By Margaret Fosmoe
Tough economic times have affected all areas of American life, including wedding planning, some engaged couples and vendors said Sunday during the Bridal Spectacular at Century Center.
Photographer Pat Brownewell, of Elkhart-based Brownewell Photography, said he’s noticed a trend in the last year or two toward bridal parties demanding rock-bottom rates.
Brownewell said he already offers economical rates, about $900 for a typical wedding.
Still, he said, some bridal parties will hear that price and come back and say: “My budget is $500,” expecting him to match that price. He generally doesn’t.
“I’m already a lower-end photographer,” he said. Cutting those rates means he won’t earn enough money to make the job worth the work, he said.
Bride-to-be Jennifer Burkus, 25, of South Bend, said she and her fiancé intentionally planned a small wedding with about 30 guests for April 3. “Money is tight. I have a daughter,” Burkus said.
To reduce expenses, the couple will be married and have their reception in the same building. The whole event will cost less than $1,000, not including her bridal gown, she said.
Graphic designer Madison Jennifer Clark, of Sturgis, recently started her own business designing wedding invitations. “Everyone seems to be on a budget,” said Clark, a 2009 University of Notre Dame
graduate.
“That’s why I started my business. I’m offering a more affordable product,” said Clark, who said she offers competitive prices and relies on a local printer.
She’s also planning her own wedding, which will be July 3. Her parents are paying for the event. “They set a budget and I’m sticking to it,” she said.
Clark’s advice to other brides: “Choose your priorities. Spend most on what you think is most important.”
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