features
Daddy sdll foots the bill
even in a time of lay-offs
MS;
United Press International
DAVENPORT, Iowa — Dad
dy’s little girl is planning her
June wedding this month and,
even if Daddy loses his job, indi
cations are the bride-to-be will
have everything she needs for
the marriage of her dreams.
Shopkeepers say business is
brisk in the wedding industry
around the Quad Cities of east
ern Iowa and western Illinois,
where the unemployment rate
hovers around 17 percent.
“It’s like Christmas,” said
Barbara Moeller, a wedding
consultant who said 1982 was
the best she has recorded in six
years of business. “You’ll ‘go
without’ all year long for
Christmas.
“They’re getting married,
there’s no question about that.
And they’re going on honey
moons, too.”
Pastor David Lack of St. Paul
Lutheran Church in Davenport
said he performed a record
number of marriage ceremonies
last year, “and I don’t believe
they’re getting any smaller or
less elaborate.
“It doesn’t seem like anything
is being held back on weddings,
and I don’t see anybody putting
off getting married. I think
there are still plenty of people
who do have enough money to
do these things.”
It may be hard to believe that
thousands of dollars are being
spent on wedding gowns, flow
ers and receptions while many
people are struggling to put
food on the table.
A wedding is the most impor
tant day of a woman’s life, many
believe. The traditional church
wedding is something for which
a girl and/or her parents savor
for years.
Local businessmen say the
economy has had some minor
effects on the wedding market,
with a few reports of postponed
engagements. Mainly, the reces
sion has made couples more
cost-conscious, they say.
“They go shopping around
for studios a lot more,” said Dar
cy Gates of Henry’s photogra
phy studio. “They’re going for
the economy line (in wedding
photograph albums) as opposed
to the expensive.
“One couple decided it was
too expensive to get married this
year so they decided to wait until
next year,” Gates said. “That’s
what living together does for
you.”
The recession and unemploy
ment are being felt in tuxedo
businesses as well.
“It used to be (that) Daddy
would foot the whole bill and his
little girl could have anything
she wanted,” said Barry Burke
of Mr. Neat’s Tux Shop. “Now if
Daddy’s laid off, they’re watch
ing costs more.”
A clerk at Rose Glen Florist
said brides “are cutting back
some, but they still like to have
their flowers. They’re not going
with the roses and orchids as
much as they used to. They’re
still using the same amount of
flowers, but using cheaper flow
ers like carnations and daisies.”
Viola Meyers, of the Bridal
Cake Shop, whose business has
dropped 95 to 40 percent in re
cent times, said couples “settle
on smaller cakes and use sheet
cakes a lot more for additional
servings.”
Two areas in which prospec
tive mates are unwilling to
scrimp are engagement rings
and wedding gowns, store man
agers say.
Doug Murphy of Samuel’s
Jewelers said couples still have to
have their diamond engage
ment ring.
“It’s something that’s tradi
tional and people in this area
aren’t breaking that tradition,”
Murphy said.
Rosemary Meier of
LouMarge’s Women’s Apparel
said wedding gowns are selling
“as well today as they did a year
or so ago. The girls do more or
less have a price range in mind
when they come in and we work
from there.
Mrs. Moeller said some
brides-to-be cut costs by prepar
ing their own food for the recep
tion or wearing their mother's
wedding dress. One client even
borrowed her girlfriend’s bou
quet.
Photographing brides
takes a special hand
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by Denis Paquin
United Press International
NEW YORK — Unless you
feel extremely confident of your
capabilities, don’t undertake the
task of being the official wed
ding photographer. Most cou
ples take their wedding photo
graphs very seriously.
Putting fresh batteries in
your camera and flash is a must
before shooting any major
event.
If you plan on taking pictures
during the church ceremony, it's
always wise to get permission
from the clergyman before the
wedding — as some of us have
learned from experience. The
last time I photographed a
friend’s wedding, the priest
came over to me afterwards and
said I shouldn’t have been in the
sacristy.
City clerks usually don’t
mind. Just don’t take up too
much of their time setting up
photos in their office.
Don’t be afraid to shoot as
many photos as your budget will
allow, especially at the recep
tion. Weddings are somewhat
like funerals — a great gather
ing place for long-lost cousins,
uncles and the like, and they all
want pictures of themselves with
the bride.
Arrange to shoot some pic
tures at the bride’s home before
the ceremony. A good selection
of her is essential —- and don’t
forget to show all of the dress.
Also, get the bride-to-be with
her parents and bridesmaids.
separatelv and togettifri
ever combinations youc
of at the time.
When shooting ouislj
sunny day, it’s mored
to use vour Hash asafillif
shadows. So read upc
cedure and practice I
wedding.
M< ist wedding photo
usually disappear wi
lyweds and wedding]
the ceremony to take]
a scenic location. Anyi
do, and this is the l
variety of pictures
and groom together anj|
their parents.
And, if you don’t have
cially shoot a wedding,doi
it!
(Denis Paquin is a |
grapher tor UPI.)
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