Weddings might be recession proof, as the headline that appeared yesterday in my hometown newspaper The Windsor Star reads, but wedding budgets are not. The economy is having an impact how much couples spend on their weddings and the majority of brides are not spending $30,000.

I am bombarded almost daily with information about couples who are scaling back their weddings because of the recession. Many of them have suffered job losses, or job instability. Others have had to scale back plans because their parents RRSPs or 401ks have recently tanked. Even couples who have not been directly impacted by the recession are spending less on their weddings and using their money to put a down payment on a home.

The $30,000 wedding figure that gets reported repeatedly in the media, is not an accurate reflection of what most couples are spending – even when times are good. As I pointed out in an earlier blog post The $28,704 Myth: The ‘Average’ Cost Of A Wedding is Not What You Think It Is, the cost of the average wedding is a figure that does not accurately reflect the masses.

The recession is having an impact on weddings. And I don’t think it’s a bad thing. I think couples are thinking long and hard about how much they want to spend. Many couples are realizing they can create a gorgeous and meaningful event for a lot less than the ‘so-called’ average, if they simply scale back their guest list to the people who really matter to them.  As Elizabeth says: “A small wedding gives you the chance to maximize quality over quantity.”

I have never had the pleasure of eating a macaron. Never. And I’ve been craving some ever since I set my eyes on these marvelous looking macarons by Toronto’s Bobbette and Belle, who were featured in a recent article that discussed the growing popularity of macarons at weddings.

What is a macaron? According to Bobbette & Belle, the macaron had its origins in Italy centuries ago, but now is a Parisian speciality. The ingredients include finely ground almonds, sugar, and egg whites. The almond flavour and round shape are its distinctive features.

Bobbette & Belle writes:

When bitten into, its delicate but crunchy outer shell gives way to a soft almond meringue on the inside. For a heavenly experience, two macaron halves are stuck together and filled with a rich chocolate ganache, or flavoured butter cream.

Yum. And look how pretty they are!

New York’s Mark it with Gis another company specializing in macarons. (They spell it macaroons.) Flavors include mint, pistachio, coffee, lemon, raspberry, hazelnut, coconut, lavendar caramel, german chocolate and raspberry mousse.

As you can see, macarons make a beautiful alternative to a cupcake tower.

If you feel adventurous and you want to bake your own, check out this Raspberry Chocolate French Macaron recipe. Sounds divine.

Still, I refuse to believe the cupcake is dead. Little Miss Cupcake might not be as quite as sophisticated, but she’s still pretty darn delicious.

Save

Looking for a unique wedding ring for your husband-to-be? Check out jewelry designer Camille Hempel’s Fingerprint Rings. A cast of a fingerprint (yours) is used to create the custom made rings. You can also go for a his and hers set.

Save

If you’ve opted for an intimate wedding with only a handful of guests, you might feel you can pull off  planning the event on your own. Wedding coordinators are only for big weddings, right?

Although we did not hire a wedding coordinator for our nuptials, other brides I interviewed for Intimate Weddings: Planning A Small Wedding that Fits Your Budget and Style benefitted greatly by hiring a wedding planner.

If you’re not the planning type and event planning simply stresses you out, or if you’ve got a demanding job that doesn’t leave you with too many free moments to spare you might want to consider hiring a wedding coordinator. You might also consider hiring someone to take charge if you’re getting married in a location different than where you live.

A wedding planner can create your wedding from start to finish. Some of the things she (or he! I have interviewed men who can coordinate a wow wedding) can do for you are:

– Help you have a clearer picture of what you want
– Help you stick to your budget
– Help you prioritize
– Set you up with reputable vendors that suit your tastes
– Alleviate family conflicts by acting as mediator
– Pose questions to vendors that you might not think to ask
– Help devise an overall wedding vision
– Find the right invitations and mail them
– Oversee events on the wedding day to make sure everything runs smoothly
– Book your honeymoon.

This means you’ll:

– Be less stressed out
– Have a good chance of getting better rates with vendors.
– Have more time to devote to other things (and you won’t run the risk of getting fired for spending your work hours planning your wedding!)

But you don’t have to hire a wedding planner to do everything. She can take as big or small a role as you choose.

If you are considering hiring a wedding planner, keep in mind that it will probably cost you 10-15 percent of your budget. That can amount to thousands of dollars, so make sure you take the time to find a good one.

Wedding coordinator red flags

Be leery of hiring a planner that:

– Is pushy, and won’t listen to your ideas
– Doesn’t, in your opinion, have good taste (Ask to see pictures of clients’ events)
– Has an abrasive personality
– Doesn’t have references
– Won’t sign a written agreement

I was not a winter bride. I didn’t have to worry about blizzards, ice storms or wind chills. And I didn’t have to worry about germs. Germs, you say? According to the January 19 issue of  MacLean’s Magazine, for winter brides, it’s all about the germs.

According to the Paranoia of the Winter Bride, there are plenty of winter brides on “germ lockdown.” They’re deathly afraid of coming down with a cold or the flu before their weddings and as a result, they are extremely cautious in public and will avoid friends and family members who are even suspected of having a cold.  Some seek out naturopaths and osteopaths to boost their immune systems, and are prescribed intravenous vitamin therapies. Others load up on oregano extract, vitamin D3, probiotics and freeze dried garlic.

I recently endured a wretched bout with the flu, so I am acutely sympathic with these brides. I don’t blame them a bit for wanting to ramp up their immune systems. I’d be loading up on Cold FX  and crossing my fingers for a virus-free, event  – with only a few minor flurries.