Weddings and the 21st Century

By Erin Monaghan

Once upon a time weddings were used as bargaining chips in politics and land acquisition. Now, they are elaborate affairs, which require a considerable amount of detail and attention.

The average American wedding costs between $19,000 and $22,000, there are 12 people in the wedding party and 175 guests. Traditionally, the bride’s family paid the bulk of the cost including the dress, ceremony and reception.

When it comes to planning a wedding, modern brides take matters into their own hands, or place them into the trusted hands of a very expensive wedding planner. Although the modern wedding resembles those in traditional fairy tales, technology has changed the planning, preparation and process, at least a little.

No longer do brides need a 40-pound binder with fabric swatches, glossy photographs of dresses, cakes and diamonds, and color samples. Wedding planners and brides-to-be are using wedding planning software, websites and editing programs to help plan, organize and save cost.

Planning Software

Professional wedding planners have been using software for years to plan and organize weddings. Although wedding consultants are often managing several weddings at once, there are many programs available to the general public and designed to be used for one wedding. This is a great way to cut out the wedding consultant middleman. Most software can help manage a guest list, budget, vendors, gifts and seating.

This software is designed to reduce stress; however, not all software is created equal. Some of the better products on the market include iDo, Smart Wedding and Marziplanner. Additionally, at about $30.00 each this might be the cheapest item bought for the duration of the festivities.

Websites

A growing trend for computer savvy couples is creating a wedding website. Wedding websites often include directions to the ceremony and reception, photographs, online RSVP, guest books and much more. Couples can write stories, make blog entries and talk about anything they want regarding themselves and their union.

Most wedding website services will host your site and provide templates. Wedding websites are a great way to keep friends, family and others involved without updating every one of them, or telling the same stories over and over again. These services range from about $10.00 a month to $100.00 a year, depending on the service. Some popular services include ewedding and Wedding Window.

Video and Photo Software

Although video and photo software can be a little expensive, usually between $50.00 and $100.00, the technology most photographers and videographers use is readily available to the public. A $100.00 might seem like a huge savings compared to the average photographer and videographer, which usually costs more than a thousand dollars for a day’s worth of work.

However, most new computers come equipped with some kind of digital video and photo editing programs. With a little time and effort, a couple can put together the wedding video or album they want and include or exclude all the funny and embarrassing moments surrounding the ceremony and reception.

Weddings haven’t changed much in the last several hundred years. We still gather to celebrate the union between two people who have chosen to love one another for the rest of their lives. Just the way we go about the celebration has changed; and the price tags.

Resources

(n.d.). Wedding Statistics. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from
http://www.aweddingministers.com/wedding/statistics.htm

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