6 Ways to Recession "Proof" Your Wedding

Everyone is talking about the coming recession.. Should you and your wedding be worried?

Any time everyone starts talking about the economy not doing well it's not a good sign. Especially if you are a newly engaged couple trying to figure out how you're going to pay for your wedding night. So what is everyone freaking out about and how can you make sure it won't take away from your special day?

Is This a Recession or Just Panic?

While I am not a finance expert I can't go without picking up my phone and seeing something about this recession. We all know we are still healing and recovering from the cough heard around the world that shut us down for 2 years and we can't deny it has effected everyone in some way shape or form. So the question is what is a recession and are we even in one?

So to be perfectly honest no one is 100% agreeing that we are in fact in a recession but it seems that one may be on it's way. That being said experts CAN agree that inflation has definitely increased and I know you are seeing that in everyday life as well (especially at the gas pump). This means your purchasing power has DECREASED = you get less bang for your buck. It's true that couples are spending more on their weddings this year than in 2019 (2020 doesn't count! Don't @ me). But that's not only because of inflation vendors are still dealing with reschedules from the pandemic in what has been deemed the "wedding boom" & supply chain issues haven't disappeared overnight. So as a result a lot of vendors have also had to increase their pricing in order to adjust to this modified wedding market.

While we can't control the overall shit storm that is the world economy there are some things you can do to help protect your wedding after investing countless hours AND DOLLARS.

6 Ways to Recession Proof Your Wedding:

• Avoid adding any debt to your credit

Any time inflation rises the banks & federal reserve typically start to look at raising interest rates as well. This means any debt you have that has a variable interest rate (think credit cards & mortgages) becomes more expensive to pay back. A lot of couples consider opening a new credit card to help with cash back purchases and rack up travel points for a honeymoon while they spend on the wedding. This is a great tactic if and ONLY IF you are able to pay your balance off in FULL every month. Otherwise you end up just costing yourself more money that could have been spent on other things you may have wanted for your special day.

• Really think through your priorities

This is something I talk about with couples regardless of their financial situation because it is SO important to be aware of what your priorities are BEFORE you even start planning. This is a conversation you really need to have with your fiancé to help give you a direction and vision to help stay on course throughout the wedding planing process. It's easy to get distracted by the millions of ways you can customize your wedding but those things eat up your budget very quickly and can leave you with buyer's remorse. So ask you & your fiancé some of these questions and keep your answers with your wedding planning material:

1. What 3 things do you want to remember MOST from your wedding?

2. If your guests would say one thing about your wedding after it's over what would you want them to say?

3. What are the things you absolutely do NOT want to see on your wedding day?

• Longer engagement = Longer time to save

I know the second that ring slides on your finger you get bombarded with questions about your wedding from everyone. This plus your obvious excitement can make you feel pressured to start planning right away. It doesn't help that everything you read will tell you to take about a year to plan for the big day (which is true!) but that doesn't mean you need to get married a year from getting engaged.

TAKE YOUR TIME there is no need to rush I promise. The longer you stay engaged does in fact give you the time and focus to prioritize in your everyday or monthly budgeting to start setting aside a healthy amount at an interval of your choosing to build up that wedding bank. Some of your deposits for vendors could be a couple thousand dollars and not everyone just has that disposable income lying around. So do yourself a favor and give it time. Don't break the bank to make it down the aisle.

• Consider a more intimate wedding

One thing that the pandemic did give us was making micro weddings & destination elopements more mainstream. Restricted guest counts forced the wedding industry as a whole to adapt to more quality vs quantity styled nuptials. Your guest count is the variable that affects your overall cost of the wedding the most because it scales the pricing of several of your vendors including but not limited to catering, alcohol, serving staff, & rentals. So this is important to keep in mind while you are looking at your budget AND the guest list.... not everyone needs a plus one & don't feel obligated to invite guests that won't have an affect on your day whether they are there or not. Be intentional with those you choose to share your day with.

• Get wedding insurance

I get asked if wedding insurance is necessary and I know it's because couples really want to spend that money elsewhere. But just like with any insurance it seems like a pain to pay for it... until you actually need it. However I think most couples don't realize what all you can have covered under that policy such as:

-Wedding Liability (some venues will require this) protects you in case anyone hurts themselves, does damages to the venue, or someone's property. You will not be responsible for it.

-Wedding & Vendor Cancellation if your vendor were to go out of business during the recession or ghost you or something happens to their equipment you would be covered

-Gifts

-Photogrpahy & Video

-Special Attire & Jewelry

-Rented Property

-Weather Insurance

-Loss of Deposits

So while wedding insurance might not be a fun way of spending your wedding budget it could really save you some big dollars in the end. Remember it's better to have a safety net and not need it than need a safety net and not have one.

• Vet your vendors!

As much as I wish it were true, not all wedding vendors were created equal. Just as with any industry there are some who are out there just to take advantage of the system and of people in need. Weddings are hugely important to people and they are deeply emotionally invested in that spending. This sometimes makes us make heartfelt decisions rather than rational ones. Remember that you are putting your trust into these people who are to help make your wedding day come to life so that you can let go of the reins and just enjoy the day. So how do you make sure that vendor is a good fit? Remember these things as you pick your vendors

- NEVER send any deposits without first receiving a contract that you have read, understand, and signed. Also avoid sending "casual" deposits like through Venmo, Cashapp, or Zelle because it is difficult to ensure buyer protection if they do not deliver on they're services. The vendor should also provide some kind of credit card authorization form to you before any charges are made to your credit card.

- Ask people you know have been married recently what vendors they've used. Many vendors get business form word of mouth referrals.

- Ask any of your vendors that you have already booked if they have recommendations or preferred vendors that they like to work with. Any good vendor isn't going to recommend a bad vendor because they have to work with them too and no one likes working with a difficult or bad vendor.

- Check out their social media AND website to see what their online presence seems to be. (this is not indicative of if they are good to work with but are more likely to be legitimate if they have a strong online presence)

Your vendors should be your dream team and while most are100% here to make your day special there are always some who will try and take advantage.

So recession or not these are all great ways to not only protect your budget but optimize what you can get out of it. Everyone wants their wedding to be special and you can accomplish that no matter what price point you decide to do it at. The economy will always continue to go up and down but love never stops, people still live their lives, and couples still get married. Don't panic, plan ahead, be intentional, and most importantly remember to enjoy this chapter.

Lots of Love