I mean they take up the same amount of space on the plate??
That is just about as ridiculous of a statement as the one I heard today from a wedding planner. She was talking to a good friend of the Dish about how expensive her bride’s bouquet was going to be.
Yes, this bouquet was a bit pricier than most, BUT, that had to do entirely with the flowers the bride insisted on using.
Two of the most expensive flowers you can use are Lady Slipper Orchids and mini Calla Lilies. The bride wanted both, with the callas in two different colors. Two different colors means two entire bunches no matter how few you are actually using in the bouquet. ~sigh~
As wedding professionals, we are running a business. Our intention above and beyond making our clients outrageously happy and their day all they have dreamed of is to make a profit while doing so. That is why we are in business. If we don’t do that, we won’t have the opportunity to make clients happy for long.
As a bride, there is nothing, and I do mean nothing; no product or service, that you cannot have. With one little caveat: you have to pay for it.
Do you want your florist to store, transport and arrange the hundreds of votive candles you bought online instead of from them? No problem, 
as long as you compensate them for their time.
Do you want the calligrapher you hired to address the invitations you bought online to also fold them and stuff the envelopes? Same thing, expect to compensate them.
Do you want your caterer to cork and pour the cases of Two Buck Chuck you picked up at Trader Joes? Same thing.
Have to have coral peonies for your arrangements? Great but they won’t be in season for 3 weeks. How does $6 a stem grab you?
My point is two fold. First and foremost, work with your wedding vendors to find compromises that work with both your budget and desired outcome. For instance, with today’s bride’s bouquet she switched to a different orchid, one color of callas and replaced the other with cream roses. Your professionals know how to make things happen.
The second point is that if you are not willing to compromise, be willing to pay for the privilege.
This post relates to all professional weddings vendors including entertainment.. Quality costs more.
It certainly does, Mr. Sanchez. Thanks for the post Christine!
Great insight into pricing and planning for a wedding. Often, brides only see a price and not the quality, content or quantity of a specific item in their wedding day. They have no real experience in planning an event of this size. The result is an overwhelming sense that it is “too expensive”.
Good article. thanks for sharing
Curtis
Superb article that reflects what is happening. Everyone wants the best while beating the dignity out of the wedding professionals who can’t invest the hours to please the bride and not make a viable living. There are no pensions or perks at the end of the day.
You can’t want a Rolls Royce on a KIA budget.
Enough said.
Great article! Problem is, they don’t want to compromise or pay! And, they don’t want to “waste” money on a planner to help them save in the long run. It is a very spoiled generation getting married.
When confronted with these type of objections I find it effective to ask for the importance of the item in their vision of the wedding. Often times I find that a Bride has an idea “stuck” in her head and it’s overall value to her personally isn’t tremendous but it’s always been “part of the vision” When she recasts the importance of a small or large expense and pairs it with an understanding of why…whe is in a much better place to re-evaluate her feelings.
This is also the direct result of many vendors not being (BUZZ WORD ALERT!!! LOL!) Transparent enough in their dealings with a client. Go ahead an explain the additional costs to you as a provider, or the additional time that a request will take and give the client a point of reference. My clients are often unaware that a request they are making is out of the ordinary and requires some sort of additional or unusual effort. Remember we do this week in and week out…they will hopefully only do it once! That’s why they’re coming to us….as professionals….for our experience as well as our talent. Let’s avail them of both in equal measure!
Great stuff (as ALWAYS) Christine!
Great article! I hope it’s ok but I’m going to repost it on my blog with your info, of course.
Deborah Carasso
Unique Invitations
Yes, please feel free to repost. I’m all about getting the word out.