Weddings. There is no season. There is no right or wrong way to do it. June in past years was the month couples chose to tie the knot but now it is any day, any hour…365.
A man in a black tux waiting at the altar for his bride in a white, princess gown has been replaced with a woman in a pant suit or tea length cocktail dress walking hand in hand into wedded bliss. Surrounded by family and close friends or just the two of them. At a restaurant, garden or the courthouse; more and more couples are looking for non-traditional venues and styles that reflect their personalities and a wedding that won't blow their budget. It is not just the menus that have evolved it is the whole wedding experience.
At the core are two people who want to spend their lives together. How that happens should no longer be dictated but facilitated, guided, handled with care.
Whether an elopement at the beautiful Chicago Courthouse or a fantastic restaurant around the corner from their home, couples are looking at and booking alternative wedding styles. Not only is this a cost savings, (pssst….getting married at the Chicago Courthouse costs $10 + tax, takes 10 minutes, you can have up to 15 guests present and it still packs a punch of emotion and love like I've never seen anywhere).
The Chicago Tribune shared a survey this week taken from 17,773 couples who married in 2015. The news might be shocking. A traditional Chicago wedding is currently averaging $61,265 and ranking the second most expensive city for a traditional wedding next to Manhattan. This amount has almost doubled in the last year!
That moment you stand across from the one you love, everything else disappears. The only place you want to be is in the moment, taking the next big step as one.
At the end of the day it's about the couple choosing to commit to one another. It doesn't have to be about what everyone says you should be doing or spending your money on. We should know…we specialize in non-traditional weddings and elopements. We have this conversation on a regular basis.
