The Perfect Wedding Venue: Wedding Venue Costs in New York & New Jersey

The cost of the wedding venue on top of the cost of kosher catering can make up almost 50% of the total cost of the wedding budget.  The best way to reduce kosher wedding costs is to choose a wedding venue that includes in-house kosher catering at the venue.  But finding the perfect kosher wedding venue and caterer can be slim pickings for those of you desiring to walk outside the cookie-cutter lines of a traditional Jewish wedding venue and stay within budget.  If you are interested in comparing the costs and capacity of a variety of wedding venues across New York and New Jersey I've done the research for you.  All listed venues either allow kosher catering or offer in-house kosher catering.  Cost estimates are for the wedding venue site fees and are a reflection of Winter 2010 rates for a Sunday evening wedding after negotiations.  These tables can best be used for distinguishing between venues that fit within High, Medium and Low Budgets.  Venues that are italicized and bold include the cost of kosher catering within their Venue Cost.

Questions to Ask Wedding Venues about Your Orthodox Jewish Wedding

Not every bride is compelled to find the venue that offers the best deal for the price per person compared to other venues. I can’t relate to those brides. When I started doing research on wedding venues in the Metro- NY/NJ area, my goal was to find the best quality for the right price. Beyond using negotiation tactics to lower costs (to be covered in another blog), you should ask the wedding venue questions that highlight the pro’s and con’s in selecting the venue:

• How many hours are they charging for? Typically, it is around 6 hours, but you can use this as a negotiation tactic by requesting an hour less.

• Does the venue have more than one event going on at the same time? I found this to be a drag if I had to share my wedding space with other brides, and this was a deal-breaker for me.

• Is Valet Parking an added cost? Some wedding venues fail to mention that someone has to pay for the valet service, and this can become an unforeseen expense to either the bride or the guests that may have to shovel out the money.

• Does the wedding venue offer several different rooms that accommodate an Orthodox Jewish Wedding, such as a Tisch area, Bedeken area, Chuppah space, Yichud room, dancing floor that can separate men and women? Surprisingly, wedding venues may not bring up the fact that they do not have a private area / Yichud room for the bride and groom. In fact, two Manhattan wedding venues that I went to checkout could only offer a closet room for the newlywed bride and groom as a Yichud room.

• Does the wedding venue use the same room for the Reception and the Ceremony? Some wedding venues that do not have a lot of space may state that they can accommodate a specific number of guests, like 175 people, yet this can only be done by flipping over the Ceremony area into the Reception area. During the “flip over”, guests may be huddled into a room to find a shmorgishborg. Personally, for the Jewish Orthodox bride such a set up may not make sense since the shmorg would be given right before Dinner. However, the benefit with wedding venues that flip over their space for the shared Reception and Ceremony area are more likely to significantly lower their price if the bride brings this up as a possible deal-breaker.

• Is the wedding venue conveniently located or located near public transportation? If you find a wedding venue that you absolutely love but the only way for guests to get there is to swim or take a boat, then you may want to pass up on the wedding venue or use the inconvenient location as a negotiation strategy in lowering the cost per person.

• What is the percent gratuity on top of the cost per person, and is there another additional percent charge for maitre de services? Right before I was going to sign the dotted line with a wedding venue, they mentioned an additional 5% charge for maitre de services on top of the 18% gratuity and the State tax. While I still ended up signing with this venue anyway, it was only after the wedding venue offered other perks for free to settle my nerves.

• What services are offered by the wedding venue on the day of the wedding? One of the top reasons that I chose my wedding venue was because it came jam-packed with luxury services that included a Valet, Bathroom Attendant, Bridal Attendant, Maitre De / wedding coordinator, 2:1 waiter/table ratio, white-gloved attendants, and non-stop attendance to the needs of guests. They also offered place-setting cards, table numbers, menus per guest and even ice sculptures of any design we desired. I went through so many venues that were much more expensive yet did not offer most of these services.

• What is the wedding venues cancellation policy? G-d forbid there is a need to cancel, but should one arise for some reason then it is better to know the financial damage ahead of time.

• Does the wedding venue offer different ranges in time to hold the wedding, and are they flexible with changing times? One of the easiest ways to reduce costs per person is to have a morning / early day wedding, but there are also Orthodox Jewish-related issues with the timing of the wedding. Evening weddings are typically more expensive. Further, for brides planning to have their Orthodox Jewish Wedding in the winter, they should be conscientious of sunset times and make sure timing of the Tisch and Chuppah does not interfere with when the sun sets. My wedding was in February 2010 and our Rabbi officiating the wedding forced me to change the start time of the wedding from 4pm to 5pm to ensure the Hebrew date of our contractual marriage could not be disputed due to being too close to the time of the sun setting. Luckily, my wedding venue was flexible with changing the times.

• What is the quality of the food and liquor offered by your wedding venue? Another top reason I chose my wedding venue was because they were known for having hands-down outstanding Glatt Kosher food, provide top shelf liquor and a kosher wedding cake with several designs to choose from. Guests are offered seconds on their meals. Most venues will not include all of these accommodations in their costs per person, which means spending more money to get such perks.

Get Your Gown Without Busting The Bank

You really don't have to go far to find budget wedding dresses. You don't have to have a "wedding club" membership. You don't have to "know the right people". And you don't have to travel to a different state or country. Truth be told, you just need to follow these simple tips if you want to find budget wedding dresses that look beautiful & elegant.

Getting a Wedding Dress for Less...

1. Ask Mom. This is the easiest way to get a wedding gown under the budget. Chances are your mother, grandmother, or some other female relative has a dress which you could wear. Ask her if she'd grant you the "honor" of wearing the gown for your wedding. Also, ask if it would be okay to make a few small changes to the dress as well
2. Shop During the Off Season. Oddly enough, the prices on wedding dresses skyrocket during the late spring and summer months. To avoid this "out of nowhere" price hike, try searching for that perfect wedding dress in the fall and/or winter months. Chances are you'll save big bucks if you do.
3. Be Thrifty. There's no shame in visiting thrift stores in search of budget wedding dresses. Such places tend to have a wide selection of clothing choices; which will likely include an area filled with nice dresses and other formal attire. Browse around and see if anything catches your eye.
4. Don't Dent, Rent. If you want a beautiful, new wedding dress yet wish to avoid "denting" the budget too badly, the most logical option for you is to rent. Renting is a very wise option, as you'll be able to wear the dress you want for a price you can very easily afford. The only drawback to this particular method -- if you can even call it that -- is you won't be able to keep the dress afterwards.

These are 4 of the easiest and quickest ways of acquiring budget wedding dresses. If you refuse to follow these simple tips, well, then you're likely not going to save money with this part of the wedding planning.

Choosing Favors of Your Wedding With Smart

Wedding favors are the unacknowledged little treats which drag a number of unwilling parties to ceremonies they absolutely detest. A number of little kids, who are too young to dab their eyes when the vows are taken, but too old to pee on their mother’s lap during the process, are enthusiastic about weddings primarily due to the favors. Same goes for most grandpas and grandmas, let’s face it, these guys have seen far too many weddings to really want to sit through another, their mind therefore hovers off often to the little favors they will be receiving soon. ‘What will it be’ they wonder while the bride swears her undying love ‘Candies? Bubblemakers?’ they rack their brains in silence.

Given the expectations therefore, wedding favors are a must for every ceremony. Too many hearts stand a chance to be crushed if your wedding doesn’t end with one. So be rigorous while choosing your favors in order to make sure that they are just right. Here are a few pointers for you to consider;

Innovation

Remember your wedding will probably turn up only once…or well twice….in your entire life time (that is, if you aren’t Elizabeth Taylor of course, but I give you the benefit of the doubt), so you wouldn’t want your guests to go back home with a gift which they will stack up with 20 others just like it somewhere on the floor of their closet. Make sure your favors are unique and in some way reflect you, your spouse, and especially your special day. Keep it connected to the theme of your wedding party or make it personal and give a compilation of your favorite songs. A number of people also gift their guests napkins embroidered with the bride and groom’s names. So take your pick.

Expenses

Weddings are expensive, so you wouldn’t want to add an extra expense in the form of wedding favors. Choose gifts which you can make yourself to save money. A candle for instance is an easy and inexpensive gift which can be made right at your home, personalize it with ribbons and sparkles to give it a unique look and see how it is appreciated by all.

Planning

No matter what you choose to send your guests off with make sure you choose it early on. Like everything else in your wedding favors need to be planned for before making purchases. Take your spouse's opinion regarding the gift you have chosen. Remember it’s their special day too and in case you end up gifting people something he/she doesn’t like it might become a sore subject in the years to come. Consult your friends in case they are helping you out with the wedding. Make sure to have purchased or made your gifts at least two weeks before your wedding. Keep them packed and store them in a safe place to avoid any breakage or spoiling.

Your wedding is a special day for you so make sure your wedding favor reflects that. Remember to keep it simple, stylish and unique and ensure that they are packed beautifully. A great wedding favor will make your wedding a memorable affair for all, but especially for those little guys and the oldies who come to weddings just to know what the favors are….

Capturing Your Wedding On Video

Today professional videographers have become as natural a part of the wedding as the photographer. Because your wedding day goes by so quickly, recording all of the activities on video will preserve the precious moments for you and your family to enjoy for years to come.

Unlike photographs, a video camera records sounds, action and more of the overall atmosphere of the event. Rather than focusing on just a few people like photographs, video can easily record a little bit of all of your guests.

The typical wedding video package costs anywhere between $500 and $1500, depending on the quality of the equipment, the number of hours of coverage, the number of cameras, the amount of editing, and other factors. As always, remember what's most important to you, determine what you can afford, and go from there.

Recording Your Wedding on a Tight Budget
If you don't have money in the budget for a professional videographer, you have other options. You could ask a close friend or family member with a video camera to record your wedding. Of course don't expect the same quality and coverage that you would get from a professional videographer. Remember, is an awful lot to ask friend or family member to tape the bulk of the wedding day. So, the best way to ensure that your most precious moments get recorded is to make a list. Pick out only a handful of moments that you definitely want on tape, such as the bride walking down the aisle, exchanging vows and rings during the ceremony, the best man's toast, the bride and groom's first dance, etc. Then anything extra that gets on film is a bonus, but you have the important stuff covered.

Special Touches for the Video
A nice touch for your wedding video is to have your videographer or a friend wielding a video camera pull your guests aside throughout the night to record a personal message to the bride and groom. This is something that a friend did for us at our wedding, and it was absolutely wonderful to watch. This is a lovely way to record all of your friends and family who attended your wedding and adds a personal touch to the video.

Another nice idea for the wedding video is to record a short message from the bride and groom to each other. Arrange for the videographer to meet with the bride and groom separately right before the wedding ceremony. Each can talk to the camera as if they were talking to their soon-to-be other half. These messages truly capture all of the love and emotion of the couple on their wedding day. And they are so much fun to watch after the wedding and many years down the road!

by: Shawn Hickman

Wedding Photography That will last a lifetime

Having pictures that you can look at in the years that follow your wedding is just one of the things that you want to invest your money in. But if you’re on a constricted budget, then there are also options for you.

Things to consider

One of the main things to consider when it comes to photography is what you want from your pictures. Do you want pictures of your while family or mainly of the two of you? If it a larger wedding or is a more private celebration?

You and your soon-to-be spouse should sit down and list all of the pictures that you would like to have in your wedding album—that is, poses for pictures. With this list, you’ll be able to see if you should invest in a professional or consider other options.

Where do you want your pictures taken? Some couples like to have outdoor shots, so they will need to find a photographer that does that as part of their services. The length of time you would like the photographer to be at the wedding will also factor into the price.

Look at photographer samples to see if your styles match. If they don’t, the photographer may recommend someone else. They want you to have good pictures, even if it’s not with them.

When you’re on a budget

If you’re nervous about spending a lot of money on your photographer, but still want a lot of pictures—you’re in luck. With the new and improved digital cameras, you have a better shot (no pun intended) to get great pictures.

Have a good friend (who isn’t in the wedding party) volunteer to take the pictures. Since digital cameras show you what the picture looks like instantly, you can take as many as you need in order to get it just right. And the quality is just as good as many professional photographers.

Another way to get a lot of chances for good pictures is to place disposable cameras at every table. People love to take pictures of other people, so you’ll get a lot of candid shots of your relatives and friends. Plus, the quality is pretty good, so you’re not wasting your money at all.

It doesn’t matter who takes your pictures as long as you get the ones that you want. If you want to have someone else do it, then invest in the professional. But for the budget conscious, having a friend or relative take charge is just as good. (by: Amy Spade)