What Do You Pay Those Wedding Professionals For?

Naturally there is a lot more to the story than we can cover in this space, but here is the short explanation of where the cost is found in each of the primary disciplines of the wedding professional.

Seamstress: In the bridal gown industry the cost is mainly found in the labor. It takes exceptional skill to produce smooth fabric without flaws. Likewise a dress with completely finished seams takes a real craftsman.

Photographer: Besides for the obvious costs of the camera, lab, and equipment when you hire a wedding photographer you are paying primarily for two things. The first is obviously the photographer’s skill with their camera, making use of the setting, and using and / or controlling the lighting. In my opinion the second thing you are paying when hiring a photographer for is nearly equivalent – and that is the interpersonal skill to set you and your party at ease. Without that skill your wedding pictures will look posed and awkward. With it they have a chance to be great.

Florist: This may come as a shock to some, but you don’t buy flowers from a wedding florist. Instead, it is the job of the florist to use flowers and other organic materials to create an inviting atmosphere for your engagement. As such you are paying a florist for their sense of style (so make sure it matches your own) and their attention to detail. Of course, if you want flowers that have to be flown in from the other side of the planet your costs will go up – especially as high as fuel prices are now.

Pastry Chef / Baker: The cost of your wedding cake is found largely in skill, labor, equipment, and sometimes ingredients. You are paying a pastry chef for their artistic ability, skill, and time. Sure grandma can bake a cake but does she have to skill and flair to create the designs (or even the satin smooth finish) you desire on your wedding cake? Those skills can take years to develop. Likewise, each icing decoration whether flowers, or beading, or lace work, or even just colored icing, has to be created by hand and that means time translating into higher cost to you.

D.J.: The disc jockey is a lot more than just someone that plays music. If that’s all you want invest in an MP3 player and load it up with music. Rather, the disc jockey’s service to you is his or her ability to read your guests at your wedding party and adapt the music to ebb and flow of your wedding celebration. We’ve all been to parties that bombed. Consider the D.J. your “bomb” insurance.

Caterer: Of course the food you choose to serve at your wedding will impact your cost, but that is not ultimately what you are paying your caterer for. You are paying them to essentially import a full service restaurant into your wedding reception facility and do it in a way that you and your guests are bathed in the luxury of fine dining.

Officiate: Your officiate, whether they be a member of the clergy or justice of the peace, is there to make your occasion legal in the eyes of the state. Of course, in the case of a member of the clergy there may be other functions they serve depending on the denomination or religion they represent.

Venue: Okay, the wedding venue is not a professional but it is a significant cost so we will include it here. The cost of your venue ranges widely depending on the level of maintenance and catering involved. For example, the cost to rent a corner of a state park is generally less than the cost of renting a facility that is maintained specifically for weddings – but then at the state park you will have to set everything up yourself.

Ultimately, no wedding professional or expense is indispensable with the exception of an officiate (assuming you want your wedding to be legal) and the bride & groom. The trick in controlling your wedding costs comes in understanding where the cost is in each area so you can discover what elements are important to you and designing your wedding accordingly – even if that means choosing not to include every possible wedding professional available.

Wedding Professional