Christopher Todd Studios
Budget, budget, budget.
We drill this word into your brain over and over from the second you get engaged, all the way through the wedding day. Planning a wedding revolves around that budget, and that is why we stress it's importance so much! There is nothing worse than owing an additional $7,000 or even $500 that you don't have to spend.
And with all of that, we have taught you to become so obsessed with budget, that oftentimes you forget about other aspects that are important. One of those being value.
First, I want to define the terms so you have a better understanding of where I am coming from.
Price vs. Value
Price: The number amount of currency that you are paying for a specific venue or vendor (example: $150)
Value: The items or services you are receiving in comparison to the price you are paying...the "bang for your buck" (example: $150 for a bouquet with peonies OR $150 for a bouquet of carnations)
As you can see, there is a clear difference between price and value, and because we put so much emphasis on price, couples always think in terms of price rather than value.
And here is where that can go wrong...
Florist X
You have a $2000 budget for all of your floral for your wedding, but it sure would be nice to get it all for less than that, wouldn't it?
You find Florist X online, request a quote, and voila! Everything you want is quoted for a total of $1,500. Now that sure is a deal! But just to make sure you are getting the best price possible, you contact another florist.
Florist Y
You get your second quote from Florist Y, and the quote is $2,100 for everything. Of course, since it is over budget, you are going to choose Florist X over Florist Y because the #1 rule you've learned is to not go over your designated budget! So with a price that fits, Florist X is it!
The Problem
It is your wedding day and Florist X shows up an hour late, your floral is nothing what you expected, your favorite peonies are nowhere to be found, and you are missing three boutonnieres and your toss bouquet.
At least you were able to cut your budget down, right??
Wrong.
I don't think there is any bride out there (or at least very few) who would agree that it was worth the $600 that was saved between the two quotes you received. Although you got a better price, you should've taken a better look at the value you were going to be receiving for that price. As it turns out, Florist Y would've been more expensive but would've been there on time so you could take photos with your bouquet, provided more floral than expected, and was an absolute pleasure to work with throughout the process!
Now that's value!
Although the extra $100 over budget may have seemed crazy at the time, there are always ways to cut in other areas to ensure the total budget stays as is. And even if not, $100 would've been well worth the hassle. So when searching for your vendors, although you need to take a look at the price to ensure your entire wedding budget stays put, it is time to put your emphasis on value, to ensure the process and the outcome are all and more than you wished for.
