Beware the Budget Breakers

After yesterday, I can understand why weddings are so costly, and why it is easy to spend into the 10's of thousands on weddings. First, it is easy to get caught up in the details. The bridal magazines alone can cost a small fortune! :) Then there is always the "keeping up with the Joneses" ... you see an idea that someone else has incorporated into their wedding and you gotta have it!!! It makes it hard to keep the budget in check when faced with all these temptations.

And then there are all the vendors...

We had a floral consultation yesterday. It wasn't our first, and it's not the last (that one is tomorrow). But I can say for certain that it was the most UNBELIEVABLE consultation that I have had to date. I am still shaking my head. This particular florist doesn't have a "store front" to go to, so the consultation might take place at a coffee shop or hotel lobby (unless, of course, they get caught!). But that's OK. The problem I had with this particular vendor is that they specialize in the wedding industry. That translates to inflated prices. Sure, they have got the terminology down ("high end" and "designer"). But, I am sorry. To quote more than 2.5 times what the other florists are charging, and then to tell the bride that she will have to pick up her flowers because the "minimum" was not met is a bit ridiculous. On top of that, there is an additional labor charge. Normally labor is included in the price of the creating the floral arrangement. Like BW said as we left, "That's like a baker telling you that the wedding cake will cost $600, then saying, 'By the way, I am also charging an additional $100 to bake it.'"

There are so many florists out there that do not specialize in weddings, but who do an equally beautiful job with floral design. I feel so sorry for all those brides who are not familiar with sales techniques, such as assuming the sale (or assuming the appointment). They can get so caught up in wanting the most beautiful wedding possible (don't we all?) that they completely blow their budget!