formal wedding party of bridesmaids and groomsmen?

A: Your guest list is your own to create; you don’t have to invite all the couples whose weddings you were in. That said, if you were in their wedding, you are likely close, and it may make sense. But base your answer on genuine affection for these couples, not obligation.

It’s just fine to forgo bridesmaids and groomsmen if you don’t wish to have them.

Q: My daughter insists that, according to etiquette, the parents of her attendants need to be invited to the wedding. Is that true?

A: There is no point of etiquette requiring the parents of a couple’s attendants to attend. In the case that they are family friends, you might then consider them, but because they are family friends, not because their child is in your daughter’s wedding.

Q: As the father of the groom, I understand my roles to be the three “ups” – dress up, show up, shut up. Are there any other particular roles or functions that I have besides sharing the joy of our son and new daughter-in-law?

A: The first two are musts, but I think we all know the third one is just for humor. The best thing to do is to ask your son and his bride if there is anything beyond having fun that they would like you to do. It’s possible they might ask you do give a reading or be ready to dance with the bride after she dances with her father (not required, but not uncommon).

If you and your wife are hosting the rehearsal dinner, you should discuss whether you will be giving a toast that evening as host (also common).

Q: Is it weird if I don’t invite co-workers who know about the wedding? What’s the etiquette for colleagues?

A: It’s OK not to invite co-workers, even if they know you are getting married.

If there are some people from work whom you would like to invite, treat them as friends and send the invitation to their home address (it’s OK to ask for that), and don’t discuss the wedding in front of those not invited.

The Washington Post| Source

‘Even if I had loads of money, I’d come here. I actually believe in recycling and using stuff that has been used before,’ says bride-to-be Dorothy Fletcher as she is helped by shop assistant Kayoko Yanagisawa to try on a cut-price bridal gown at Oxfam, George’s Street, Dublin

Saying ‘I do’ needn’t cost you a fortune – there are plenty of ways you can save money while still having a truly memorable day, writes FIONA McCANN

‘I’M A TYPICAL recession bride,” laughs Dorothy Fletcher as she twirls in front of the large gilt mirror in Oxfam Ireland’s bridal shop, stunning in a beaded dress with a €50 price tag.

Fletcher, who recently returned from the US and has just started up her own business, says she can’t afford a lavish wedding, but that hasn’t stopped her from making her dream come true. The budget for her wedding to her Scottish fiance Colin, is set at €7,000, and so far the two have managed to keep things more or less within their set budget.

It’s a far cry from the 1.5 million tag on the boom-time wedding of developer Seán Dunne and columnist Gayle Killilea, but Fletcher has no interest in ostentation, or indeed in little extras like hiring out Aristotle Onassis’s yacht, the Cristina.

“Even if I had loads of money, I’d come here,” she says as she flicks through the rails and rails of cut-price dresses in Oxfam. “I actually believe in recycling and using stuff that has been used before.”

This may be her intention, but over 75 per cent of the dresses before her, which range in size from an eight to a 30 and from €50 to €450 in price, have never even been worn before, having been donated from boutiques and shops around the country.

Fletcher’s one of a new breed of budget brides finding ways to tie the knot without yoking themselves to a lifetime of debt in the process.

According to Solene Rapinel, manager at the Oxfam store in George’s Street, Dublin, which stocks their bridal range, the numbers of brides-to-be finding their way to its trove of white taffeta have been increasing in recent months. “People are definitely not willing to pay as much as they did before for their wedding dresses.”

Oxfam has some 150 dresses to choose from, and new frocks are added every month to keep the collection current. And while donations continue to come in, from boutiques, bridal shops and former brides giving their one-day-only dresses away for a good cause, the supply barely meets the boom in demand. “We really need more stock because they fly out,” says Rapinel.

Viewing is by appointment only, but the bridal shop is booked up until May for weekend appointments, and already boasts a lengthy waiting list of bargain-hunting brides. As well as the obvious benefits to their bank balances, those who shop there also get a clean conscience into the bargain.

“If you buy your wedding dress here at the average price of €250 to €300, it means two families get a goat for the father, a vegetable garden for the mother, and school books and musical instruments for the children,” explains Rapinel. “So you make your family happy and two other families happy too.” Even putting the dress on hold for a mere €10 provides water to three families.

Tiaras, veils, shoes and shawls are also available, with a selection of bridesmaid’s dresses in varying styles, sizes and colours ensuring the full wedding party can be kitted out for bargain prices.

Except, alas, for the menfolk involved. “If we had donations for the grooms, we’d be very happy to sell them.”

THERE’S NO NEED to stop at the dress. Costs can be cut in all manner of ways that will remain largely invisible to guests, and canny couples are taking note. For example, venues are often the biggest outlay for a wedding party.

“People are reducing certain aspects that would have been considered discretionary in recent years,” points out Richie Huggard, conference and events sales manager at Dublin’s Burlington Hotel. According to Huggard, add-ons like chair covers and centrepieces can easily be lopped off the list and have an immediate effect on the potential outlay.

“There is a notable drop in expenditure,” says Huggard, who recalls the days when bridezillas roamed the earth. Having also worked on weddings in Slane Castle, Huggard recalls one flathulach fiancee requesting that the walls of the castle be repainted in the colours of her bridesmaid dress to ensure they blended in with the surroundings, allowing her to stand out.

Such days – and such demands – are well and truly a thing of the past, and venues are now offering more basic wedding packages that exclude such extras as matching walls or Onassis yachts.

“There’s your basic package, plus all the other options, like the rose petals flying from the ceiling and the balloons and lavish centrepieces on the tables,” Huggard points out, adding that choosing the simpler option doesn’t have to affect the festivities.

“At the end of the day the guests don’t leave a wedding saying ‘We had a great time, but they didn’t have any chair covers or ‘We had a great time but did you see the state of the centrepieces?’”

Besides, the new breed of bride is cannier than her Celtic Tiger counterpart, according to wedding planner Rosemary Muleady of theweddingplanner.ie.

“Nobody wants a budget wedding,” says Muleady. “They still want the wedding that they’ve always dreamed of, but brides are more savvy nowadays and are looking for more for their buck.”

The tightening bridal belts are taking their toll on the wedding industry, however. “A lot of suppliers with bookings this summer were already booked from last year,” explains Muleady. “It has gone very quiet this year for bookings.”

Yet lack of lolly need not stand in the way of love, and Muleady has plenty of advice for those who long for the big day without the big spend.

“Set a budget and shop around,” she says. “Find a photographer who offers disc-only packages and then you can do the album yourself. Choose flowers that are in season rather than out of season, because they cost a lot more to import.”

Fletcher, who still has a year to go before her big day, has her own ideas about how to keep within budget. “I’m going to get hair extensions and try and do my own hair: we’ll just practice as the year goes on,” she says.

“And I already have sandals so I’m not going to spend money on shoes. If I’m in a long dress that’s flowing, they won’t even be seen.”

AS WELL AS the various other “dos” recommended by planners and brides – like hiring bridesmaid dresses, or setting up a website instead of sending out invitations – Muleady has plenty of “don’ts” for those setting out on the path to nuptial bliss.

“Don’t take out loans,” she cautions, advising couples to save for their weddings in credit crunching times. And don’t expect to get your outlay back in presents either. “Don’t rely on money gifts to pay for your wedding, because you can still get your five toasters, especially with people cutting back due to the recession.”

Finally, worried wedders should not be confused by the dos and the don’ts. Don’t forget that the big day is less about the fancy do and more about the “I do”.

Buying the knot: Six ways to cut costs on your big day

1. Venues Shop around for venues, and bargain hard. The days when the word “wedding” would add 20 per cent to the cost of a party are gone. Bookings are down, and it’s a bride’s market out there.
2. Dresses Try charity shops for bargain dresses, and consider hiring the bridesmaid dresses. But don’t think you’re saving by buying online – you’ll still be charged duty if the dresses are spotted by customs officials.
3. Stationery The cost of invitations can really add up, and aren’t that ecologically sound after all. Websites are one way to go, with instructions, details, and RSVPs all available at the click of a mouse.
4. Flowers Choose flowers that are in season to avoid the heavy cost of importing. If you feel enterprising, you can even make your own bouquets, though getting out of bed early to visit flower markets as they open is required.
5. Photographs/videos Choose a disc-only package to save on a wedding album, or get your friends to take snaps of the day and send them on.
6. Rings Go directly to suppliers, says Fletcher. “I can get an 18 carat white gold ring for €159 at the supplier, and they’re €300 at the shops.”

By MATTHEW DANELO

For many brides, their wedding day is something they’ve dreamed of since they were little girls and first heard the concept of Prince Charming.

Only two words could describe how the invitations, flowers, decorations and dresses must look on a bride’s wedding day: just so.

But while some obsess over replicating the grand fairy tale dreams of their youth, others realize that making some practical cuts when planning ahead can ease the potential for stress on their special day.

“I think that the bride can have her dream wedding, but she needs to be realistic,” said Lindsay Bennett, 31, a wedding coordinator and owner of It’s All N the Presentation.

In Bennett’s experience, the brides who give themselves enough time to plan and are willing to compromise on some aspects, are the ones who seem to have the best times at their weddings.

“Trying to make sure everyone is happy will exhaust you,” she said, and added that this can happen more often when bridal parties are larger.

She said when there’s 12 or 14 different friends – all of whom the bride might genuinely care about – that’s a lot of opinions that a woman feels obligated to consider.

“The bigger party they have, the more involved the planning will be. I don’t think brides really understand until they get into it,” she said.

Wrangling large bridal parties and lots of opinions isn’t only frustrating for the bride. It can also make things more difficult for wedding vendors. They are getting paid for their services, but most still want to provide an unforgettable experience for the bride and groom.

“I think the main pitfall can be not sticking with one idea,” said Tareeca McKee, 62, owner of Sylvia’s Flowers in Groves.

She said when too many people are involved, a bride can get overwhelmed and shuffles through concepts without feeling tied to any of them.

“It’s cliche, but I’ve always said less is more,” said Bennett.

McKee agreed. She said the most elegant wedding she’s ever done cost almost no money.

“The bride used baby’s breath everywhere, on the aisles and everything. It looked beautiful and elegant. Like a fairy land,” she said.

The bride, McKee said, got the idea from a picture in a magazine and brought it with her to order her flowers, which is something McKee recommends.

“We always tell brides during consultations to look at a lot of magazines, but only bring in one or two ideas,” she said. “That way, there’s very little chance of indecision.”

According to Beaumont-based wedding photographer Emily Lockard, 23, furnishing the photographer with a list of the bridal party ahead of time is another way to be more efficient. It speeds up the process of formal pictures after the ceremony and helps ensure that the priority shots are taken.

“Some think it’s not effective, but it helps because I can at least learn the names of who to call on for the different pictures. That way, the couple can get to the reception quicker,” she said.

Lockard also said it’s important to let the photographer know if the venue has any specific rules regarding photography. For instance, she said many Catholic churches do not allow flashes during a ceremony.

And then there’s the budgeting aspect of weddings.

Bennett said laying clear expectations for what is affordable ahead of time can save on disappointment.

“People don’t always know that this can get expensive,” Lockard said about wedding photography. It’s not only the time she spends shooting a wedding that a client pays for, but also the about 40 hours of editing after the fact.

Bennett also said that many brides can fixate on having every possible tradition represented, especially when it comes to the wedding reception.

“Sometimes, depending on your age group, you might not want to do the bouquet toss,” she said.

On a number of occasions, Bennett has had to drag guests on to the floor so a bridesmaid isn’t waiting for the bouquet toss alone.

“I just think that’s one of those traditions that can totally die down and be OK,” she said.

However she said that some traditions are fun and easy to include.

“Something borrowed, something blue – a lot of girls have fun with that,” she said.

Local wedding coordinator Lindsay Bennett is full of good advice if you’re getting hitched. Here are a few of her tips:

- If you get invited to multiple showers and the wedding, you don’t have to bring a gift to every one. One nice gift at one of the events will suffice.

- For outdoor weddings in the summer, or early fall, make sure you have fans or air conditioned tents. If it’s the winter or early spring have heaters.

“The weather in Southeast Texas is the worst thing to fight when it comes to planning an outdoor wedding,” said Bennett.

- Allow toasts at the rehearsal dinner, but not the reception. If someone goes on too long or tells an inappropriate story, the audiences at the former are generally smaller and more forgiving.

- “Never give a toast if you’ve had too much to drink,” said Bennett. “That never works out well.”