Feb 15, 2007 12:01 am US/Central
Couples Find Ways To Say 'I Do' For Less
by Joel Thomas
FORT WORTH (CBS 11 News) ―
Valentine's Day is the biggest day for popping the question. The average marriage costs $30,000. But there are some little known ways you can save thousands of dollars.
"There's a wealth of things a bride can find on a limited budget," said Barbara Ocone, Ocone's Bridal Shop. Almost every bridal store has a big rack with recently discontinued designs on it.
When Stacy Hartley got married at Ridglea United Methodist Church, she was trying to stay on budget. "We were going to have about 250 people," she said.
And catering director James Bond was ready to help. You can start by looking for rooms where all fees are in a package.
"There are a lot of facilities that charge miscellaneous fees like cake cutting fees, dance floor fees, clean-up fees and security fees," Bond said. "It's good to know what all you're paying for before you sign the contract and write that thousand dollar deposit check."
If you choose any night other than Saturday, you could save up to a thousand dollars.
Also, figure out how much you want to feed your guests. Ninety percent of the reception cost is food.
"They'd go from $50 a plate, and that didn't include drinks or anything, to $20 for a full meal, and then you also had the bar included," Hartley said. "It varied quite a bit."
Hartley finished with lots of memories and a pretty tight budget. "I think 210 people ended up showing up," Hartley said. "It was right around $20,000 total."
(CBS 11 News)
