Is there a way to get married and keep expenses down during the Great Recession besides eloping?
“It can be done,” said Harry Coris, co-owner of Dutchess Manor in Beacon, which is celebrating more than 60 years in the business, “but only if the couple is willing to work with the caterer. Put it this way: If you try to buy a $70,000 car and offer $30,000 to the dealership, you aren”™t going to get a call back. It works the same way in the catering industry. But if the couple is willing to sit down and focus on what”™s most important to them ”“ and what they can take off the menu ”“ they can have their wedding within a fixed budget. It”™s really up to the couple on where they are willing to compromise and to plan ahead.”
Coris says costs to pay for staff, electricity and cleanup don”™t change, even if the times of day or seasons do. “It may be a bit cheaper to get married in the off-season, which is January through April, but it”™s not significant. Wedding facilities have fixed costs that don”™t change.”
Dutchess Manor held about 140 weddings in 2009. “People like us because we are right on the Hudson and do offer an alternative to pricier venues down in Westchester ”“ but like everyone else, there is a limit to how much we can negotiate,” said Coris. “If the couple is willing to be flexible, they can have their event and make it a nice one.”
Just leave off some of those bells and whistles, he advises.
“And do some checking,” adds Coris. “One woman booked her wedding on the Internet from the other side of the country. When she came with her parents to check it out, the place was boarded up. Lots of people like shopping on the Internet, but it”™s got its downside. Anyone can post a beautiful picture and if you aren”™t right there, how do you know it”™s legitimate? It”™s always best to visit the catering facility in person and ask locals if they would recommend it. That way you can be sure before you spend any money that you are really getting what you are paying for.”
Terrapin Restaurant in Rhinebeck offers catering facilities at the Dinsmore Golf Course in Staatsburg. Terrapin Catering manager Hugh Piney says couples can save on extravagant floral arrangements “just by taking advantage of our fabulous views of the golf course, Mills Mansion and the river.
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“Any wedding can be prohibitively expensive,” said Piney, “depending on what the couple wants and how much they can afford to spend. For those who want a nice wedding and are on a fixed budget, they can outsource some of the duties to family members or friends. For example, have someone make the wedding cake, or make their own centerpieces ”“ there are ways for couples to save. If they can”™t afford the services of a DJ, they can bring their own pre-recorded music. Instead of having a formal sit down dinner, a Sunday brunch or cocktail party can work nicely.”
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Photographers from within the family-and-friends ranks can also be enlisted to help. “With a digital camera, almost anyone can be a photographer,” said one Hudson Valley catering hall. “Please don”™t use our name, because the photographers we have on our list would be fuming, but with the Internet and digital services available, a good photographer from within the couple”™s circle can do as nice of a job when it comes to taking pictures or video recording the wedding. Again, for couples who aren”™t facing extraordinary times during the recession, hiring a photographer is no problem. But for others, it”™s a major expense and they can find less expensive alternatives that can be just as attractive as a professional and sometimes couples are happier with the outcome.”
For those who want to go off the beaten path, many nonprofits open their doors for private events, which helps both the nonprofit earn income and can offer an alternative to the catering hall.
Locust Grove in Poughkeepsie opens its doors on weekend evenings for weddings and other private parties. “We have had about 40 weddings this year,” said Ken Snodgrass, executive director. “We can hold from 75 to 150 people, and most choose to have their weddings in the spring and summer. We have lovely gardens in the back, and it”™s really quite beautiful. Couples can arrange their own catering, floral and DJ services and spend as much or as little as they want to.”
The cost to rent out Locust Grove for a weekend evening can run from $2,000-$6,000, depending on the time of year. “The money helps to bring in school programs during the day and keeps admission to the public free,” said Snodgrass. “Again, the couple is in control of what they do as far as food and music. They can make it as simple or as grand as they want to. We give them six hours of private time, and leave time on both ends for them to set up and clean up. Many people like the option of having a wedding in a nontraditional site and doing the work themselves.”
And for those who are on a really tight budget, there”™s always the local justice of the peace and a peaceful party at home with close family and friends. Weather permitting, the backyard with a tent can also work if you”™re getting married on a shoestring. Or elope.
