BRIDES MAGAZINE JANUARY 2020
BRIDES
DELISH MAGAZINE JANUARY 2020
INSIDE
The Changing
Face of Flowers
Wedding fl owers are
becoming larger than life
Piece of
Cake
How to make a
statement with your
wedding cake
Have Fun
Without
Going Broke
5 ways to cut wedding
reception costs
Publisher
John Celestino
Director of Operations
Cheryl Phillips
HOW MUCH
SHOULD YOUR
WEDDING COST?
Multi-media Consultants
Cy Alessi
Leann Belfi eld
John Brundo
Ann Fisher Bale
Ricardo Luciano
Th omas Meranto
Judy Nelson
Ryan Oliver
Richard Saunders
Andrea Trippie
Designer
Cheryl Phillips
BRIDES Magazine
is published annually by the
Advertising departments of
Niagara Gazette and the
Lockport Union-Sun and Journal.
For more information
call 282-2311, ext. 2238
or email:
[email protected].
TABLE OF CONTENTS
How much should a wedding cost .........2
How to cut wedding costs ......................4
Th e evolution of wedding favors ...........5
Importance of a rehearsal ......................8
Wedding fl owers becoming
larger than life .....................................10
Make a statement with your
wedding cake .......................................12
Th e professionals you need ..................16
Planning a wedding ceremony .............18
A push for private vows ......................19
Make candles an illuminating
part of the ceremony ............................20
Planning for spring showers ................21
Venue decoration tips ..........................22
Fashionable trends ..............................26
Wedding day emergency kit ................27
5 ways to cut wedding
reception costs .....................................28
Cater wedding menus to
guests’ dietary needs ...........................30
Bachelorette party planning ...............31
2
T
he national average wedding
cost is $33,931, according to Th e
Knot’s 2018 Real Weddings Study,
and this number excludes the honey-
moon.
Stick with credible local vendors
and start the process of mapping
out your wedding costs months in
advance. Th e more preparation time
you give yourself, the better chance
you’ll have at fi nding great deals and
sticking to your budget.
Start with Quotes
To estimate how much you’ll
spend, get quotes based on your
wedding style, date and location.
Stick to a Budget
Even once you plan how much
you’ll be spending on your wedding,
it can be diffi cult to stay on track.
Th e problem is that those extra
dollars add up in a hurry. Before
you know it, you may be forced into
a tough spot of having to choose
between vendors or accessories.
Th e best way to stay on budget
is to keep a detailed journal of all
your spending. From the minute
your wedding purchases begin,
save the receipts and log them into
a spreadsheet. Th ere are multiple
mobile applications available that
make this as easy as entering them
into your phone.
Extra Costs
Don’t forget that you’ll need to
also budget for a marriage license.
Application fees vary by state,
county, city or other conditions. Th e
standard license fee is $27.50 in New
Orleans, $50 in Boston and $100 in
Santa Barbara, California, to give you
an idea of what a license may run for
you in your local region.