June is the busiest month of the year in Iowa for wedding bells to ring and most brides who are planning their big days are having to mind a tight budget.
One vital element is capturing the ceremony in pictures, but wedding planner Jessica Bishop says don’t let the photographer rope you into buying a massive pile of prints.
“Finding one that will allow you to purchase the digital files from them instead of paying for a big package with a fancy album,” Bishop says. “Somewhere down the road, when we save a little money, we’ll get our album finally but it wasn’t really included in our day-of budget.”
Every bride has to have a bouquet, but she says you don’t need to spend a bundle on the flowers to come off smelling like a rose.
“You can really save a lot of money by choosing blooms that are in season,” Bishop says. “You can definitely save money by using more of the ‘filler’ kind of flowers, like carnations and babies breath, and you can get a lot of them for a reasonable price and they look really stunning.”
In addition to the cost, Bishop says many Iowa brides are concerned about the environment. She has a few tips for saving trees while trumpeting the matrimonial news.
“Sending out email ‘save the dates’ instead of a formal paper ‘save the date,'” she says. “Not only will you save the paper, but you’ll save the postage. They animate and come out of the envelope and it’s really a cool experience.”
She says depending on the cost, you might consider biodegradable wooden utensils for the guests to eat with instead of using plastic spoons and forks or renting silverware.
Bishop says the recent royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton is setting trends in Iowa already.
“We’re going to see a lot of white,” she says. “Even her bridesmaid-sister, Pippa, wore a white bridesmaid’s dress. I think that’s kind of like saying, ‘Hey, it’s okay for the bride to not be the only person wearing white.'”
She says the royal wedding was very elegant and that may also influence a change in Iowa weddings to more formal affairs, away from the more rustic, outdoor events we’ve been seeing frequently in the last few years.