The Do It Herself Bride

For a bride, her wedding is one of the most important days in her life. And not only for her but for her groom and her family and friends as well. Planning the wedding ceremony, the reception, and honeymoon takes a great deal of time and effort with the end goal to make the bride’s wedding day as memorable as possible. Planning a wedding can be exciting, but can be stressful as well. There are so many things to arrange and it always seems like too little time to get them done.

A recent study done for the wedding industry indicates that about one half of all brides will use a wedding consultant or a wedding day coordinator to plan their special event. The other half of brides are do-it-yourself when it comes to planning their weddings.

Why do brides to be do the majority of the planning themselves? Simply, because they can’t afford to hire a wedding consultant or coordinator to oversee the planning of their wedding. From rising prices in everything to the fade in traditional family support, the brides to be are finding themselves with limited budgets and little time. The 10 to 15 percent of what a wedding planner or coordinator takes off the top of the event is a nice chunk of change that can mean a huge difference in much of what the couple and their families can afford to put into the event.

Statistics from the Cost of Wedding website that is owned by The Wedding Report (Wedding Statistics and Market Research for the Wedding Industry) tells us on average, couples U.S. couples spend $28,800 for their weddings. You should note that wedding cost can vary widely and this is just an estimate of what couples will likely spend based on the research at The Wedding Report. Results are based on their research and responses from other married users of the site. Understanding the average wedding cost now can help you with your wedding budget later.

On average, couples will spend for their wedding in the areas of Vallejo and Fairfield, California.

$2,710 on Wedding Attire. These items include Bride Accessories, Groom Accessories, Groom Tux or Suit, Hair & Makeup, Headpiece & Veil, and Wedding Dress.

$2,627 on Wedding Ceremony. These items include Ceremony Accessories, Ceremony Location, Ceremony Site Decorations, Officiate, Pastor or Priest, and the Rehearsal Dinner.

$3,836 on Wedding Photography & Video. These items include Photographer and Videographer.

$1,166 on Wedding Favors & Gifts. These items include Attendant Gifts, Parent Gifts, and Wedding Favors.

$2,048 on Wedding Flowers. These items include Boutonnieres & Corsages, Bride Bouquet, Bridesmaid Bouquets, Decorations & Centerpieces, and Flower Girl Flowers.

$2,148 on Wedding Jewelry. These items include Wedding set for His & Her Rings.

$991 on Wedding Music. These items include Reception Band, Musicians, or DJ.

$14,737 on Wedding Reception. These items include Bride & Groom Hotel, Reception Beverages & Bartender, Reception Food Service, Reception Venue & Rentals, and Wedding Cake & Cutting Fee.

$881 on Wedding Stationery. These items include Invitations & Reply Cards, Save The Date Cards, Thank You Cards, and Other Stationery.

$426 on Wedding Transportation. These items include Limo, Car, Carriage Rides, or Other Transportation.

Modern day brides are independent women. And they do a lot! Mostly by design… they have a standard of living, goals they are determined to reach. They do their best and work with what they have. So what does the do-it-yourself bride do? Simple, they become overnight wedding experts. They buy wedding books and wedding trade magazines. The Internet savvy bride sifts through countless web sites looking for ideas and help. They interview vendors and order everything themselves. They coordinate with venues and vendors and request help from family and friends.

More and more the DJ is now being requested to handle the day of the event director duties. Coordinating with the venue and vendors to ensure the flow of the day of the event is seamless. Ensuring the bridal party, family and friends are where they need to be at the right times. As well as making sure the announcements’ and songs are played at the right times. The line between DJ and Wedding Coordinator is getting blurrier every day. Finding a DJ service that offers the support of a second person to handle the day of the event director duties and online event planning forms is one way the do-it-herself bride can save a little dough.