How to Shop!

The wedding industry was considered recession-proof, but the average amount spent on a wedding has been steadily declining over the last couple of years. People are looking for ways to cut their wedding expenses. Trimming the budget thru inventive methods is a good idea.And MSN even has a shopping list for you to create your own $10,000 wedding!

Of course, for most of us it's a liberating feeling when we see that we can get by spending 1/2 as much money to get something as we initially thought. Everyone loves a deal. One thing I've learned from years of experience as a bargain-hunter: Decide exactly what you want, then find the best price.

As a example, I was born and raised in a family where low price trumped everything. Whenever we needed something Mom would scour the papers until she found the cheapest one she could find, then she'd buy it. As you might expect, the item usually turned out to be a piece of junk. Whether it was a camera, a bike or a home stereo, within a few weeks knobs would be falling off, switches wouldn't work correctly or some other minor castrophe would limit the usefulness of the item. Within a few months it would be out-of-commission and we would be living as though we never owned such an item at all!

A few years after I moved away from home I had the great fortune to meet someone who had a tremendous influence on my life in a number of ways. One attitude he really changed in me was my approach to consumerism. His approach was intially foreign to me: when he wanted something he would research the product until he felt he knew which brand was the best. Then he would find a dealer for the product and "test drive" the two or three brands his initial research yielded. After his "test drive" he then knew which brand he was most personally comfortable with. After all of this he would finally start shopping for the best price.

Was it the cheapest product in that class that he could find? Sometimes; often it wasn't. Was he happy with the selection he made after the purchase, even if he had paid a little more than the cheapest available? Yep! And did his purchases prove to be durable? He enjoyed many of them for a decade or more after their purchase!

As I looked around his home and his life I saw the results of his logic. Unlike my parent's home, filled with broken junk and half-functioning products, his home was furnished with high-quality items that were durable, functionable and held their value. I was an immediate convert!

So, now years later, do I look for the best deal? Sure, but I don't look for the cheapest deal. I figure out what I want first, what the highest-rated items of a class are, then seek or negotiate the best price.

So, as you plan your wedding and before you start getting giddy from saving all that money, my suggestion is use my friend's level-headed method of purchasing:

1. Decide what is most important to you. Is it the flowers, the DJ, the dress?
2. Research what offerings are available by reading, web-searching and visiting bridal shows, venues and stores.
3. Choose two or three offerings that appeal to you.
4. "Test Drive" your top choices by visiting, speaking with, sampling or otherwise testing the offering.
5. Decide which of your choices is best, then look for price reductions, deals or discounts.

If you follow my friend's sage advice you'll discover that you'll save some money but you won't sacrifice what's important to you. And lastly, it's easy to remember if your wedding turns out disorganized, below expectations or boring no amount of money saved will make up for a bad wedding!