Cutting The Cake, Literally

I'm very clear that I am a practical person and that often bleeds into everything I do. I really love finding how to get the most bank for my buck and especially in this economy, I want to provide many cost effective options for my clients as well. So, this revelation kind of made me jump for joy- the idea of renting huge elaborate FAUX wedding cakes for display then having your caterer cut your cost effective cake in the kitchen for serving.

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I know! All the elaborate glamour and intricate detailed design that each bride desires without the $7 (or more!) per slice cost!  For the couples who do want some real cake to cut into, you can always have the bottom layer be real cake and the rest be faux cake.  This article goes more into depth of the faux cake options, pro's, and con's.  My advice would be to look at your budget and determine as a couple what aspects of the wedding are most important to both of you.  If displaying a huge, real cake is not one of the priorities, faux cakes are a great option both financially and style-wise.  I've found a few pictures of faux cakes to display the awesomeness.  Enjoy!

 

The beginnings of a DIY faux cake. Source

Introducing Felicity C Weddings Planning Workshops!!!

As a wedding planner, I tend to get a lot of questions about the wedding planning process. So many people don't realize how many details are involved until it is your turn. Felicity C Weddings has been fortunate enough to have a fantastic first year and I know that serving as a resource through all the details for my brides allowed them to focus on the fun aspects of planning. Recently I got to thinking about how many brides-to-be who don't have room in their budget for a wedding planner but would LOVE to get professional advice on the planning process. From that, an idea was born.

Felicity C Weddings is SO excited to announce the start of FCW Planning Workshops! I will be holding workshops on different planning topics such as budgeting, vendor relationships, and wedding organization just to name a few. While there are so many great bridal resources out there, this is your chance to ask specific questions as well as get the feedback that magazines and blogs don't provide. The first session will focus on budgeting and will be held on January 29th at the Sheraton in Columbia, MD from 1pm- 4pm. The cost is $75 per person for this session.  As a thank you for all the current "fans" of the Felicity C Weddings Facebook page, the cost is $65 for you*!  Each participant will be receiving a budget worksheet and here are some topics that will be covered:

• How to determine your wedding budget AND determine which vendors fit in your budget
• The 4 MOST important factors in how much a wedding costs
• The importance of having a budget and sticking to it
• Discuss typical packages and what you should be getting for your money
• The most common budgeting mistakes couples make
• Top 10 fees to avoid
• "Green" ways to trim your budget

This would make for a great gift to a bride from her bridesmaids, from a mother to her newly engaged daughter or even from a thoughtful fiancé to his future wife! The payment deadline is January 20th and if you want to purchase a spot for a Christmas gift, let me know and I will send you an invite to give to the recipient. Space is limited so please email me (please use the subject: FCW budgeting workshop) to let me know if you or anyone you know is interested! Hope to see you there!

Want to relax on your big day like this FCW bride? Start by staying on

top of your budget from the start so you can dance the night away!

Credit: Clair Pruett Photography

*to be eligible for the $65 pricing, you must be fan of Felicity C Weddings Facebook page as of Monday, December 13, 2010.  I typed up each fan's name into a document to make sure you get your discount!

Royal Budgeting

Tradition stands that the bride's family pays for the wedding.  Yet, a lot of modern couples are taking on the majority if not the total cost of the wedding.  Money is always a sensitive subject, especially when it is tied to such an emotion-filled and long awaited day such as a wedding.  More than any other etiquette or planning question, budgeting is always at the top of the list.  If the bride's parents pay does that mean that they have a lot of input into the planning?  What if they bride's family is unable to pay for the majority of the wedding, who should take over financial responsibility?  Do the groom's parents get to invite a large amount of people if they are not contributing financially?  What if they ARE contributing financially?  Its all enough to give you a headache and want to elope!

Now, imagine how overwhelming this budgeting must be if you are the newly engaged Prince William & Kate Middleton.  I am SO excited to witness a royal wedding and have been keeping up with all the news coverage.  It was announced today that the wedding date is set for April 29, 2011 and they will wed at historic Westminster Abbey in London.  More coverage has revealed that early estimates of the cost is expected to be close to $40 million not including the $20 million that the taxpayers will be paying for security.  All of the excitement around this royal wedding has certainly created larger than life expectations and the bottom line is that someone will be financially responsible for the wedding of the decade.  But who?  Are Kate's parents expected to foot the bill that no doubt will cover guests that are being invited solely because of proximity to the royal family?  Should the royal family pay for the wedding simply because they have the funds to cover such an extravagant affair?  I'm staying tuned to see how all of the planning unfolds (the dress! the decor!) and especially checking on the budgeting. 

 

November 16, 2010 The Royal Wedding was announced 

to the world! Source 

A Happy Medium

It's a fact: more and more unmarried couples are choosing to delay marriage because of the economy and lack of jobs around the country.  Which definitely makes sense and I do applaud the logical thinking in lieu of crazy credit card debt.  I do believe that the "poorer" in the vows of "for richer & poorer" should not start on your wedding day.  But there is a happy medium between a credit credit bonanza and not having a wedding at all.  I know many of my brides are cost-conscious which has really inspired them to be creative with their wedding.  This really has been a positive effect; the best creativity I've ever seen from my clients and on different blogs is because of this recession.  It is all very "necessity is the mother of invention" kind of effect.  Which is pretty great because I will take creativity over throwing your money at an old idea any.day.of.the.week.

If you are a bride who is not sure how to stretch your every dollar, you are in luck.  There are multiple blogs from real brides and wedding experts who are chronicling exactly how to make the most of a modest budget.  Blogs such as this one, that one, this budget breakdown, and oh yeah this one.  There are a few basic strategies to keeping the budget low, but there is no doubt that beautiful weddings are being had across the US for half the cost you'd think and twice the awesome.  Don't believe me? Check out the amazing photos of some (less than!) $10,000 weddings.  Enjoy!

 

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