Choice, the leading consumer advocacy group in Australia, investigated whether higher quotes do indeed go hand in hand with the W-word. (But such things go on everywhere, including the US and UK…)

The Experiment:

Businesses were selected in Melbourne and Sydney to provide a good cross-section of suburbs and demographics. To see if the W-word would make a distinct difference in prices our two shadow shoppers contacted 60 businesses  – 30 in each city – and each was contacted twice, once by our bride and once by the birthday girl.

• Florists were asked to provide quotes on flowers to decorate the venue only – no bridal bouquets were requested.
• The photographer was told they were only needed for the reception and not the ceremony, as this was being done by a friend.
• For the cake, flowers and car enquiries, the birthday shopper used the same details confirmed for the wedding scenario.

Wedding enquiries were conducted first. Our prospective bride made a phone call to ask about pricing and request a quote. Once this enquiry was completed, the second shopper called the same business with exactly the same request, but claimed the event was a 40th birthday. The second call was made approximately one week after the first call.

The Results:

As suspected – more than half the wedding suppliers approached by the shadow shoppers quoted a higher price for the bride than the birthday girl.

To be fair, we’ll tell you why this is so from the vendors’ perspective first. John O’Meara, Chairman of the Australia Bridal Industry Association, justifies charging a price premium in some cases. Because a wedding is a “once in a lifetime” occasion, brides and grooms can often be very demanding and high-maintenance customers. In many cases, they have much higher expectations than another customer. These vendors fell that they have to work extra hard to make the client happy, and are inclined to charge extra.

On the other hand, shoppers are often directed to pricey “wedding packages” that include a lot of unnecessary extras, and don’t allow for individual requirements. The bottom line is that if you don’t want to pay more than a service is worth, it’s important to shop around.  Don’t be afraid to ask questions, to find out why they are quoting the price that they do, and sometimes it’s even OK to haggle!  If you think it’s fair, you can ask about hour rates or quotes for certain services, and only after receiving a figure, mention that you’re planning a wedding.

For example, 7 out of 10 car hire companies quoted more for the wedding than for the birthday.  Some photographers quoted up to 150% more for the wedding than the birthday, only offering expensive all-day rates. On the other hand, of the 10 florists, half quoted more for the wedding while the other half quoted more for the birthday! Again, it does pay to shop around, especially for services that you should be paying for by the hour.

A true story:

George Paul called the venue he was interested in to get quotes for his wedding, describing the event as a birthday party. He says organizers were fine with the requests and sent him a quote. Later, when confessing he and his partner planned to marry on the day, he says the staff went into in a flap, claiming a wedding required a different menu because there were “different packages for weddings”. When asked why, the response was “that’s just the way we do it.”

When George checked the wedding package, the quote was about 60% more than the original for the same venue, drinks and a slightly different menu. “I told them I only wanted to pay for the birthday package they originally provided. Once they recognized they’d been caught out, they agreed to let me have the wedding there at the price I was originally quoted, no extra cost.”

After Choice published these findings, they realized that this is a hot topic among consumers, industry experts and media.  They invited some of Australia’s most influential wedding suppliers and lifestyle, food and consumer bloggers to weigh in on the debate in a roundtable discussion.  Here are some interesting insights into the many complex views on this issue and its potential impact on both the consumer and supplier.

Expert Advice for Consumers
• Come prepared with a budget outline
• Ask as many questions as you can of your supplier so that you receive the level of service you’re expecting
• Ask exactly what you get for your money and what are the extra charges, if any
• Be transparent and say it’s for a wedding. This will help the supplier to understand what extra work is going to be required
• Research supplier reputation: Websites, forums, social media and through word of mouth
• Always have a one-on-one consultation with your supplier to make sure you get along with them
• Don’t be pressured into packages and when offered, make sure you ask about flexibility
• You might be working with these people for 18 months or longer, so make sure the relationship remains healthy and open

Want to read more? Check out Choice’s article: Weddings – At What Price via Polka Dot Bride

This “Wedding Flowers” video will make you chuckle and cringe at the same time:

feature photo credit

Bridal salons, photographers, florists, and ordinary citizens who want to do a good deed… there are more of them out there than you might be aware of!

Photo from Jamie Collins Photography

Free Gowns for Military Brides

Want to help support our troops and their families? Bridal salons are uniting across America to donate and give away wedding gowns to qualified military brides. Brides Across America is giving away free wedding gowns in the month of November on a first-come-first-serve basis. For a list of participating designers and locations of the National Giveaway Event, visit Brides Across America!

… and a Free Wedding!

Colorado’s 9News reports that Post 11-11, a group of military moms, sisters and wives, has put together a free wedding package for anyone engaged in active military duty, in need of a free wedding. They will draw a name on Nov. 11, Veteran’s Day, to decide on the lucky couple.  To enter, send an email to info@legionpost11-11.org.  Include a story about the couple, a picture, contact information and their Commanding Officer’s contact information. For additional info, contact Cindy Borrego at 720-971-2271. Time is running out, enter before November 11!

Photographers Fighting Cancer

Blush Photo & Films in Massachusetts offers women undergoing cancer treatment up to 6-hours of free wedding photography. “One less expense can go a long way for women in cancer treatment who are planning a wedding. For people experiencing cancer treatments, their money and time should be spent on healing.” (Thanks to Manolo for this info) Contact Blush at (617) 970-2993.

In a similar story, British wedding photographers have pledged to give a day in October, November and December 2009 for any deserving couples who are willing to raise money for Cancer Research UK. Photographers4charity will chose one couple per county, who pledge to raise as much money as they can via the liaison officer’s “just giving” page. This program was initiated by Andrea Lane, herself a cancer survivor, to help those who’s lives have been “touched by cancer or other illness” and perhaps can’t afford a professional photographer.

Brides Against Breast Cancer

While not a free service, Brides Against Breast Cancer is another program that enables brides to “FIND THE GOWN OF YOUR DREAMS AND MAKE A WISH COME TRUE.” Bridal gowns are donated to the Nationwide Tour of Gowns (with over 32 yearly shows) by designers, manufacturers, bridal shops, and individuals. These gowns are available to brides-to-be at remarkable prices, ranging from $99 – $799, including designer gowns valued up to $8,000. The proceeds from these events bring a moment of joy into world of someone for whom a cure is too late.

If you are looking for something to do with your gown, consider donating it to Brides Against Breast Cancer. This gift, including shipping costs, is tax-deductible. You can also help in the fight against breast cancer by hosting a “Pink Envelope Bridal Shower” on behalf of the Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation.

A Wedding Gift in Challenging Times

In light of the challenges facing so many of us today, a group of small business owners from the North Shore have come together to present one deserving couple with a free wedding. Reason to Give was created to help one couple who has undergone challenges (be it financial, health related, etc.) celebrate their love and commitment to one another. Reason to Give is not simply a random contest; it is meant to “honor one special, deserving couple who would not otherwise be able to afford a wedding.”

Similarly, one deserving New England bride and groom will be awarded the free services of Jessica’s Country Flowers and Jamie Collins Photography (up to 5 hours) in Jessica’s 2010 Deserving Couple’s Contest.  This is a need-based giveaway for one couple undergoing economic hardships and/or special circumstances. You can enter this giveaway via the Contact Form at Jessica’s Country Flowers website. (Mention that you found out about it from Style Me Pretty… click over to find out more!)

Wedding planner Liz Guthrie, owner of San Jose Wedding Consultants, feels that giving back to the community is one of the most amazing gifts she can think of as a wedding planner. The 2010 San Francisco Dream Wedding Giveaway is an upscale destination wedding valued at $100,000.00! Over 40 premier Bay Area wedding vendors will work together to designing the most unforgettable Wedding of the Year, for one very lucky couple in love.  Contest closes November 25, so if you feel you are deserving of this amazing wedding, or know a couple that is, please enter soon!

The incredibly talented wedding photographer Caroline Ghetes wants to get in on the giveaway action too! She  is looking for a deserving couple who has been through amazing obstacles just to be together… or are are struggling financially and could use a break… or have done so much good for others, it’s about time they had something good done for them! This lucky couple will receive unlimited wedding day coverage, plus a wedding package valued at over $3000! To enter, email your story and a picture by November 12, 2009 to both caroline@carolineghetes.com AND amanda@ruffledblog.com.

Couples Campaign for a Cause

From October 1 through December 31st of each year, couples can enter to win the $50,000 New Mexico Dream Wedding Giveaway. Five finalist couples will campaign in the New Mexico Community, conducting several fundraisers for the benefit of UNM Children’s Hospital. New Mexico residents are then are invited to log on to NMDreamWedding.com to vote for their favorite, most deserving couple. The winning couple is determined by the number of votes received, amount of charitable contributions raised, and over-all good sportsmanship during the campaign.

I’m sure there are many more great wedding giveaways available to deserving couples. If you have anything to add, please let us know in the comment section below!

“Good luck!” to all those who are tying the knot, and “Way to go!” to all those wedding vendors providing a lucky break to those who need it!