Checking In

It's been too long since I've posted here, and I apologize. I have two other blogs and they have had more attention lately.

I woke up this morning thinking about the still undeclared "recession" we're in and wondered how it's affecting the wedding industry. Since I don't follow those statistics, mostly because my role in the industry is as outsider, I can only guess where couples might be cutting back.

What's the biggest expense? Food and beverage for 150 guests is a good place to start. I remember my sister's wedding in 1959. Back in those days, most weddings were in the late morning in churches or synagogues and receptions were some hours later (often in the evening). We were very middle class, and that group did not go to hotels with sit down dinners; we went to American Legion halls or Knights of Columbus halls and had table spreads of chicken, roast beef and spaghetti. People lined up with a paper plate to serve themselves from a chafing dish.

I remembered a wedding I officiated last November where the bride told me almost apologetically that she would have food "stations" and her guests could help themselves. As it turned out, this was quite well-executed. Since each food station was in a separate corner of the reception room and each corner featured special food groups, there were no long lines anywhere. I was on a diet, so I loved serving myself excellent salad and a dollop of shrimp.

So if you're looking at cost cutting, I'm sure this was a bargain compared to waiter served plates. And weddings are a once in a lifetime expense. Cut back on other things.