British Weddings Vs American WeddingsPosted by Kim Rix on March 23rd, 2010

Dear Bride and Groom,

Britain and the USA have a great relationship. Both countries are heavily influenced by each other. As Brits we love the American confidence, glamour, sunshine and positivity. Americans love the British accent, the romance, history and tradition.

Much like in the UK the USA is seeing a decline in marriage rates. The couples that do get married are also marrying much older.

In the UK the average age of the first time bride is 29 and in the US it is 26. These have been slowly rising over the past few decades. For most men in the UK they would expect to be in their early thirties before getting married and in the US they wouldn’t be too far off at 28. Only a few decades ago your mother would have been giving you worried glances if you were unmarried in your late twenties, now you will be seen as a young bride or groom!

We are both equally extravagant in the amount we spend on our weddings too. The average bill in the USA comes to around $30k (just over £19k at the current exchange) and in the UK we spend a little more at around £22k ($33k). The Brits are also eager to marry with the average engagement being 18 months to America’s 19.

There are no huge differences in the wedding ceremonies and celebrations themselves. Many of our traditions have been amalgamated and mixed in with other cultures and country’s traditions. Indeed what is legal and expected in England is different to that in Scotland and so on. As long as the legal vows are said and the certificate is signed, all is well!

One thing I did enjoy at a recent American wedding was a rather extravagant ‘Groom’s Cake’. Although I didn’t much care for them stuffing it into each other’s mouths…can’t comment if that is necessarily traditional though!

Happy planning!

Kind regards,

Kim Rix

Your London Wedding Planner

How to Budget Your WeddingPosted by Kim Rix on December 8th, 2009

Dear Bride and Groom,

I cannot over emphasise the importance of budgeting.  Your whole wedding has to stem from this point. What is the total (the absolute maximum) that you are willing and able to spend on your wedding? Once you know this, for certain, write it down and make a promise to stick to it!

It is very easy to get carried away. It’s only an extra hundred for this and only another 10 of those, but you can quickly become carried away. You need to set out your budget right at the beginning and keep revisiting it to make sure you are on track.

I have created a really easy to use Interactive Budget Manager for my couples. Together we take the total budget for the wedding and allocate it to different ‘sections’ as a percentage. By thinking of different elements of your wedding in ‘sections’ or ‘chunks’ you will find this a much easier task. An example of a section could be; Attire, Entertainment or Reception. You can allocate more or less money to each section based on the percentage you allocate it, and tweak it to suit.

As I mentioned you also need to track what you actually spend. Your budget will be based on assumptions until you get solid quotes through, so you need to make sure that if things are costing a little more than anticipated, you spot it immediately in your budget and tweak other areas to make sure you come out even. And don’t forget that deposits count too! Even though you could be laying a deposit 2 – 3 years in advance make sure you include it in the total so you know realistically what you have spent.

The wonderful thing about working with a wedding planner is that they will spend the time to get you the best deal from the best suppliers. I would always advise speaking to a minimum of 3 suppliers for each element of your wedding. This way you can gauge the standard of their work, reliability and cost and take it all into consideration before making a decision. Savvy shopping will ensure you get the best from your budget!

I know of many couples that have taken out a loan or even re-mortgaged their home to pay for the wedding they desire. I would suggest that these are rather drastic measures that should only be taken if you are absolutely sure you can enjoy life fully after the wedding is over!

Kind regards,

Kim Rix

Wedding & Events Planner

To start planning your wedding, contact Kim Rix on 0208 989 4886 or visit www.yourlondonweddingplanner.co.uk

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Wedding Debt AdvicePosted by Kim Rix on November 24th, 2009

Dear Bride and Groom,

I’m sure you are already planning what your life will be like once you are married. The house you will live in, the holidays you will go on together, the first Christmas card you send as Mr and Mrs. What you might not have thought about is the upwards of ten thousand pounds in debt which couples expect to be in to have their dream wedding.

I was horrified to read that in 2008 a study showed that most women in Britain expected to take on between 8 and 10 thousand pounds worth of debt to have their dream wedding – perhaps inspired by their favourite celebrity wedding.  Some women will go as far as re-mortgaging their home to be able to afford designer dress or five star honeymoon. That’s crazy!

You have to ask yourselves whether, during your first few years of married life, you would rather be spending your hard earned money paying off your wedding debt or enjoying furnishing your marital home or taking nice holidays together.

Your wedding can be beautiful and still be in budget! You need to take a careful look at your finances and set your budget accordingly. Give yourselves time to save and use a budget planner to keep track of your anticipated and actual spending.

Of course if you have savings and help from family then some of the pressure will be take off of you. But just because you have the money doesn’t mean you have to spend it all either!

You can take out a loan or buy extras on your credit card but only if you absolutely know that you can make the minimum payments until it’s cleared. You really need to weigh up whether you will be compromising your quality of life for years, for small aspects of one, albeit very important, day.

Engaging the services of a wedding planner can assist you in keeping within budget and avoiding the clutches of debt. First of all together we set a realistic budget and make a pact to stick to it. Working together we can find all the things you require at a great price – I’ll do all the shopping around and negotiate to get you the best deal possible.

Your wedding will be the most special day of your life, regardless of how much money you have. Remember it is only the beginning of your time together.

Kind regards

Kim Rix

Your London Wedding Planner

Wedding Planning: Your BudgetPosted by Kim Rix on October 6th, 2009

Dear Bride & Groom,

Being one of the most important dates in a lady’s life, a wedding is something that has to be approached with great care. Every little detail matters. One very important element of the planning stages is budgeting; if you’re not too careful, you may run into difficulties later if you run out of money!

This is one reason why couples choose to work with a wedding planner to ensure that their day goes according to plan. But doesn’t getting a wedding planner cut out all the fun and personal elements? No, it increases it, by cutting the stress and giving you greater options and opportunities.  Not least of all, by having someone else keep an eye on the budget.

First of all, figure out your budget! Whether you’re paying for everything yourselves, or sharing the costs with parents – get a number. When you have the number, you need to list every single aspect of the wedding and get your phone voice ready – because you’re going to have to get quotes from all of your services for the day.

Once you’ve got your quotes and figured out your budget – it’s time to start planning where and when you’re going to need to spend that budget. Firstly, and most importantly – be sure to set some money aside for the cost of your guests and the reception itself. These are things that you might not necessarily want to pay for right away – but it’s very important to have that money ready to be dealt out.

Once you’ve left all of the necessary money aside – you should create a timeline for which to follow in terms of your spending. Remember, a lot of services such as florists and car hire firms will want a deposit beforehand. Make sure that you’re taking note of what’s being paid out! It’s very easy to get carried away with spending – organization is the key. Keep a logbook of all that you’re spending. That way you’ll always be on top of things.

Thoroughly research such things as photographers and videographers beforehand. If you realise last minute that you’re not happy with their portfolio – you’ll more than likely lose your deposit. This is why planning is key – the more honed in and focused you are – the better your budget will be managed.

Often, we don’t think very much of spending money here and there – but when planning for something of such a large scale, it’s extremely important to keep a tight grip on things. Follow our advice, invest in a logbook, plan in advance, get on the phones and do your research! That way – you can’t go wrong!

Once you’ve got a budget, if you need to overspend in one area, you can compensate in another.  If you have a wedding planner, they’ll help you stick to budget or adjust the budget according to your situation.

Kind Regards,

 Kim Rix

Your London Wedding Planner