Budget Brides

If you tool around the internet, you'll see tons of references to so-called "budget brides." I often see stunning weddings on blogs like Style Me Pretty where the narrative notes that the bride made her own centerpieces from materials found at thrift stores or that all paper products are DIY. The handmade placecards strung on raffia twine, the vintage milkglass, the mismatched flea market china, and the tall, elegant bride in her jcrew dress all stare back at me mockingly, under a perfect blue sky and a roof of green leaves. Many brides on Weddingbee post their budgets at the end, and the breakdown for a classy, original affair with artistic photos to boot is only $13k.

After looking at my own Spreadsheet of Doom, I wonder how it is that these, the most coveted of weddings, can be done on a "budget"? And why is my wedding costing so damn much? What's wrong with me? Why can't I embrace the beauty that is vintage, low-cost elegance?

Well, for one, our wedding is in NY. If not in NY, it would've been in NJ - two of the most expensive states in the country. Here, a wedding without an open bar or a cocktail hour is just not an option. It's all built into the price of your reception hall. And, unlike sunny southern California, we can't just plunk some tables under some trees and string lanterns from the branches, although it is oh so beautiful and I never get tired of seeing that look. So, we're kind of stuck with one of the few places in our area we really like, and it's not exactly cheap. Sadly, the cheap places looked, well, cheap. See a pattern, here?

Also, I've noticed a lot of those weddings have about 75 guests. That's a huge cost savings. Our wedding will be much bigger than that. Mr. McBriderson has a big family, and we didn't want to leave anyone out. Plus, we both had a decent-sized list of friends and colleagues we wanted to party with us.

So, those two factors alone seem to price us right out of the "budget" category. This is not to say that we haven't cut any corners or looked for the best deals. We have been lucky to fall below budget in several categories and gotten some great deals on vendors with whom we're really pleased to be working. We're not going to be on Platinum Weddings or anything, but we also won't be featured on a budget weddings blog.

That said, I'd still love to capture some of those homemade elements and bring them into the look of our celebration. I'm just not sure how yet...

How have blogs influenced your planning and your perception of what a wedding should be?