03 Aug 09 Fourth Quarter Play Strategies–Weddings

The last post was about vacations for the wealthy and borderline affluent. However, there is one play that almost all families will make in their lifetimes, and that is the wedding plan.

The wedding changed drastically the day the economy crashed in November of 2008. Many people who normally spend money into five digits were scaling back to short-and-sweet. Overheard at a restaurant: “Then it’s settled. We’ll offer them a down payment on a house if they will elope.”

Will It Change?

As mentioned in the previous blog about the fourth quarter, some experts expect spending habits among the financially comfortable to change a bit. They may give themselves a pat on the back for their frugality in recent months with a little more luxury, including vacations. Whether this will extend to their kids’ weddings is a matter of speculation.

Why It May Not Change

People who have held back on spending may feel that the last decade’s trend towards debt-ridden weddings was an exercise in waste. Many ordinary folks have come to realize that a lavish wedding does not preclude the possibility of a divorce, and spending all that money does not guarantee a perfect event anyway. You can be ready for this by thinking of ways to help them cut unnecessary expenses (is it really necessary to toss the flowers from an airplane, for instance) and save on the things they do need.

Why It May Change

Weddings are celebrations, and human beings love a good party! Why not throw one in honor of a great relationship? Sure, it doesn’t ensure a happy marriage, or even one that will last past the next month, but why shouldn’t we be happy while we can? You can be ready for these types of folks by building relationships with people who can provide the most fun at the least cost–and are the most reliable.

Tags: Airplane, Building Relationships, Celebrations, Digits, Divorce, Fourth Quarter, Frugality, Great Relationship, Happy Marriage, Human Beings, Last Decade, Lavish Wedding, Lifetimes, Pat On The Back, Speculation, Spending Habits, Unnecessary Expenses, Vacations, Wedding Plan, Weddings