Bridal Show 2015 – Looking To Save on the High Cost of Getting Hitched — Dave’s Diary

The annual Bridal Show is this weekend in Yakima and while White may be traditional, it’s going to take a lot of GREEN to get there.  According to TheKnot.com's 2013 "Real Weddings Survey," the average cost of a wedding in the United States is $29,858.The Huffington Post reports -Disregarding the most common arguments ranging from "a big, fancy wedding is the perfect way to commemorate a once in a lifetime experience" all the way to "weddings are ostentatious and you should give your money to charity instead" the truth is that whichever stance you take, most likely everything you think you know about wedding budgets is wrong.

The thing to keep in mind is that other than the license, its ALL discretionary. Every hors d'oeuvre, flower, musician, invitation and cocktail is a voluntary expense that will have little to no impact on the success of the marriage.   So why spend so much?

On the flip side,  it is highly unlikely this exact group of people will ever reconvene again so with that thought in mind, it's not surprising that many couples chose to spend more -- and in many cases, much, much more -- than the cost of the marriage license to celebrate with their honored guests.

Whichever path for whatever reason you choose, go arm in arm armed with the facts!  Here’s two! Congratulations and Best Wishes!

MYTH 1: Friday weddings are less expensive than Saturday weddings.
This is simply not true. If you are looking to save money, host a lovely Saturday brunch wedding instead.

MYTH 2: Save money by hosting the wedding in a city park.

While most city parks are available for a very affordable rental fee, the additional costs you will incur will quickly offset these savings. You will need to pay for everything including tables, chairs, glassware, china and restrooms that are usually provided at no additional charge at hotels, resorts and event venues. This advice also applies to backyard weddings.

According to www.costofwedding.com  couples that live in or travel to Yakima, WA spend between $17,522 and $29,203 on average for their wedding. However, most couples spend less than $10,000.

The average wedding cost is based on number of guests estimated between 112 and 132. A single guest could add between $172 and $211 to the overall cost of your wedding. The best way to save money on your wedding is to control the number of guests.