6 Wedding
Guide • Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Making
Making the
the outdoors
outdoors work
work with
with you
you
CURT PETERS/DIGITAL DUNES PHOTOGRAPHY
ature can make a couple’s wed-
• Establish
a
cutoff
time.
ding day that much more spe- Depending on how remote the cere-
cial. Beautiful backdrops like mony location is, couples might be
ocean waves or rolling country hills able to wait until a few hours before
lend a lot to a wedding, making the their weddings to decide if they will
day even more special for couples and still tie the knot outdoors. Make the
their guests. But Mother Nature is the call earlier if your wedding is to be
inherent risk of hosting an outdoor held at an especially remote location.
wedding.
Establishing a cutoff time will let
Weather is unpredictable, and cou- guests know if the wedding will be
ples who hope to tie the knot in the indoors or outdoors. Include such
great outdoors must develop a contin- information on your wedding website
gency plan just in case Mother Nature and/or invitations. Use a social media
decides to rain on
platform such as
the parade. While “It is such a happiness when Facebook or Twitter
outdoor wedding
to inform guests of
good people get together —
venues often have
your final decision.
and they always do.”
backup venues in
• Provide umbrel-
— JANE AUSTEN, “EMMA”
place should the
las. Some inclement
weather
prove
weather may not be
uncooperative, couples can take some enough to deter couples or guests from
additional steps to ensure their rainy braving the great outdoors. Couples
wedding days still go off without a getting married in the summer may be
hitch.
able to withstand a summer shower,
• Find a place to take photos. Many but provide guests with umbrellas just
couples arrange for outdoor photos to be safe. The umbrellas will make
whether they’re tying the knot indoors for a nice wedding gift, and hopefully
or outdoors. But couples must arrange couples and guests won’t even need to
for a place to take photos in case out- use them.
doors is not an option. If possible,
• Insure the wedding. Couples who
walk the grounds of your ceremony or are hosting destination weddings on
reception site with your photographer tropical isles should look into insuring
to scout out potential areas to shoot their weddings. Such islands might be
indoors in case the weather is not susceptible to harmful storms like hur-
cooperating.
ricanes that can prevent weddings
• Consider a tent. They can be from taking place. Insurance can
expensive, and some couples may not cover couples for a host of unforeseen
want to pay for a tent they ultimately circumstances, including weather.
may not use. But tents may be a cou-
Outdoor weddings can be magical,
ple’s only option if their chosen venue and the right precautions ensure the
has no indoor alternatives.
day remains a joyful affair. — Metro
N
How to build your wedding budget
ouples engaged to be married have
C a lot on their plates as they begin
planning their weddings. Whereas tra-
dition once demanded parents of the
bride pay for a couple’s wedding,
nowadays more and more engaged cou-
ples are completely or partially financ-
ing their own nuptials. That means
prospective brides and grooms must
develop wedding budgets that won’t
ensure their first act as Mr. and Mrs. is
paying down debt.
In its 2015 Real Weddings Study,
online bridal resource The Knot found
that many couples still receive substan-
tial financial support from their parents
to pay for their weddings. The survey
found that, on average, the bride’s par-
ent’s contributed 44 percent of the over-
all wedding budget in 2015, while cou-
ples financed 43 percent (the remaining
13 percent was financed by the groom’s
parents and additional sources).
Couples who hope to follow that for-
mula or pay for their weddings on their
own can heed the following tips to
build wedding budgets that won’t break
the bank but will still ensure a day to
remember forever.
• Examine your collective finances.
Few couples know the details of each
other’s finances before getting
engaged. While some may still hesitate
to share their personal financial infor-
mation upon getting engaged, an open
and honest discussion and examination
of each person’s finances is the only
way to develop a realistic wedding
budget that both partners can live with.
• Develop a preliminary guest list.
This can give couples an idea of how
large and expensive their weddings will
be. According to the Real Weddings
Study, the average cost per wedding
guest in 2015 was $237. While that cost
can vary greatly depending on geogra-
phy and other factors, couples should
keep that figure in mind when drafting
their guest lists. If need be, keep costs
down by trimming the guest list so it
includes only close family members
and friends.
• Don’t count on gifts. Many couples
justify runaway wedding budgets by
telling themselves that they will ulti-
mately get the money back via wedding
gifts. While many guests will give
financial gifts, counting on such wind-
falls is a recipe for accruing debt.
• Gather quotes before choosing
where to tie the knot. Where couples
get married will have a great impact on
how much money they will spend on
their weddings. Venues within the same
city can vary greatly with regard to
pricing and offerings as well, so cou-
ples should give themselves ample time
to gather quotes and find an affordable
venue they like.
• Build extra costs into your budget.
Remember to include a little extra for
unforeseen costs. Weddings are large
undertakings, and it’s reasonable to
expect some unforeseen costs to arise.
Building such costs into your initial
budget will make these unforeseen cir-
cumstances that much easier to handle.
Budgets can help couples stay on
track and avoid debt as they plan their
weddings. — Metro
Coast Jewelers offers fine jewelry
as unique as you and your day
t Coast Jewelers it’s about the
A experience — of being accepted
as the unique individual you are and
of having your wants and needs
heard.
Who you are, your lifestyle and
your dreams for the future all affect
your choice of fine jewelry. You are
unique, so your jewelry should be,
too. Coast Jewelers represents the
individual.
Come visit the showroom at 1220
Bay St., Suite 100, in Florence. It is
open Tuesday through Friday, 10:30
a.m. to 5:30 p.m., or by appointment.