Planning a Wedding?
My thoughts on a wedding a little too far from home.
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Preface on my wedding suggestions
I'm sure this article will recieve a degree of disapproval since the inspiration for it is my sisters wedding plans that have us going to Tennessee. Mind you that I'm looking forward to her wedding and think its a grand idea. However my mind is always about options and perspectives(I think most people call it sick minding) so I couldn't help myself but to write down my options for people. Yeah it kind of comes off like extortion but thats funny in theory...right? So lets get into it... Are you or a family member considering a wedding far enough from home so that your friends and family must travel a little far from home? For sake of example lets say you're my sister taking your family from the Baton Rouge, LA area to the Gatlingburg, TN area so you can have a nice little wedding in the Smoky mountains? Your romantic wedding basically takes the majority of your family far from home and costs a good bit of money so that everyone can witness your step into life. Perhaps you should consider the actual cost savings and possible benefits if you decide to have your wedding at home and then show your family pictures of the honeymoon? You might be missing out on making a good chunk of change simply by having options. Lets get down to it: Additional Wedding Costs? The primary subject of this article is costs to witnesses. Everyone who has to take off work, travel and stay away from home has additional costs that would not be incurred in a home town wedding.(your witnesses) For one Baton Rouge to Gatlinburg and back is 1400 miles or $100-$300 depending on the type of vehicle you're driving. Hotel rooms will run minimum of $100 and thats only if you're going for one night so we'll say $200. Factoring in miscellaneous costs you have to be looking at around $200 per person in addition to usual wedding conditions. |
Would a wedding at home be so tough? Perhaps you should elope and have a ceremony for the family? There's bound to be a ton more work involved in getting everyone to a different location in addition to the monetary considerations. Why not present everyone with some wedding options? The following being an example: "Ok friends and family we're thinking of getting married in the mountains. However, we'd be willing to compromise and offer you an at home wedding in exchange for $10,000 in addition to normal wedding gifts and attendance." I know that with lost wages, travel & lodging costs and the fact that I"m not a big fan of the mountains just my brothers and I could put up at least $1,000 if my little sister would just get married at home and then enjoy her honeymoon. Mind you that $1,000 is in addition to normal wedding gifts and costs! I will definitely remember to present my friends and family with the optional plan if I ever decide to get married.
Don't Hate!
I know that if Gina is reading this she's all disgruntled by now. Don't hate because I'm happily taking a few days to go watch your well planned wedding in the mountains. I'm just suggesting that there are options available to short on their funds couples out there who are considering an expensive wedding at the beach, in the mountains or god forbid out of the country. Your friends and family are not going to say no to going watch your wedding! In the words of one of my friends they're just going to take it up the tailpipe and spend that money smiling to go watch you get hitched. But you could've held us all emotionally hostage and scored a nice wedding bonus by presenting us with the buy out plan!
Well thats my opinion on planning a wedding far from home. Some might say I'm not romantic or insensitive but I think those are just other ways to describe someone who's realistic in the considerations in getting married.
-Jerry Wayne Odom Jr. March 2, 2006