Trading on Joy?
In light of the current financial crisis that we are currently having to deal with, why is that some women (and men) accept that weddings cost a fortune and quite happily fork out thousands for the 'perfect day'?
Speaking as someone getting married this year, I'm shocked and appalled to see a) the prices some companies charge for wedding related items such as dresses, jewellery, venue hire etc, and b) how easily people manage (or don't) to find the cash to pay over the odds for it all.
For example one hotel I inquired at months ago quoted me almost double for hire of their old barn when I called under a different name and got a quote for the same thing (including food and drink) but mentioned the word 'wedding'. Now some might say this is because of hidden extras but when I inquired about what the wedding package included it was exactly the same! I had to pay extra for table name cards, place name cards, flowers, DJ, toastmaster, cake stand and cutter - need I go on!
The cost of fuel has risen dramatically recently, as has the cost of food, household fuel, running a car and don't get me onto the whole mortgage and credit crunch - so I want to know exactly why we justify spending twice as much on just one day - our special day.
I heard the average cost of a wedding these days is a whopping ?15k and judging by some of the comments I've read in various wedding forums online, this is vastly underestimated - especially if you take into account the honeymoon.
A video emailed to me last week epitomized the majority of the wedding industry to me - a couple walk into a cake shop and ask for a white 3 tiered cake and was quoted a reasonable price. The shop owner asked what it was for and when the couple replied their wedding, the owner immediately doubled the price!! When asked why the couple was told it was because wedding cakes are different and wouldn't accept any other comment!! Obviously this was a spoof video but it really happens.
I've spent the last 9 months bartering and looking around and eventually coming to a reasonable price with various extras 'thrown in' and still managed to get what I consider to be a great venue, the perfect dress, great suits for the boys and a g
Speaking as someone getting married this year, I'm shocked and appalled to see a) the prices some companies charge for wedding related items such as dresses, jewellery, venue hire etc, and b) how easily people manage (or don't) to find the cash to pay over the odds for it all.
For example one hotel I inquired at months ago quoted me almost double for hire of their old barn when I called under a different name and got a quote for the same thing (including food and drink) but mentioned the word 'wedding'. Now some might say this is because of hidden extras but when I inquired about what the wedding package included it was exactly the same! I had to pay extra for table name cards, place name cards, flowers, DJ, toastmaster, cake stand and cutter - need I go on!
The cost of fuel has risen dramatically recently, as has the cost of food, household fuel, running a car and don't get me onto the whole mortgage and credit crunch - so I want to know exactly why we justify spending twice as much on just one day - our special day.
I heard the average cost of a wedding these days is a whopping ?15k and judging by some of the comments I've read in various wedding forums online, this is vastly underestimated - especially if you take into account the honeymoon.
A video emailed to me last week epitomized the majority of the wedding industry to me - a couple walk into a cake shop and ask for a white 3 tiered cake and was quoted a reasonable price. The shop owner asked what it was for and when the couple replied their wedding, the owner immediately doubled the price!! When asked why the couple was told it was because wedding cakes are different and wouldn't accept any other comment!! Obviously this was a spoof video but it really happens.
I've spent the last 9 months bartering and looking around and eventually coming to a reasonable price with various extras 'thrown in' and still managed to get what I consider to be a great venue, the perfect dress, great suits for the boys and a g
9:24 AM
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