15 Jul The Challenge of Wedding Planning In A Time of Uncertainty
Well, 2020 has turned out to be a year full of unpleasant surprises. The whole world was brought to a standstill, which is a big blow when you are planning a wedding. Actualizing your dream wedding is more complicated now — and it could be a challenge to begin with. Moreover, no one is fully confident when life will return to normal. It’s a difficult situation to be in, to say the least. Of course, they say that every cloud has a silver lining. The question is, what could possibly be the silver lining in this one?
Maybe it’s a matter of finances. For many people, 2020 has been a year of great reflection. This has led some to recalibrate their lives, including downsizing on extraneous luxuries. Your silver lining as you plan for your wedding might be a budget adjustment. The following post takes a look at the recent economics of weddings:
The average cost of a wedding in 2019 was $32,329. The median cost for a house in the States that year was $200,000, according to Zillow. Do the math: the average cost of a wedding is a serious downpayment on an average house. You start off the period of your life when you really need money by collecting it in a pile and burning it. A big wedding makes leasing a sports car look like a good financial decision.
Spending all that money on a wedding won’t make you happier, it won’t make your marriage stronger. The opposite, in fact. In 2015, social scientists in Singapore did the work. In ‘A Diamond is Forever’ and Other Fairy Tales: The Relationship between Wedding Expenses and Marriage Duration, they found marriage duration is inversely associated with the spending on the ceremony and the engagement ring. The more you spend, the shorter the marriage lasts. Read more at The Guardian…
While you may be sad about your plans getting blocked, if you step back to see the bigger picture you can view this as an opportunity to redirect some of your wedding finances to future investments. This will put you on better financial footing as a married couple just starting out.
Due to legally mandated restrictions, some couples will find themselves in the situation of having put money down, or paid in full, for services that are prohibited or can no longer be safely provided by the vendor in their area. What are your options in this scenario? A report by BBC News offers some answers:
If your ceremony was due while weddings were banned, you should generally be entitled to a full refund if you don’t want to postpone.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) says in most cases this would be if:
A business cancels on you
The lockdown means a business can’t provide a service
You can’t proceed with the event because of the lockdown
An exception is the costs a business has incurred on your behalf already, such as a wedding meal tasting or a dress fitting.
As a result, venues and suppliers may be entitled to keep all or part of your deposit, but consumer rights law states they must give you a breakdown of costs. Read more at BBC News…
Every situation will be different; just stay on top of things and be positive. Remember, your service providers are also affected by the current difficulties, but you can expect them to do their best to make adjustments or provide refunds as necessary.
In the end, the best part of the story is you can still make your lifetime commitment to the one you love. All around the world, there are provisions for virtual weddings. You can put on your beautiful designer wedding dress and stand with your groom and get married by a remote minister, in joyful view of far-flung family and friends, all via live video streaming. Now won’t that be a wedding story to tell your children someday?
If you are ready to find your perfect wedding gown, New York Bride & Groom of Columbia is open for business. We have the best selection of stunning designer bridal dresses in the Midlands, as well as the top bridal consultants to assist you. You never need an appointment to shop at our store so drop by whenever it’s convenient. We will be here waiting, fully staffed and ready to help.