If you attend a wedding this summer, don’t be surprised if you’re asked: “Would you like fries with that?” It turns out, a trend that’s popping up is the “casual” wedding. According to the New York Times, brides and grooms are skipping the fancy dinners and decorations, and having weddings that seem more like a backyard barbecue than the most important day of their lives. For example, instead of having their wedding at a nice hotel, couples are holding their wedding festivities in their own homes. Also, instead of dining under crystal chandeliers, guests will place their food on checkered tablecloths – like they’re at a picnic. Then there’s the food. According to caterer Peggy Dark, clients are requesting cheaper cuts of meat that can be simply seasoned and grilled – like flank steak – or clam bakes for beach weddings. Couples are also serving sliders and French fries, and trading wedding cake for peach cobbler. So why have weddings gone casual? A big reason is the economy. Some people don’t have the money to plan a fancy wedding. Other couples are going casual because they don’t want to draw attention to the fact that they do have the money to plan an elaborate wedding, while some of their friends attending can barely pay their bills. Couples just want their guests to have a good time. They don’t want people wondering how much everything cost. Here’s the interesting part: These “casual” weddings can cost just as much as a fancy wedding! For example, one woman mentioned in the article wants her reception to be like “a big summer backyard dinner.” So she skipped the lobster tails, and is serving steak and peach cobbler. The seating will be picnic style, and bottles of wine will be put out on the table so guests can serve themselves. Even though this wedding sounds simple, her wedding will actually cost MORE than if she’d chosen a hotel! As caterer Peggy Dark says, “It’s not any cheaper to pay someone to make a cobbler than for them to bake a cake.” Often, with a reception hall, you can get package deals on everything from the flowers to the food to the DJ. |
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