These are days to save money. It is easier than ever to compare rates for different goods and services. The vast majority of consumers are now used to the internet as a research tool. There's even a cell phone app that can tell you what you're looking at in a photo or in a store, where to get it and who has the best price. Incredible.
Apply this concept to weddings, though, and you have a mixed blessing. On the completely awesome side, if you're shopping for something like candles, a ring bearer pillow, a signature album or a certain kind of candy for your buffet, you can easily compare prices via cell phone or over the internet and be pretty sure you're getting the lowest available consumer ticket price. In all of these cases, assuming that the retailer delivers as promised and the products are in good condition, a bargain is a bargain. Technology is on your side!
Where this kind of price comparison gets a little scary for couples, though, is as it applies to services. Comparing two photographers or two caterers is much more complicated than looking at the features of two honeymoon cruises and choosing the least expensive.
Comparing wedding professionals solely on the basis of price is like choosing the cheapest car on a lot without a test drive or reading the stickers; or like buying the cheapest house on the MLS without considering the neighborhood or having it inspected. By sorting only or primarily for price, you're missing the nuances that make great vendors great, and hacks dangerous.
Yes, you likely have a budget figure in mind, and you should definitely orchestrate your expenses to meet it. However, it's much better to prioritize and save money by sacrificing where you as a couple (along with your guests) will feel it least than it is to choose the full menu of wedding vendors, but pick all of the cheapest you can find.
The results of a personalized wedding with the best of the best in the areas that you find most reflective of your priorities are so much more enjoyable and unique than the disaster that comes from choosing cheap, inexperienced and unprofessional "vendors" to operate your wedding. You're making an investment and deserve the best.
Happy planning!
Shayna Walker
Owner, Williamsburg Wedding Design
Excellent article, the internet is a great tool but it is just a tool. The internet is not a good way to judge service.
Posted by: Carol Hayes | December 29, 2009 at 10:59 AM