The cost of a typical wedding has escalated greatly in recent years. Many couples now have lofty ideas about their dream wedding but lack the funds to pay for it. The result is a growing trend for brides and grooms to employ money grabbing tricks to mitigate their costs. Would you be prepared to ask your guests to foot the bill for the wedding or the honeymoon?

The Meal

There is a new trend for asking wedding guests to pay for their own meal. The wedding breakfast is often the most expensive element of the wedding and that cost can be reduced to zero if you ask your guests to pay but would you have the nerve? Some brides go as far as including their bank details on the invitations and emphasising that attendance at the event is conditional on paying the fee. Other couples are going as far as to ask guests to supply the food for the reception by asking everyone to bring a dish with them!

The Honeymoon

Many couples now ask for financial contributions towards their honeymoon in lieu of a wedding present. On the face of it this seems like a reasonable request but what many guests don’t realise is that they may be paying for more than the actual trip. Couples rarely specify the exact cost of their intended travels. If they receive more money than they need the spare cash goes in their pocket to help fund the wedding. This may be true even if the gifts of money have been collected by a tour operator as most have a cashback system if the honeymoon booked costs less than the value of the account.

The Gift List

If you have ever wondered what happened to a wedding gift you paid for but have never seen then then the gift may have failed to appear because the happy couple never took possession of it. When you choose an item from a gift list it may not be what the bride and groom actually receive as many couples use the funds to purchase one big item instead of the household goods and ornaments listed. Most gift lists will allow this practice but it is tough on the guests who may have taken time and care over choosing something for their friends and family. Other couples are more open and just ask for money but may not be prepared to admit that they are using the cash to fund the wedding!

Making Savings

Other ploys to save money include sending emails instead of paper invitations and supplying cheap plonk for the guests whilst the top table enjoy premium wines and Champagnes. Another trick is to order a wedding cake with two tiers made of iced polystyrene and only one which is edible. Some couples are making additional savings by reducing the number of guests who are offered a place at the meal and some go as far as sending “univitations” to advise friends and relatives that they will not be invited to the occasion. Well I suppose that is one way of eliminating confusion but it sounds a bit rude to me!

Article by Sally Stacey