Regardless of the details, one thing is for certain when it come to weddings: they are EXPENSIVE! However, by knowing this unavoidable fact ahead of time – and financially preparing for it – you and your partner can begin your marriage without too much red in your ledger. This following infographic is a helpful (and entertaining) guide to help spark some conversations about just who is going to pay for “the most important/expensive day of your life”?

A Few Statistics To Keep In Mind About Paying For The Wedding:

• Every year, an average of 2.4 million weddings are performed in the United States.
• The average wedding budget is set at $28, 427 – not including the cost of the honeymoon.
• 91% of couples set the budget for their weddings (instead of a financial planner or their families).
• 32% of all married couples go over their wedding budgets.
• 40% of all couples who choose to have destination weddings go over their budgets.
• 12% of brides spend more than $40,000 on their weddings.
• In 2009, 34% of brides said the economy affected their wedding budget. In 2012, only 26% felt the same.
• Though traditionally the parents of the bride and groom would pay for the entire wedding, today 43% of couples pay for the entire weddings themselves, while 33% say the bride’s parents paid and 19% said the groom’s parent’s paid. An astonishing 62% of all couples said they contributed in some way to covering the cost of their nuptials.
• 72% of couples use their savings to pay for their wedding, while 30% use credit cards. Most couples expect to pay off their credit card debts within six months.

For those weddings that observe tradition, this is how the payment usually breaks down:

• The Bride and/or Bride’s Family Pays For:
  • The invitations, announcements, and wedding programs
  • The church, synagogue, officials, and musicians
  • The wedding dress, veil, and bridal accessories
  • The food, drinks, decorations, and music at the reception
  • The floral arrangements for the church and reception hall, as well as the bouquets for bridesmaids
  • The wedding photographer
  • The groom’s ring
• The Groom and/or Groom’s Family Pays For:
  • The rehearsal dinner
  • The marriage license and fees
  • The bride’s bouquet, boutonnieres for the groomsmen, and corsages for the mothers and grandmothers
  • Both of the bride’s rings
  • The groom’s suit or tuxedo
  • The honeymoon

Ways to make your money go further:

• As soon as you get engaged, start diverting part of your income to a special “wedding fund” each month.
• Sell things you don’t need anymore, especially items that you might otherwise throw out when you and your fiance finally move in together (if you haven’t already!).
• Instead of wedding presents, ask for cash instead. Put this money toward the cost of your wedding.
• Look online for savings. Many wedding websites offer discounts, coupons, or money-saving tips!
• Register your honeymoon the same way you would a gift registry. This will help offset the cost of your fancy vacation.
• Many venues (like De Luxe Banquet Hall, for example) offer package services that are often cheaper than purchasing the wedding cake, flowers, catering, decorating, and entertainment piecemeal. Ask your venue if they offer such an option.

After months of swimming along in post-engagement bliss, the “moment of truth” has finally arrived – it’s time to set the date for your wedding! While choosing your wedding date may seem like a simple task at the onset, there are a myriad of factors you and your fiance should consider before carving anything in stone. To help make the decision less daunting, De Luxe Banquet Hall would like to share a few hard-learned lessons with all the lovebirds out there.

Tip #1: Plan Around Your Careers.

While there’s no way to foresee what might happen in your respective careers 18 months from now (our Magic 8 Ball says “A Raise Is On The Way!”), you and your fiance should consider any and all job-related conflicts that might arise before finalizing a wedding date. Is there a mandatory company retreat that usually takes place in August? Do you know that your long-time boss will be stepping down in February, creating truckloads of extra work for you and your coworkers?

In general, we suggest that accountants/CPAs avoid getting married between January and May (duh), politicians try not to say their “I Do’s” between July and November (double-duh), and mall Santas should probably block out most of December. (We’re kidding about that last part. Unless you happen to be a mall Santa. Then we’re dead serious.)

Tip #2: Maximize Attendance By Avoiding Holidays and Major Events.

If you try to plan your wedding around the schedules of your friends and family members, we guarantee you’ll drive yourself insane. To maximize attendance while minimizing the danger of losing your mind, the event coordinators at De Luxe Banquet Hall recommend avoiding wedding dates that fall on major holidays (like Christmas, New Year’s Eve, or Flag Day), major sporting events (like the Superbowl), and dates that have negative connotations (like September 11th, or April 15th).

Though holiday weddings can be fun at the time – and often cheaper, since the demand for renting the venue is lower – it may be harder for your guests to ditch their families during the holidays and, given the exorbitant price of airfare and accommodations during the holidays, travel long distances to be a part of your special day.

Tip #3: Considered Every Factor.

When choosing a date for your wedding, it’s important to consider all the factors that might directly or indirectly affect your wedding plans. For example, if you and your fiance plan on taking a tropical honeymoon immediately following your wedding, you may want to research the price of Caribbean vacations at different times of the year. (In case you were wondering, Caribbean flights and accommodations are most expensive in the winter months, and the Hawaiian rainy season typically runs from November until the end of March.) Another important factor to consider might be your choice of flowers; if you have your heart set on hydrangeas but have set your wedding date in January, you might be out of luck! (Unless, of course, you’re willing to pay an arm and a leg for them!)

Tip #4: Setting Your Wedding Date Should Be The First Step.

You can’t have a wedding without a venue, and you can’t reserve a venue unless you know the date or dates that work best for you. Our advice: sit down with your fiance and select 3-5 dates, then rank these dates from most-to-least desired. Knowing this information before you start calling churches and event venues will make the booking process less frustrating for everyone involved. (Trust us on this one!)

Penning personal wedding vows to your fiancé can be a unique way to express the love you feel on your wedding day. For those of us who aren’t professional speech-writers, however, the task of eloquently conveying the complex mix of emotions – admiration, passion, hope, commitment – to the man or woman of our dreams can seem like an impossible one. Luckily, the event planners at De Luxe Banquet Hall have put together an easy guide to writing heartfelt vows that your family, friends, and partner will remember forever.

Step 1: Set The Guidelines.

Before putting pen to paper, sit down with your future husband or wife and discuss some key formatting issues for your vows. Are you going to write them together or separately? How long do you want them to be? (We recommend less than 2 minutes when read out loud!) Are your vows going to be humorous or serious? Poetic or to-the-point? Are you going to make the same pre-scripted promises to each other, or personal promises that reflect your individual commitments to one another? Deciding on these basic guidelines will help bring symmetry to your vows – and to the ceremony as a whole – even if you plan on keeping your declarations of love a secret until your wedding day.

Step 2. Get Inspired.

It’s okay to have anxiety about writing your wedding vows – these are some of the most important words you will ever say to another human being, after all! To overcome that “I don’t even know where to begin!” feeling, we recommend reading as many examples as you can get your hands on. Peruse the internet for “best wedding vow” lists, call your local church and examine copies of traditional religious vows, and consult married friends about their experiences writing the vows for their own weddings. Well-known bridal website The Knot even publishes a book called “Guide To Wedding Vows and Traditions: Readings, Rituals, Music, Dances, and Toasts,” which can be found on Amazon; this is a great resource for getting your speech moving in the right direction.

Step 3. Make It Personal.

Obviously, you chose to write your own vows because you want to express your commitment to your future husband or wife on a more intimate level. To get to the heart of your relationship (no pun intended), take some time to reflect on your fiancé and the relationship you have together. Jotting down the answers to the following questions may help you articulate your feelings and define your speech:

• What did you think the first time you saw your fiance? What were the circumstances surrounding your first encounter?
• When did you realize you were in love? What emotions did you have at the time?
• What is an anecdote that you feel summarizes your relationship? Why?
• What do you respect most about your partner?
• What is the most difficult situation you and your partner have faced as a couple? How did you overcome it?
• What are your dreams for the future?
• How has your life improved since meeting your  fiancé?
• In what ways do you complement each other (make up for the other’s shortcomings?)
• Why do you believe your marriage is built to last?

Step 4. Write It Down.

Now that you have a good idea of what you want to say to your partner on your wedding day, it’s time to start writing. One great way to construct your vows is to begin with a story, then use the anecdote to highlight your love for your fiancé and your commitment to the marriage. If no definitive story about your partner or relationship comes to mind, try implementing the following four-part format: 1) Affirm your love, 2) Praise your partner, 3) Offer promises about how you will support him/her and what you bring to the marriage, and 4) Close with a vow. Regardless of how you choose to structure your message, though, remember: they are called “vows” for a reason, so be sure to include a promise (or multiple promises) like “I promise to always support you,” or “I promise to always hold you when you cry at the end of The Notebook.” And finally, always use your own words instead of borrowing cliches; though you may doubt your speech-writing abilities, your vows will mean more to your partner if they come from your heart and not someone else’s.

Step 5. Clean It Up.

Read over your first draft carefully. Remove any inside jokes or cryptic references that your attendees won’t understand, and eliminate any elements (funny though they might be) that could potentially embarrass your family members or your future husband or wife. Keep in mind, too, that your vows will likely be recorded and documented for the rest of your life, so try to steer clear of pop-culture references unless they directly relate to your relationship (such as “we met dancing the Macarena”) – though these might elicit chuckles at the time, the joke may fall terribly flat when you watch your wedding DVD on your 10-year anniversary.

Step 6. Practice Makes Perfect.

Though it might seem strange (and even slightly embarrassing), reading your vows out loud is one of the best ways to prepare for the big day. Listen carefully as you read them in front of a mirror – or better yet, in front of friends or loved ones – and ask yourself: Are my vows easy to say and understand? Do they flow naturally and sound genuine and conversational? Is my wording free free of tongue-twisters, run-on sentences, and confusing phases? Correct any mistakes, and keep practicing! (Hint: Remember to pay attention to your posture, pace, and hand gestures, too!)

For more information on De Luxe Banquet Hall – including reserving our exquisite event space, a list of our service, and more useful wedding tips – visit our Contact Us page!

Wedding flowers are one of the most overlooked yet most effective parts of wedding design and decor. They set the tone, enhance the visual, and even provide a pleasant smell. But how do you choose the right flowers and floral designer for your wedding? Here are some tips.

When they start their planning, many brides don’t know what to think when it comes to flowers. You may find yourself dog-earing pictures in magazines or searching online for color and flower inspiration, or you may know exactly what you want (or don’t want), but one things most brides do NOT know is what to expect for their floral budget. The majority of brides who go in to consult with their florist and event designer have no idea what to expect for pricing. That’s fine, but before you come in, here’s a few things to think about (the more prepared you are, the better the consult will be!)

Budget
Typically wedding experts tell brides to reserve 8% – 15% of their total wedding budget for flowers (everything from the bridal party to the reception decor). But, this all depends on where your priorities are. If you don’t need floral centrepieces or if you want flowers everywhere the eyes gaze, pricing will fluctuate. You’ll also find that pricing will change depending on the flower varieties that you choose and the size of bouquets and arrangements you want. The best thing is to just be upfront about your budget—it’s our job to be able to suggest ideas and offer alternatives that will work with your prince point AND accomplish everything on your wish list.

Checklist
Bouquet
Toss Bouquet
Bridesmaids Bouquet
Flower Girls
Groom
Groomsmen
Ring Bearer
Mothers
Fathers
Grandparents
Ushers
Officiants
Emcee
Special Family Members/Readers/Musicians/Godparents

Ceremony
Petals for aisle
Aisle decor
Altar decor

Reception
Centrepieces
Arrangements at bar, bathrooms, and guest book table
Cake table

Choices
Trust your florist! It’s what they do. Rather than fixating on specific flower varieties, focus on colour and style. That allows your event designer and florist to choose the freshest, best suited flowers to your event, rather than limiting them to something that might not be in season or doesn’t look amazing. That being said, if there is a certain type of flower you MUST have, let them know!

When to Book
It might seem far in advance, but booking a florist about 6 months before the wedding is the best time to do it. Why? It makes sure that they’re available for your day and will have more than enough time to prepare the order. Plus, it will give them time to go over everything and ensure that if any revisions need to be made to your order, they can do it without any problems.

What to Do at a Consult
Your flower consult is all about you—what you want, what you hope for—and determining if the florist you’re meeting with is right to complete your vision. You want a florist who is going to be excited about your vision, and not only realize it but add to it. Spend some time thinking about what your floral ideas are before coming in, and bring in any pictures, fabric samples, or inspiration that you have. That will help everyone make sure you are completely on the same page.

De Luxe Banquet Hall’s custom lighting and decor options ensure that your flowers and centerpieces will be displayed in the right color scheme and aesthetic. Contact us today to make a reservation for your special day!

The cost of planning a wedding adds up quickly. You have to buy rings, a dress, catering, cake, venue rental, and pay the florist. Before long, you have exceeded your budget with more work to be done.

Luckily, there are ways to save money here and there. De Luxe Banquet Halls in Los Angeles offers tips to help you reign in the spending and get the wedding back on track.

This week, we have a few cheap decorating tips that sacrifice spending, but not elegance. Continue reading “3 Ways to Save Money on Wedding Decorations”

When you finally work up the nerve to propose to your girlfriend, whether you have been dating for 6 months or 6 years, you should find an exciting way to pop the question. Your proposal should be perfect.

There are plenty of fun proposal ideas you can try, so here are a few to get the ball rolling:

Continue reading “Fun and Romantic Proposal Ideas”

Your wedding and the following wedding reception comprise the most important day of your life. You will need a professional photographer to document the event, so your photo albums reflect the magnificence of the actual day. Otherwise, your memories may be tarnished by blurry developing, red pupils, and poor lighting.

No, really. With digital cameras being so accessible, anyone can snap a couple pics and charge outrageous prices to use Final Cut Pro. Even the good photographers, the ones who took some classes in college about framing, shutter speeds, and back lighting, may try to get artsy and start taking pictures from weird angles or experiment with blending colors. When hiring a photographer for your wedding reception, you want a professional who will recognize the significance of the situation and act accordingly.

Here is a guideline that should help make hiring a photographer easier.

1) Meet with potential candidates in person. It is important to meet the photographers well before your wedding, so you can be witness to her personality. Ask to meet the potential candidate at potential Los Angeles wedding venues, allowing them to check out the facility.

2) Select someone who specializes in weddings. Photographers who shoot birthday parties or baby showers take a much different approach than wedding specialists. Find a wedding reception expert who knows when to be near the dance floor, cake, or head table.

3) Ask for prior wedding photos. In past jobs, look for relaxed posture, happy expressions, and good lighting.

4) Relay your specific requests. Do you need backdrops? Candid pictures or posed? Black-and-white photos? Ensure the photographer can accommodate your needs.

5) Ask how they do developing. Some photographers only use digital proofs, while some use traditional film developing. See if you can keep negatives, if you can get physical copies and data versions, and if there are discounts for bulk buying.

6) Finalize the contract. Make sure to figure out specific details, especially price, and that the services include printing and handling photographs along with snapping them. Also, determine the deposit and refund policy.

7) Stay in touch before the wedding reception. The photographer should know the timeline of events, which family members to focus on, and any changes during the planning period.

I hope these tips help make hiring a photographer for your wedding reception a breeze. Best of luck and congratulations on your coming marriage!

For more tips to renew your wedding vows or select a Los Angeles wedding venue, read our blog or follow us on Twitter @deluxebanquetha