Tipsheet: Wedding season

People get married in good economic times and bad but the recession definitely had an impact on the wedding industry. Smaller, less expensive weddings were the norm last year but that trend may be turning around.

A survey by the National Association of Catering Executives found that spending on weddings is up, although not dramatically. And the group's president told the Associated Press that couples are still shopping around for the best price. Local caterers can tell you what the situation is in your community.

Instead of holding an expensive reception at a fancy club, the recession found many couples saving on reception costs by booking private dining rooms or entire restaurants where everything was included in the price of the meal. Check with some likely venues in your area to see how business looks this year.

A wedding isn't just food, of course. The bride's dress is one of the most expensive single items at many weddings. But the recession boosted interest in discount dresses from consignment shops and stores that hold special events like Filene's "running of the brides." Have the high-end wedding shops seen a bump up in business thanks to the recovery or has thrift become the new fashion?

Flowers can be an expensive part of any wedding budget but they don't have to be. The Portland Press-Herald reports that many brides are doing the flowers themselves. What's the trend in your area? Check with local florists and see if garden shops or nurseries are seeing brides-to-be in any workshops they offer in flower arranging.

For her story on wedding season, Kellie Patterson of KENS-TV in San Antonio found a local couple working hard to keep their wedding budget under control:

One more thing to keep in mind while researching a wedding-economy story: Off-peak weddings are usually less expensive, but there's always an exception. This year, according to KHON-TV, October 10th could be the busiest day for weddings, because of the appeal of the date: 10-10-10.

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