Chat: Casey Woods of Madelynn’s talks weddings
By The Emporia Gazette (Contact)
Originally published 01:16 p.m., June 5, 2008
Updated 01:16 p.m., June 5, 2008
Casey Woods, general manager of Madelynn’s, joined readers for an online chat Wednesday. Here is a transcript:
Q What is the one major thing overlooked in planning a wedding? Are bridesmaids and groomsmen typically given a small gift for participating in the wedding?
A The one major thing that is overlooked in wedding planning is communication. After an engagement, it is advisable for couples to arrange a dinner or meeting with family members. The meeting should cover topics like the wedding date, a budget and payment responsibilities in addition to a get-to-know-you session. A lack of communication can cause stressful situations between families and family members that is easily rectified with a simple conversation.
Communication extends to the bridal party. Groomsmen and bridesmaids should have a general idea of their financial obligations as soon as possible. If members of the wedding party are responsible for formal wear, jewelry, hotel or other expenses, simply give your friends and loved ones some time to plan on absorbing those costs.
A thank-you gift is certainly a good idea for groomsmen and bridesmaids. A special, personalized gift can serve as a cherished keepsake that reminds those dear to you of your special day. It is an honor to participate in a wedding, but a token of your esteem is generally appreciated.
Q They have a bridal fair up around K.C. Is it worthwhile to go to if you are going to get married soon?
A Bridal shows are most helpful for those in the planning process. If you are looking for last-minute ideas, you can certainly get a few of those from bridal events. Most of the booths occupied in a bridal show are for longer-term, booking-style vendors. If you have specific needs yet to be filled, a bridal show is a good place to comparison shop. However, if you have a wedding date fast approaching, you may not need services advertised within a typical show.
If you have questions about specific aspects of a wedding or planning, contacting local merchants may provide a more fruitful alternative. Although bridal shows are a lot of fun!
Q How much does the average wedding cost these days?
A The national bridal service lists typical wedding costs in a range of $14,000 to $45,000, depending on where you live. In the upper Midwest, weddings tend to run on the lower end of the spectrum. On the east coast, west coast or the deep south, weddings can easily hit the $50,000 to $100,000 range. Those are simply averages.
Remember that a wedding can be almost whatever you want it to be. Madelynn’s has participated in smaller ceremonies that cost a few hundred dollars for the entire event, and we have helped with weddings that approached six figures. Each family has a different budget and different concepts of what their ideal wedding looks like, so the “average” differs greatly from one family to another.
Q Who pays for what in the wedding?
A The items associated with a modern wedding can be quite extensive, and each of those items has a “traditional” party responsible for payment. The “Who pays for what?” question has evolved quite a bit over the last two decades.
At one time, the father of the bride was responsible for almost all costs associated with a wedding. More recently, families have decided to split bills depending on their individual priorities. As the average age of brides and grooms continues to rise, more couples are contributing a greater amount to the overall budget.
Madelynn’s has traditional payment list at the store (free of charge), and most of our wedding planners have sections dedicated to payments and budgeting. I would encourage couples not to focus a great deal on tradition when establishing a budget. Instead, negotiate contribution expectations with the family members involved.
Q What are some new trends in weddings this year?
A Destination weddings continue as a popular trend for couples. Theme weddings that focus on a particular interest of the couple and have a more theatrical appeal are also gaining in popularity.
On the other end of the spectrum, simple gowns (sheaths, mermaids and tulip cuts) are gaining in popularity for simple, intimate weddings. Weddings in many areas of the country are trending very large or small and simple, without a lot of growth in mid-range weddings.
Q How much should someone spend on a wedding gift?
A The answer to that question really depends on your budget and how well you know the couple. The average registered gift purchased at Madelynn’s ranges in price from $35 to $50. Let a consultant know what your particular price range is for a wedding gift and most stores can easily accommodate you.
Q With casual dress more popular, how does that apply to rehearsal dinners and weddings?
A Attire in our society has definitely become much more casual in the past 15-20 years. Attire for both weddings and rehearsal dinners has followed suit. My advice is when in doubt, ask the wedding party what their expectations are.
The time and location of the wedding is generally a good indicator of the dress requirements. A barbecue is less formal than a sit-down dinner. A six o’clock formal wedding requires a certain level of dress. If you are not sure about dress requirements, don’t assume, simply ask what the expectations are.
Q What are the popular wedding colors and dress styles this year?
A The popular colors this year vary by season. For spring and summer, the hot colors this year are turquoise, coral, pink, blue and chocolate. Popular fall tones include royal blue, bronze, chocolate, claret (deep red) and purple. For winter, classic black, red, plum and royal blue are in demand.
Styles for gowns vary by wedding type and body style. In the past few months, Madelynn’s customers have requested more sleeve options. As a result, we have many more options than the strapless A-line gown. Depending on the designer, Madelynn’s has a myriad of new fabric styles, waist lines, train lengths and detail options. When dealing with gown styles, it is very important that you find a design that fits your body type. A trained bridal consultant can help you find the gown that is right for you, regardless of trend.
Q Who do recommend for wedding cakes and photographers?
A Madelynn’s has a segment of our bridal section dedicated to showcasing the information of local vendors. It is hard to make a recommendation for a wedding service in a chat because our recommendations may change depending on your tastes and price range.
Madelynn’s recommends interviewing potential bridal vendors in order to ensure they provide the level of service you desire at a price you are comfortable with.
Collect contact information from Madelynn’s or other sources, but taste-testing cake and looking at photos is a fun experience! Look for established vendors for guidance, but don’t substitute the judgment of others for your own.
Q What are some of the most popular wedding gifts?
A We recommend looking for a couples’ gift registry first. Couples will know what their needs are before the average guest will.
Many couples now have their own web pages that showcase their registries, or a quick Internet search can point you in the right registry direction. Outside of in-store or on-line gift registries, I always recommend a gift with function or meaning. I love to give local art work as gifts, simply because you know the couple doesn’t have the item (uniqueness counts) and locally made items have an Emporia flair. I also like to give cookbooks that focus on couples, nice crystal pieces, serviceware or our bath towels (if I know the couples’ color scheme).
Q I haven’t begun planning for my wedding yet, but I really have no idea where to start ... any ideas?
A A good wedding planner is a great place to start. Madelynn’s has a great selection of wedding planners, or you can find planners at your local book store.
Communicate with your family to develop a date, time and budget. Once you have the basic time frame developed, it’s never too early to book a church, reception facility, photographer and start the search for formal wear. www.madelynns.com has a great timeline available, and you can find Frequently Asked Questions (and answers) at: http://www.maddyj.com/faq.htm.
It’s never too early to start the planning process, but develop a budget with your family first.
Q What services does Madelynn’s provide for brides and grooms?
A Madelynn’s is a bit unusual in the fact that we offer more product categories than your normal bridal shop.
Of course we carry bridal gowns and bridesmaids dresses, but we also carry flower girl dresses, mother’s dresses, tuxedo and suit rental, invitations, bridal registry, unity candles, gifts for groomsmen and bridesmaids, consulting services, alterations, bridal accessories (shoes, jewelry, undergarments, veils, crinolines and more), delivery services, steaming and gown preservation.
I’m sure that I am missing several product categories (the ladies at the shop will definitely let me know what I missed). But, if we don’t carry something wedding-related, we generally have a local business contact that does. It is our goal to be a total bridal resource for the local area.
Q Are more couples producing Web sites for their weddings? Do you know anyone who does them?
A In the past year, Madelynn’s has seen a massive increase in the number of bridal Web sites. Some are simply modified Facebook or MySpace sites, while other bridal sites like theknot.com allow couples to produce a specific wedding page.
More technically proficient couples have registered their own domain names and produced more-professional sites with information about registries, contact lists, time lines, pictures and a variety of additional information for friends and members of the wedding party.
Do a Web search for individual wedding pages and you will find a myriad of services available for free — but beware, sometimes “free” can lead to a lot of unwanted advertisements or spam. Always read the fine print!