Wedding Pros Share
Budget-Friendly Wedding Advice

Many brides long dreamed of the perfect wedding since playing dress up in their mom’s closet and reading fairytale endings of happily ever after. However, today’s couples are often tossing tradition aside and incorporating their unique style. Experts note they are finding ways to create the “wow” factor on a tight budget.

More than 2 million couples married nationwide in 2008 with the average wedding costing $21,800, and California’s average is $8,000 higher, according to The Wedding Report. However, the national average dropped 10.2 percent last year.

Industry insiders say today’s weddings are often smaller and couples are spending less, but their expectations are just as high. The challenge, then, is bringing a couple’s vision in line with their budget. Staff Writer Stacy Lawrence spoke with several industry professionals about money-saving advice and current trends.

(Editor’s note: Staff Writer Stacy Clements and Jeff Lawrence were married in November at Hotel Maya. Her new e-mail is: stacy_lawrence@lbbj.com)

The Ebell Club, a 25,000-square-foot historic venue located at 290 Cerritos Ave., offers ceremonies and receptions, onsite catering, event rentals and other services. Director of Events Liz Palmer, who was married at the club, shares some tips.
LBBJ: What’s been the greatest change in the wedding industry over the past five years?
Palmer: Couples are waiting to get married a little bit later in life and, therefore, are bearing the burden of expense for the wedding. What I find is that people book a venue about eight months out. That is definitely something new. Couples [who] are older and booking an event have either waited or don’t care to plan a year and a half engagement.

LBBJ: What are some simple ways couples can save when booking a venue?
Palmer: Venues are very good at offering discounted rates for “off” days – Fridays and Sundays. Some venues even do it seasonally, looking to book in the off months. That’s not the case here, but I know some other[s] do that. Also, I think a big way to save money is to [plan] an event during the day and not during the evening. It helps because you can serve brunch items or lunch items that may be less expensive than serving a full dinner.

LBBJ: What trends are you seeing in 2010?
Palmer: Most of my brides walk in and they want to make sure they don’t have their mother’s wedding. What does that mean? Well, the head table has had its day. Brides and grooms are getting married later – they’ve got friends [who] are married and they don’t want them to be seated without their spouse. Brides and grooms want to sit with their guests either at a table or perhaps a sweetheart table. Some of the older traditions – the bouquet toss and the garter toss – have also seen their time. Brides and grooms want to make a toast or a welcome or thank you [address] to their guests in lieu of the father of the bride speaking; [they] are definitely putting more effort into being very vocal at their event. The grooms are much more involved in the planning process. Sometimes I just deal with grooms, which is shocking.

Sandy Keller, founder of Torrance-based AdvantageBridal.com, has catered to future Mr. and Mrs. since 1992. She sold her retail location in Rolling Hills Estates to focus solely on e-commerce and attends bridal shows across the country.
LBBJ: What’s been the greatest change in the wedding industry over the past five years?
Keller: The length of time couples are engaged is not the standard year. They are eloping, thereby saving a great deal of money, or taking longer to plan. [They] can be very price-conscious while waiting 18 months or longer to get married.

LBBJ: How do you expect the industry will do this year?
Keller: Judging by the quality and quantity of wholesale gift show orders, we can be very optimistic about the [wedding] retail industry in 2010 – store owners are showing a lot of confidence.

LBBJ: What trends are you seeing in 2010?
Keller: Eco-friendly weddings in all aspects, from the invitations to the favors. Destination weddings are also still very popular, which usually translates to fewer guests and smaller wedding parties. Purple, turquoise and other bright hues are popular colors this year. Birdcage veils, strapless wedding gowns and mismatched bridesmaid dresses are the fashion trends.

Charles Feder, owner of Rossmoor Pastries at 2325 Redondo Ave. in Signal Hill, says popular TV shows are changing brides’ expectations.
LBBJ: What’s been the greatest change in the wedding industry over the past five years?
Feder: TV shows are having a tremendous amount of influence on the dreams of the brides [and] what they want for their cake. Before it was Martha Stewart, now it’s “Ace of Cakes” or “Cake Boss.” It’s a whole new world, [which] has raised the artistic bar. Then, you have to compound that with the reality of those [cake] costs. The challenge is letting them down softly – they can’t have the $5,000 cake for $320.

LBBJ: What are some simple ways couples can save when choosing a cake?
Feder: [It’s] very hard to see the difference between our butter cream and fondant. Brides are actually surprised when we show them live cakes that are not fondant. Fondant is pretty, but it’s not tasty, it’s been handled too much, it’s too thick, it doesn’t cut very well. There are a lot of downsides to fondant. My butter cream recipe makes it able to be smoothed nicely. They don’t need to spend 50 percent more for a cake. That’s a big savings. The idea of a small cake plus a sheet cake doesn’t really work out because the cost is almost the same and it doesn’t look right. You can’t walk into a room with 400 people and have a wedding cake for 20 [on display] – it’s out of balance.

LBBJ: What trends are you seeing in 2010?
Feder: More color. Different shapes. People are doing more things with ribbon and less hand decorating – less ornate, simpler looks and much more colorful than they ever were before [with] colored icing, decorations, appliqués. It used to be that all the wedding cake tiers were roughly four inches high, but now they want to have different dimensions. People are not doing separated tiers; they’re all stacked one right on top the other. That’s very popular today.

Cyndi Turk, owner of Devynn’s Garden in Belmont Shore, Seal Beach and Sunset Beach, has made brides’ floral dreams come true for the past 15 years.
LBBJ: What’s been the greatest change in the wedding industry over the past five years?
Turk: Everybody’s first concern is budget; they just need to stay within a realistic realm. They want everything, but we just have to make sure it’s feasible. It’s just finding creative ways to give everyone the vision they still want.

LBBJ: What are some simple ways couples can save and still achieve that vision?
Turk: Before there were specific seasons, things cost more at certain times of the year. But there are very few flowers that are specifically grown in seasons now. It’s not so much the quality of the floral [that drives price], it’s size. [People use] things that are a bit more airy, simplistic [and] candles. People do a lot of the legwork themselves now, which helps. They can bring in their own vases; they can bring in their own ribbon – any specialty items. They are much more open to renting instead of purchasing everything. Instead of giving away the centerpieces, now they’re more open to renting them. That helps, too. Instead of having the whole wedding installed, they pick up [the flowers] for smaller weddings.

LBBJ: What trends are you seeing in 2010?
Turk: This season I’m seeing a lot of mauve, purple, lime green, natural elements – driftwood, rocks, shells, succulents [and] moss. Hand-tied bouquets are still the dominant request, but the traditional cascading bouquet is definitely coming back. There were five to seven years where I didn’t have one request for a traditional cascading bouquet. This season I’m seeing more.

Sarajeva Vasquez, special events coordinator of the Long Beach Museum of Art, says the museum offers a unique, coastal setting for weddings.
LBBJ: What’s been the greatest change in the wedding industry?
Vasquez: Last year, people were economically conscious about their events so we got a lot of parties that were reducing guest count. We were expecting the same thing to happen this year, but guest count has gone up. The average last year was about 65 to 100 [guests], and this year we’re averaging 150 to 300. In the past, no event was smaller than 150 guests. This year, we do have a lot of weddings [scheduled] that are more intimate – 30 to 60. There’s no middle ground anymore.

LBBJ: What are some simple ways couples can save?
Vasquez: We don’t have any set packages, so that’s good for brides [who] are conscious about their budget. It’s a la carte; they can choose what they want. A lot of people are doing a two-hour hosted bar, instead of four hours. In the past, people were getting fancy linens and now people are figuring out ways to make their tables look elegant without spending too much money. We work with the bride and groom’s budget.

LBBJ: What trends are you seeing in 2010?
Vasquez: A lot of people are really concerned about the environment – [they’re] giving out favors such as seeds, plants, wheat grass. It’s really organic now. They’re concerned about people making use of their favors.

Susan Quintero, director of catering sales of SAVOR at the Aquarium of the Pacific, says the Aquarium attracts couples that appreciate the ocean and marine life.
LBBJ: What’s been the greatest change in the wedding industry over the past five years?
Quintero: Most brides and grooms have a certain budget and stay pretty consistent with the way they spend their budget. Wedding cakes are less popular and cupcakes are becoming more popular. There are fads that are coming in and out – the candy station, as opposed to party favors at the tables. People are getting more into the trends and less into the traditions.

LBBJ: What are some simple ways couples can save?
Quintero: The nice thing about a unique venue like the Aquarium is they don’t have to do a lot to decorate it, [which] is a savings. They can do very simple centerpieces. The room is already so great [because of] the surroundings that are here; they don’t have to spend a lot in added enhancements. At our venue, we don’t require a dance floor; they can dance on the existing slate floors. They save a little bit there. The higher price point is going to be a Saturday [wedding]. The way our package is broken down they can choose either a plated meal or buffet at the same price, so it gives them the diversity. They actually get to pick the food they favor over the food that’s more economical.

LBBJ: What trends are you seeing in 2010?
Quintero: We’re seeing more buffets or food stations than the traditional plated meal. Brides and grooms are getting more creative with ways to make their event customized without blowing their budget.

The Holiday Inn Long Beach Airport Hotel, 2640 N. Lakewood Blvd., offers several options for couples in the planning process, including the 5,000-square-foot Sunset Ballroom. Director of Catering Essie Boyd, whose career at the hotel spans seven years, recently attended a bridal show at the Queen Mary.
LBBJ: What has been the greatest change in the wedding industry over the past five years?
Boyd: To keep the costs down, a lot of brides are doing heavy hors d’oeuvres instead of a prepared plate meal.

LBBJ: What are some simple ways couples can save?
Boyd: One of the first things I do is identify what budget they’re working with for the catering, the reception or the ceremony. I have a wedding package that includes the ceremony and reception. [They’re often] a better deal than a la carte options because the package [includes] your cake, hors d’oeuvre hour, unlimited punch, complimentary suite, apple cider/Champagne toast. It offers so much for a minimum per person price.

LBBJ: What trends are you seeing in 2010?
Boyd: The traditional wedding – really simple, but elegant.

Regina Ramirez, supervisor of the Carson Center, says the center averages eight weddings a month and can accommodate up to nine receptions simultaneously.
LBBJ: What’s been the greatest change in the wedding industry over the past five years?
Ramirez: The emphasis on decor. People have become very lavish in the decor. They [used to] be OK with a nice centerpiece and maybe balloons, now they’re doing chair covers and table runners.

LBBJ: What are simple ways the bride and groom can save?
Ramirez: I have a lot of Friday weddings booked this year versus Saturday. That’s a cost-saving measure couples are doing. We’re definitely less expensive than the hotels. We have an onsite caterer [whose] buffet is very cost effective – you get a lot for your money versus a sit-down dinner.

LBBJ: What trends are you seeing in 2010?
Ramirez: Fabric, backdrops and up lights. Lighting is being incorporated much more in the decor and is a big trend. We provide a wedding arch for our ceremonies, but a lot of couples don’t use the arch anymore. [They use] columns and fabric and gazebos. There are a lot more themed weddings as well.