Conclusion

Now that the semester is coming to an end, my blogging season is also coming to an end. I started this blog for my English 152 class. My professor gave an assignment to the class. The task was to keep up with a blog for sixteen weeks, instead of writing essays or reading from the text. We got to pick any topic of our choice in which we could educate ourselves more about. At first, I thought it was going to be hard to constantly writing about one topic every week. In addition to that, I have never blogged in my life. However through my experience this semester with blogging, the end result was very beneficial to me.

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The topic that I chose was on weddings. I chose this topic because I am getting married this summer. I thought planning my wedding and writing a blog would be like knocking two birds with one stone. The fact that I chose weddings as my topic, I was able to educate myself more about wedding and marriage. Within our blogs, I learned how to write more academically than just raining on and on like a social network. I learned that blogging has many forms of writing, but for the purpose of my assignment was to conduct our own research and reflect that into our blog post. From doing this, I learned that wedding are very expensive and time consuming with plans and appointments. Furthermore, I am happy with my chose of my topic weddings, because without blogging the past sixteen weeks about it I would have never saved as much money as I have already. I learned different ways to budget myself, plan, gain different ideas about vendors, decorations, do it yourself crafts, and I also looked at how a relationship can change being married. Another reason why I was happy about my topic is because wedding have a variety of avenues and subtopics that I was able to talk about each week, so I did not run out of ideas to write about.

Another way that I benefited from this experience was that I was able to get feedback from other students with this assignment, as well as my professor. It gave me insight on what worked and what I could’ve added, also what else I could’ve touched up on.

Thankfully I chose a topic that has a huge community of bloggers from many different websites. The ones I used mostly were Theknot.com and Weddingbee.com. From here each website had other bloggers blogging about weddings. They talked about planning, their own weddings, experiences, crafts, ideas, marriage, and the list goes on and on. I have become a part of this community by reading their post and commenting on it. This abled me to communicate with my community. I asked questions about their post, also I was able to ask where they got their research. I was able to see different perspectives about wedding and marriage from my community. Connecting with my community made this experience more interesting.

Overall I found this assignment very worthwhile. It is different than the normal English class. Like mentioned I thought it was going to be hard because it required new research every week and constantly talking about the same topic, but once I was able to find a topic that I wanted to learn more about, it became easier. Also because I picked a topic that I was interested in made it easier too. From what I have gained though this experience was that I am able to write more academically and conduct research. This assignment helped me save money, gain ideas, and plan for my special day as well as connecting with others in my community has helped me see their views on the topic I am researching. For future students who are required to blog, do not be overwhelmed. This assignment will help you grow by learning a different way than most professors have taught you in the past. I never thought blogging could have benefited me as much as it has so far. 

Before Marriage and After Marriage Part 1

Life is no storybook, but somewhere in the subconscious we lurk a romantic vision of Disney’s Cinderella and Prince Charming. How does the relationship become affected when deciding to a serious commitment?

First, I would like to start off by sharing important statistics on marriage. From Statisticbrain.com, “the number of marriages in 2009 was 2,077,000. The probability that a first marriage will survive 10 years is equal to 1 in 15”. The probability of marriage stood out to me like a sore thumb. It had me think of what couples really meant when they said their vows, “for better or for worse, for richer or for poor, and in sickness and in health. Is it because they are in such a happy moment at the alter on the day of the wedding they were not thinking sickness, death, or poor?

Living Together:
From what I think, it makes sense that couples would choose to live together before committing their entire lives in marriage. Now days more couples move in with each other and cohabit before they decide to become wedded. Thomas Bradbury studies how intimate relationships develop and change.  He wrote a blog titled Testing, Testing: How does living together affect a marriage? And based off Thomas Bradbury’s blog , I saw another perspective.

            “About half of all couples entering their first marriage today live together before marriage… There are at least 10 times as many couple living together today than there were just 30 years ago. (Bumpass & Lu, 2000; Smock, 2000). This is a huge increase when it comes to demographic trends, and the common intuition seems to be: “it’s a great idea to live together first- you can see if you get along before making a serious and life-long commitment”. Contrary to popular wisdom, though, cohabiting relationships tend to be less stable than marriages, and marriages in which people cohabit together prior to the wedding tend to be less stable than those in which partners did not cohabit” (Bardbury).  

How could it be that spending more time with your partner is harmful? I do not see anything bad about living together before a couple decides to be married. Thomas Bradbury’s goes on in his research,

           “There probably isn’t anything wrong. The relationship instability that goes along with cohabitation seems rooted instead in the characteristics of the people who opt to cohabit and in the relationships that they form... Cohabitation is not bad for relationships, but the people who do cohabit are not a random slice of population. Second, high levels of conflict are likely to be inherently detrimental to relationships, and couples’ decisions to live together rather than marry may pivot on how well they are dealing with the differences that are arising between them. So, how much arguing is going on? Why? How does it get resolved? Couples with a lot of unresolved or poorly resolved differences are wise to hesitant, and to put their relationship to the test, given what we know about the harmful effects of mismanaged conflict on the intimate bond that people are hoping to create”.

It is important to have a serious talk with your partner about moving in together. It is also important  to be on the same page as to what the next step means for the relationship, or to have an understanding of expectations. You do not want to eventually move into a marriage with someone who only view living together as an easy to pay the rent, or to get by.

To be continued... 

Final Analysis Paper

I have found many potential sources for my final analysis paper throughout my blog post so far this semester. I am considering at least three so far. These are, Weddingbee, TheKnot, and Nittanyweddings. All of these sources give great information about weddings, how to plan, do it yourself ideas, different vendors, budgeting, etc. They each also have a different way going about the elements of a wedding.

Weddingbee is a site that features blogs, boards, do it yourself ideas, photo galleries, and vendor reviews. This site is read by brides like myself, grooms, bridesmaids, wedding vendors, etc. It is quite interesting of how many people do use this website to help guide them with planning a wedding, or to capture ideas. This information is useful to any engaged couple because if offers opinions and views on subjects in a wedding.

TheKnot is much like Weddingbee. It too has photo galleries, vendor reviews, and ideas for the big day. However, TheKnot also provides planning basics, such as what needs to be done monthly before the wedding, also ways on how to budget for the celebration. Also this site gives statistics on weddings around the United States. Theknot is not only a website, it also a magazine which includes available etiquette experts’ advice.  Theknot has a variety of useful information to couples looking for a variety of ways on how to start saving for the special.

NittanyWeddings is a site which provides articles written by actual local wedding vendors. This is gives great insight and the experienced view from the people to help make weddings come alive. Like my other sources it is the same, in aspects of what works for weddings or do it yourself ideas.  This site is useful to get information on wedding advice, what works for vendors, or other wedding articles.

As of now these are my top sources I will be using for my final analysis paper. I have used them throughout the semester because each provided information I needed in order to conduct my research. In some ways each give similar information, much like how to plan a successful wedding. But, are also different from the users, vendors, bloggers, or wedding statistics that are on each site. The reason I choose these sources is because they gave me the most information from which I have benefited from.  

Wedding Industry- The Wedding Confidential: Industry Secretes continued

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The Wedding Confidential: Industry Secretes from ABC’s 20/20 reported that event vendors are known to charge more for their service as soon as they hear the word “wedding”. But what does this word mean to a vendor? Is there a certain level of effort that raises the prices for weddings? Also, did this report hurt a vendors business?

As I researched different for vendors who watched The Wedding Confidential and wrote how this affected them, I came the conclusion that the vendors had a negative response because they were offended and it is misleading to engaged couples.  For example from a blogger TaylorMade says that, ”industry secrets? What secretes?... The media has made me, and the rest of my colleagues in the wedding industry look heartless, slimy con artists who use lies and hype to trick brides and from into giving us money that we do not deserve.” It is clear that this report from ABC made its way to the media and created a crack between vendors and engaged couples by portraying vendors as those whom trick engaged couples to give more so vendors can get more bang for their buck.

As a bride to be, I am cautious when meeting with different vendors not only because I need to connect with them for ideas, details, etc. But also because we all know weddings are not cheap. This report from ABC is deceptive to couples about the wedding industry. Also TaylorMade commented, “Most couples do not fully realize that there is a difference between planning a wedding and a party. A wedding is not a standard party. There is more stress, an increase of time investment, more details, and more liability, which lies in a higher expense.” Planning for a wedding creates many more elements and time to a vendors work, than a party would require. As a bride I can agree, a wedding is not the typical party to plan for.

Another example is from a blogger Susan Southerland. Susan Southerland is a business owner whose company helps engaged couples plan their weddings in various price ranges. She ponders “the episode got a lot attention from inside the wedding industry, mostly because of its one-sided, negative depiction for wedding professionals…20/20 made it look as though all of us in the industry are out to empty the pockets of every last bride and groom until there is nothing left but lint.” Watching the report, it is understandable of why vendors are angry. Denise and Alan Fields from the episode had a negative perspective for the wedding industry, as well as those small businesses that create the industry.

Wedding Industry- The Secrets They Don't Want You To Know

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The wedding industry is a multibillion dollar industry. It expands with the economy from all different vendors, such as caters, photographers, bakers, florist, and so on. Take for instance these statics from ABC’S 20/20, “The average wedding costs around $27,000 according to theknot.com. In Los Angeles, it is $37,000, and $65,000 in New York City. It is no wonder the wedding industry is a $30 billion behemoth.” Ellen Terrell wrote a reference on wedding industry research that explains more of what this industry is.

                “It is an industry that is made up of multiple smaller enterprises like caters, wedding consultants, dresses, various beauty supplier (hair, makeup), photographers, favors/bridesmaids gifts, music, honey moon related etc. While the industry as a whole represents a lot of money, each of the component parts is much smaller… Many of the smaller components like caters, DJs, and photographers, wedding favors, invitations, etc. also do other events without necessarily breaking their business down into wedding versus non-wedding.”

However, I believe that a few vendors do break their business down into wedding versus non-wedding based off ABC’s 20/20, In Wedding Confidential: Industry Secrets, this is reported that event vendors are known to charge more for their service as soon as they hear the word “wedding”. My question is Why? It because vendors know that brides or grooms are willing to spend a little more cash to get what they want rather than what they can afford or need.  Do vendors think couples are venerable so they up the cost?

This is the video of The Wedding Confidential: Industry Secretes. In this video shows an experiment where a person is making phone calls about hiring a DJ vendor, making it seem like they are having a wedding. Another person will call the same vendor about the same dates and times, but instead of a wedding, it is for a birthday party. As a result from the video, there was a $700 difference, %46 percent from a wedding to a birthday party. I am astonished! As the video goes on, they will show you other examples of this phenomena. 

To Be Continued...

Cake Time- Continued

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Last week I discussed different elements of a wedding cake and what to keep in mind when choosing a cake. However, I wanted to go into more detail of how to keep saving! Wedding cakes are expensive but there are always ways to save. There are two alternatives I researched and wanted to inform those married couples to be these options. For one, except having an entire wedding cake, enjoy cupcakes. Two, most people know how to bake a cake themselves, why not make your own wedding cake.

Recently in America we have seen a trend in cupcakes, for example the show Cupcake Wars or George Town Cupcakes. Cupcakes are very practical now days, it is no wonder they are becoming more popular and in this case, replacing wedding cakes.  “Surprisingly, cupcakes have grown in popularity from 13% in 2010 to 17% a year later in 2011” (Fraiman).  Having cupcakes at a wedding has its advantages; a couple can have more of a variety and less waste. Cupcakes can be in various flavors due to their size. It is easier to make a couple dozen chocolate, vanilla, or red velvet cupcakes than to have layers of a wedding cake all different. In addition, it is also easier to organize the cupcakes by flavor, than to wait for each tier of a wedding cake to be cut and divided. Also cupcakes allow a couple to have a cake structure that is more convenient to hand out to guest. At the end of the day it leaves less waste than the traditional wedding cake. Each guest would start out with at least one cupcake then have another accordingly. For example, at my wedding I would love to have cupcakes because not many people do eat cake. It would be easier to handout to each guest and if they wanted more they can go pick another cupcake.

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I am getting my cupcakes from this place called Sweet Reasons. Like Sweet Reasons other bakers may have the same idea of having gift bags for the guest to put their cupcake in to take home with them. Therefore, each guest has a favor, and also I would not be left with 100 cupcakes!  Now that I have mentioned how convenient cupcakes can be to a wedding than the traditional wedding cake, I also researched prices. According to Marina Shifrin, “the average cost of a cake can be around $1,125- $1,800. The average cost of cupcakes can be around $375- $525+”. This is a huge money saver for those on a tight budget for their wedding!

Another way to save money on a wedding cake is for a couple to bake the cake themselves.  Perfect Wedding Day.com gives a link to a video tutorial with instructions on “how to make a wedding cake.”  Also I wanted to share another link of step by step instructions on how to create a wedding cake from about.com-weddings.  Like mentioned before, there are always ways to save some money, especially when it comes down to planning a wedding. 

Cake Time,

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A wedding cake is important to the traditional wedding for its looks and its great taste. But, when it comes down to picking the perfect cake, does a bride and groom know everything there is to know? The cost of cakes can easily be a few hundreds of dollars if they are not careful. The question is, how can a couple save money for a cake? What options are out there?

I did my own research. First I wanted to know how much the typical wedding cake averages. According to The Bridal Association of America from an article Wedding Cake Cost- How much does a wedding cake cost, “the average cost of a wedding cake is $543”. In my opinion, this is pricey. My wedding is around the corner and I do not think I would be spending this much for a cake at my wedding. However, every cake ranges depending on different factors a couple will decide on. For example, the more complicated or fancy the cake is, the more expensive it will be because the labor. I believe creating a wedding cake is a work of art and bakers want it to be perfect for the bride and groom.

When choosing a wedding cake, a bride and groom should first start with preferred bakers their wedding planner, coordinator, or venue offers. This gives great ideas of where to begin looking. Once a few places are chosen begin to researching online. Look at reviews other costumers have written. Also most bakers will have a photo gallery on their website for cakes they have done for special events. This will give an idea of what quality of work that certain company provides. Once decided on a place, the next step is to actually go visit in person or set an appointment. At the appointment, the staff should give a couple ideas of what they have done with past events, and a cake testing to try the different flavors.  It is a great idea to provide photos or ideas to show the staff what you are looking for in your wedding cake. Most importantly, before leaving, a bride and groom should have discussed enough with their baker of what to expect, so there are no surprises.

What to keep in mind?

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From an article “The Wedding Cake Prices Guide”, broke down of what to keep in mind when determining what cake a couple is looking for in 7 categories.

“1. The icing or frosting.  There are many choices such as rolled fondant, marzipan, white chocolate, milk or dark chocolate frosting, royal icing, chocolate ganache, flavored buttercream, and the list can go on and on! According to this article rolled fondant and marzipan are the most expensive. Rolled fondant and marzipan are quite delicate and can tear easily during the process if not applied with experienced hands, also a fair bit of labor goes into rolling a perfectly smooth and even canvas for the decorations. 

 2. Cake Decorating. The decorations will vary depending on what icing is chosen and also the theme of the wedding. It can be limitless! If a couple prefers a cake covered in either buttercream or ganach, then the best choice for decorations are swirls, patterns, fresh flowers, or a satin ribbon. Looking at wedding cakes online can give ideas for inspiration. 

3. Layer Structure. The more cake layers or tiers the cake has, the more costly it becomes. Also the size of the tiers also increase the overall cake price. 

4. Cake Shape. A simple round shaped cake is the least expensive as far as shape is concerned. Most wedding cake bakeries will have all the round baking tray sizes. The square shape is also quite common but a little less than the round. However, if you are wanting an oval shaped cake, a heart shaped cake or something less common. These cake pans may need to be especially ordered to make your cake. 

5. Cake Size.  The size of your wedding cake is a direct reflection of your guest list. The larger the wedding cake, or the more complex in design. 

6. How Many Servings.  This of course depends on your guest list – and whether or not you're keeping the top tier to celebrate your first wedding anniversary – if so, then you'll need to order an extra layer or tier to feed your guests. 

7. Wedding Cake Toppers.  The wedding cake topper can be as simple as a small bouquet of fresh flowers or silk flowers – to a crystal monogrammed topper, photo frame topper, heart shaped topper, blown glass topper, themed topper or costumed made caricature topper of the bride and groom” (The Wedding Cake Prices Guide).

 TO BE CONTINUED...