An excellent post by Lyssabeth's Wedding Officiants. You can find their blog here.
"The Simple Dollar offers an excellent distinction between being frugal and being cheap. I'll paraphrase it: one who is frugal looks for the best value for their money. One who is cheap will consider paying only the rock-bottom price for anything, regardless of the quality.
Of course, I had to take this comparison and relate it to the wedding planning scenario. Ergo, here is my comparison between the Cheap and the Frugal Bride. Believe me, I see them both on a daily basis!
A cheap bride is everyone's worst nightmare. She will lower herself to commit unspeakable acts of mayhem all for the glory of bragging about the great deal she obtained. A frugal bride, on the other hand, is genuinely admired for her skill at determining what she wants and thoughtfully pursuing affordable and good-quality resources to bring her desires into reality.
Cheap brides enter the wedding planning process armed with an attitude of lack. "I don't have the money." "It's too expensive." "Wedding vendors only want to charge top dollar and rip you off." "I can't afford that." "I'm so jealous, So-and-so had so much more money to spend on her wedding."
Frugal brides take on the task of planning their wedding with an attitude of joy (and perhaps a bit of adventure). "How can I make this work?" "What are my priorities for my wedding day and how do I budget accordingly?" "How creative can I get?" "Can I do this myself or with the help of my friends and family?" "How did other brides do things creatively and frugally?"
Cheap brides begin every vendor contact with "How much is it?" Frugal brides ask more thoughtful questions, learn what the vendor offers and if the services are more than they can afford will say, "Your service sounds perfect for me, but my budget is $X.XX. Is there any way your package can be modified to accommodate me?"
Cheap brides tend to be...well...kinda victimy (there just isn't a tactful way to say it). "Poor me, I can't have the wedding day of my dreams because (fill in the blank) I don't make enough money, my parents can't afford it, wedding vendors are all in cahoots to scam me, I'm not creative, I'm too busy, yada, yada, yada..."
Cheap brides tend to perceive their wedding vendors (once they finally find the cheapest they can find and actually hire them) as their adversaries. The assume that the vendor is only out to take advantage of them by maximizing their profit. She has already browbeaten them down to their lowest possible fee, but then the cheap bride must also be hyper-vigilant to ensure that her vendors toe the line and do everything that she is paying for them to do (which quite frankly, probably isn't much).
The frugal bride realizes that reputable vendors truly want her to have the best wedding day experience possible. That is, after all, how they stay in business. She expresses her wishes and trusts their professional judgment and integrity knowing that her vendors are on her side.
Frugal brides tend to be more realistic. "I may have to cut back my guest list if I want to have a higher-end meal for the reception." "If we save money by making our own invitations, then I can splurge on the high-end photographer I love." "I'd like to be married in a romantic ceremony for just the two of us so we can use the money for something else."
For a cheap bride, getting something for a rock bottom price is the primary objective. She will opt for the vendor whose style doesn't suit her simply because they have the lowest price. She will ferret out the lowest price possible for every aspect of her wedding.
A frugal bride takes into account price, quality, and perhaps (in cases such as the officiant, the photographer or the wedding planner) the connection she has with the vendor. She is also realistic about her life situation, how much time she has, what her talents and resources are and she chooses vendors or DIY projects accordingly.
Trent of the Simple Dollar summarizes the difference between frugality and cheapness as being one of thought. I couldn't agree more. It's been my experience that frugal brides put much more thought into their wedding planning than cheap brides. This makes sense, for a frugal bride is guided by many criteria: budget, time, values, experience, research, resources and priorities. The cheap bride, on the other hand, has only one objective: to get it as cheaply as possible.
If you're a wedding vendor reading this, then share your stories of cheap verses frugal brides by leaving a comment. And if you are (or were) a frugal bride, please share a tip.
And for the cheap brides?? Well, they were probably only reading this blog for the free information and I'm willing to bet they didn't get past the second paragraph before moving on anyway, so no worries."
Let me know the money saving tips you came across when planning your own wedding. What were the "top 3" items you would NOT compromise on?
Kat
Kingdom Wedding Photography
Showing posts with label Guest Bloggers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Guest Bloggers. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Guest Blogger DJ Jerry B - The ipod Wedding
DJ Jerry B posted this excellent article on iPod weddings and DJ weddings that I found to be incredibly helpful. Thank you Jerry for being our first guest blogger!
Now onto the article which you can also find on DJ Jerry B's Blog.
"All you have to do is Google “ipod wedding” and you’ll see a big can of worms open before your very eyes. You’ll find passionate arguments on both sides of the debate on whether you should do-it-yourself on music for your wedding.
I think there a few situations in which a DIY approach makes a lot of sense. First, if you have no desire (or don’t expect) to have dancing at your wedding, and are just looking for background music, then an iPod or a pre-programmed playlist on your laptop is a reasonable approach. Second, I think that doing your own music would be preferable to hiring a really bad DJ. At least you know what will be played if it’s your music. It is also a perfectly logical choice if you are doing your entire wedding on a shoestring budget.
What is NOT reasonable is the presumption that there is no difference between an iPod and an experienced professional disc jockey, since they both play music. That whole thought process is flawed. I like to use the analogy of the stone mason:
Imagine that a truck delivers a load of field stones into a pile. You could probably, without any experience at all, take the stones and form a wall of some type. It may not be perfect or stable or beautiful, but it would technically be a wall. A talented mason can take those very same stones and, with his experience, build a wall that is eye catching, memorable and will last a lifetime. Is there a difference between the two? You betcha!
One big disadvantage in using an mp3 player or laptop is that all you are doing is playing music — music that you chose based on what you THOUGHT your guests would enjoy. What happens when it’s time for dancing and people aren’t responding to what’s being played? And do you have a plan “B” if that iPod happens to freeze up during your wedding? If not, it’s sort of like skydiving without a reserve parachute. No iPod can take requests, make introductions for you, help keep your time line on track, work with your photographer to ensure that those special moments are captured, or use its expertise to adjust the music to get everyone involved in the celebration.
Some DJs like to post a link to a video that is easy to find on YouTube and many other sites that purport to show an iPod Wedding Disaster. For the record, I’m not convinced that what is being shown is genuine. I might be a little less cynical if it weren’t so boldly stamped with the logo of the American Disc Jockey Association. It screams “self-serving” with that big red, white and blue watermark. I have no direct evidence that it is staged; I’m just saying that I have my doubts as to its legitimacy. I know that a LOT of entertainers were quick to link to the clip. To me, those are just cheap scare tactics.
You can also read many forums in which brides brag about how they did their own music and how great it was. Again, in some cases, I am somewhat dubious. How many brides are really likely to ‘fess up to the fact that they tried something and it blew up in their face? Also, it’s possible THEY thought it was great because they saved some money, but I wonder if their guests shared their opinion. There are at least an equal number of forum writers describing their experience (as a guest) as awful.
If the only argument in favor of doing it yourself is the cost, there is some element of truth to that and there is no sense denying it. I’d like to point out that there is also a difference in cost between what your caterer charges and how much you could save by providing each of your guests a “Value Meal” from Taco Bell. And no reasonable thinking person is going to suggest that you can get a similar finished product by simply handing out disposable cameras instead of paying an experienced professional photographer.
And before you decide that doing it yourself is cheap, please remember that there is more to it than showing up with your iPod. Do you need to rent a sound system (amplifier, speakers, mixer, cables and microphones) that is powerful enough to fill the space? Also, what is the backup plan if something goes wrong? Who is going to transport the system to the venue, set it up, monitor it during the reception to balance the sound and then tear it all down and take it back at the end? Are there going to be announcements or other emcee duties? Who will be responsible for those?
To be clear, the decision lies with those who are paying the wedding bills. My hope is that it is a fully informed and educated decision."
-----
Hope you found this helpful. From a wedding photographer's standpoint - he is dead on. I've seen iPod Weddings that worked beautifully and some that weren't quite as beautiful - same with DJs: some are absolutely amazing and get the party going and some are quite the opposite. What we as vendors want for you on your wedding day is one thing: for you to make the best decision, fully knowing what you can expect. Party on!
Kat
Kingdom Wedding Photography
Now onto the article which you can also find on DJ Jerry B's Blog.
"All you have to do is Google “ipod wedding” and you’ll see a big can of worms open before your very eyes. You’ll find passionate arguments on both sides of the debate on whether you should do-it-yourself on music for your wedding.
I think there a few situations in which a DIY approach makes a lot of sense. First, if you have no desire (or don’t expect) to have dancing at your wedding, and are just looking for background music, then an iPod or a pre-programmed playlist on your laptop is a reasonable approach. Second, I think that doing your own music would be preferable to hiring a really bad DJ. At least you know what will be played if it’s your music. It is also a perfectly logical choice if you are doing your entire wedding on a shoestring budget.
What is NOT reasonable is the presumption that there is no difference between an iPod and an experienced professional disc jockey, since they both play music. That whole thought process is flawed. I like to use the analogy of the stone mason:
Imagine that a truck delivers a load of field stones into a pile. You could probably, without any experience at all, take the stones and form a wall of some type. It may not be perfect or stable or beautiful, but it would technically be a wall. A talented mason can take those very same stones and, with his experience, build a wall that is eye catching, memorable and will last a lifetime. Is there a difference between the two? You betcha!
One big disadvantage in using an mp3 player or laptop is that all you are doing is playing music — music that you chose based on what you THOUGHT your guests would enjoy. What happens when it’s time for dancing and people aren’t responding to what’s being played? And do you have a plan “B” if that iPod happens to freeze up during your wedding? If not, it’s sort of like skydiving without a reserve parachute. No iPod can take requests, make introductions for you, help keep your time line on track, work with your photographer to ensure that those special moments are captured, or use its expertise to adjust the music to get everyone involved in the celebration.
Some DJs like to post a link to a video that is easy to find on YouTube and many other sites that purport to show an iPod Wedding Disaster. For the record, I’m not convinced that what is being shown is genuine. I might be a little less cynical if it weren’t so boldly stamped with the logo of the American Disc Jockey Association. It screams “self-serving” with that big red, white and blue watermark. I have no direct evidence that it is staged; I’m just saying that I have my doubts as to its legitimacy. I know that a LOT of entertainers were quick to link to the clip. To me, those are just cheap scare tactics.
You can also read many forums in which brides brag about how they did their own music and how great it was. Again, in some cases, I am somewhat dubious. How many brides are really likely to ‘fess up to the fact that they tried something and it blew up in their face? Also, it’s possible THEY thought it was great because they saved some money, but I wonder if their guests shared their opinion. There are at least an equal number of forum writers describing their experience (as a guest) as awful.
If the only argument in favor of doing it yourself is the cost, there is some element of truth to that and there is no sense denying it. I’d like to point out that there is also a difference in cost between what your caterer charges and how much you could save by providing each of your guests a “Value Meal” from Taco Bell. And no reasonable thinking person is going to suggest that you can get a similar finished product by simply handing out disposable cameras instead of paying an experienced professional photographer.
And before you decide that doing it yourself is cheap, please remember that there is more to it than showing up with your iPod. Do you need to rent a sound system (amplifier, speakers, mixer, cables and microphones) that is powerful enough to fill the space? Also, what is the backup plan if something goes wrong? Who is going to transport the system to the venue, set it up, monitor it during the reception to balance the sound and then tear it all down and take it back at the end? Are there going to be announcements or other emcee duties? Who will be responsible for those?
To be clear, the decision lies with those who are paying the wedding bills. My hope is that it is a fully informed and educated decision."
-----
Hope you found this helpful. From a wedding photographer's standpoint - he is dead on. I've seen iPod Weddings that worked beautifully and some that weren't quite as beautiful - same with DJs: some are absolutely amazing and get the party going and some are quite the opposite. What we as vendors want for you on your wedding day is one thing: for you to make the best decision, fully knowing what you can expect. Party on!
Kat
Kingdom Wedding Photography
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)