Cost of a U.P. wedding half of national average
MARQUETTE — The national average cost of a wedding is $30,000. The average for a local bride here in the U.P. is nearly half that, coming in around $15,000 to $20,000.
“The busy time of year is May through October; we’re blessed with the gorgeous turn of the leaves so September and October weddings are very popular,” said Nicole Lasich of Knots and Kisses Wedding Planning. “The ideal time for a wedding is in between October and March, because winter really is beautiful.”
According to Lasich, taking advantage of the slower season can help couples save money, sometimes vendor discounts are available. Your first step in planning is booking a venue- this helps figure out how many guests you can have and helps determine the rest of your budget.
“Your wedding venue hosts your ceremony and your reception. It will save you on transportation costs as well as its real easy on guests,” Lasich said. “One of my favorites is the Belford the farm out in Scandia; it has a good rustic feel for the Upper Peninsula. The Marquette History Museum, the Ore Dock is a great place for a Sunday wedding.”
The Ramada inn, the Holiday inn and the Great Lakes Room are other options as well. Lasich said a majority of her clients are destination weddings. The UP hosts couples celebrations from down state, Wisconsin, even California, and Germany.
“It’s very important to book the popular vendors in advance, even sometimes your florist they can fill up pretty quickly,” Lasich said. “Figure out what your colors are, then figure out what flowers in your color are in season.”
According to the wedding planner self serve caterings is the best idea for a small budget wedding. Plate costs can range anywhere from $10 to $50. Now the wedding planner’s job is to help figure out what the couple wants, and provide them with options. Not everyone always wants to weigh in on the decisions.
“I find that some grooms really want to be involved because it’s fun and they are doing things together as a couple, and it’s really sweet. Other times none of the details matter,” Lasich said.
Of course the one event you don’t want your groom to weigh in on, is the dress. But who should you take along with you?
“You know I think the bridesmaids sometimes need to be a little but more positive for the bride, and make her feel beautiful in the dress,” Dan’s Bridal & Tuxedo owner Kay Fure said. “It’s kind of nice when they do come in and they have a feel of what they want to spend.”
The average cost of a dress at Dan’s Bridal shop is one thousand to two thousand dollars. According to the owner wedding dresses should typically be picked out and ready to wear three months before the wedding. But the shop has helped in short notices even a week prior.
“A lot of the brides come in and they say Kay I ordered it online, and it’s nothing like I thought it was going to be because there are a lot of knockoffs,” said Fure.
According to Fure if brides wish to order a dress online they need to make sure the dealer is authorized.