美國也開始追求節儉 看婚禮省錢的五大訣竅大綱

The average price of a wedding in the U.S. is $26,000, according to wedding-industry trackers . But an increasing number of couples are embracing frugality by tossing out the preconceived notions of the big-ticket wedding.
據婚慶行業研究網站的數據，美國人在婚禮上的平均開銷是26,000美元。不過，有越來越多的新人選擇摒棄人們認爲婚禮就得有奢華排場的習慣性思維，開始追求節儉樸素的婚禮。

This year, more than 2 million wedding ceremonies will take place in America, and although 34% of the couples will spend more than $20,000 on nuptials, another 39.5% will spend less than $10,000. The substantially smaller price tag of the latter group is a trend that saw an uptick during the recession, and it's one that's here to stay, notes Andy Brennan, an analyst at research group IBISWorld.
今年美國有會有超過200萬場的婚禮，但其中計劃花費超過20,000美元的新婚夫妻只佔34%，另外有39.5%的新人婚禮花費將不超過10,000美元，像後者這樣大幅縮減結婚費用的做法已經成爲了一種趨勢，在經濟不景氣的環境中，有越來越多的人效仿。研究集團IBISWorld的分析師安迪·布倫南(Andy Brennan)指出，這樣的勢頭還會持續下去。

One reason: The cost of getting married has soared. From 1980 to 2012, wedding costs jumped 460%, according to IBISWorld, while the cumulative rate of inflation grew only 178.6%. Another reason is that more people are delaying marriage because of the still-stagnant economy. According to a 2012 Pew Research Center report, 20% of people aged 18 to 34 put off marriage because of tough economic conditions. 'The landscape has definitely changed,' Brennan says. 'People tend to have more of a focus on their careers and get married at a later time because they're much more conscious about what they can save and when they should get married.'
一個原因：婚禮費用已經飆升得太高了。根據IBISWorld的數據，從1980年到2012年，婚禮費用增長了460%，而同期累計通貨膨脹率也不過178.6%。另外一個原因是，越來越多的人因爲經濟依舊不景氣而推遲結婚。據皮尤研究中心(Pew Research Center) 2012年的一份報告顯示，18至34歲人羣中，有20%的人因爲經濟不好推遲結婚。布倫南說，情況無疑已經發生了變化，人們願意把精力更多地放在事業上，併爲此推遲結婚，因爲他們在考慮能存多少錢和何時該結婚的問題上變得更加地理智清醒。

So for all those frugal brides and grooms, here are some ways to save.
那些想節儉辦婚禮的新郎新娘們，這裏有一些省錢的訣竅。

Go digital for save-the-dates
發送電子預請帖

This year, nearly $200 million will be spent on save-the-date cards, according to . But that time-honored tradition of mailing a wedding reminder several weeks before receiving the actual wedding invitation is starting to be viewed by some consumers as antiquated and a waste of money. In fact, save-the-date spending is anticipated to diminish over the next four years, according to .
據的統計，新人們今年花在預請帖(save-the-date card)上的費用將接近兩億美元。預請帖就是在發真正的婚禮請柬之前的數週郵寄出的一個婚禮日期通知，是一種有着悠久歷史的婚禮傳統。但是，有一些開始認爲這樣的做法既過時又費錢。實際上，據稱，新人們在預請帖上的開銷預計將會在未來四年內不斷減少。

So while spending $97 per wedding for save-the-dates (plus postage) isn't a huge expense, many couples have forgone lickable stamps and paper. In 2012, nearly one in three couples created and/or sent save-the-dates online, compared with just one in five in 2009, reports . Why the shift? The rise of online shopping has helped change perceptions of what's appropriate wedding planning behavior, notes IBISWorld's Brennan. 'It was once considered cheap to put a save the date online, but now it's accepted,' he says.
儘管平均每場婚禮預請帖的花費（外加郵資）只有不算多的97美元，但許多夫妻還是摒棄了紙質的郵票和卡片。婚禮主題網站 稱，2012年，三對夫妻中就有一對夫妻在網上製作和（或者）發送預請帖，與之相比2009年時五對夫妻中只有一對這樣做。爲什麼會有這樣的轉變？IBISWorld的布倫南認爲，是網絡購物的崛起幫助人們改變了對婚禮籌備習慣的認知。他說，以前人們認爲在網上發預請帖會顯得很小氣，但現在大家都接受了這種做法。

In fact, it's so widely accepted that some well-known designers have started creating electronic save-the-dates. , an e-greeting card website, offers more than 500 different virtual save-the-dates, and some were designed by Kate Spade New York and Oscar de la Renta, among others. Last year, the site emailed 3 million wedding save-the-dates, says its CEO, James Hirschfeld. Many of the designs are free, while some incur a small fee for a virtual envelope and liner. Another popular free e-card site, , sent out 2.6 million save-the-date invitations in 2013, says its editorial director, Marilyn Oliveira. Among the more than 95,000 save-the-date events sent via Evite, Los Angeles, Houston, New York, Chicago and Atlanta were the top five mailers last year.
實際上，在網上發預請帖確實已被廣泛地接受，甚至有一些知名的設計師也開始製作電子預請帖。電子賀卡網站上有超過500種的虛擬預請帖，其中一些設計出自Kate Spade New York和Oscar de la Renta等知名品牌之手。首席執行長詹姆士·赫希菲爾德(James Hirschfeld)說，去年網站共發送出300萬份婚禮預請帖。許多請帖的設計是免費的，但虛擬的信封和封套需要花點錢。另外一家熱門的電子賀卡網站，其網站編輯部主任瑪麗蓮·奧利維拉(Marilyn Oliveira)說，在2013年他們共發送了260萬份預請帖。共有95,000場儀式的預請帖是通過Evite發送的，使用數最多的前五個城市是洛杉磯、休斯頓、紐約、芝加哥和亞特蘭大。

Get married in the off-season
選擇淡季辦婚禮

Traditionally, the demand is high for summer weddings, as are the costs. Venues, bakers, caterers, florists and planners may all charge more during the peak season because their time and services are so stretched. Thus, couples can easily save thousands by getting married when these services aren't in high demand. For example, booking a reception at a venue (particularly in cold-weather states) in the fall when they have more vacancies makes it easier to negotiate a lower price -- and it can help you land the ceremony date of your choice.
傳統上夏季是婚禮的旺季，成本因此也很高。對於婚禮場地、烘焙店、酒席承辦方、鮮花店和婚禮策劃公司而言，它們的服務在旺季的時候會供不應求，費用自然也會收得更高。因此，如果新人們選擇在淡季舉行婚禮，就可以輕鬆省下數千美元。比如，可以定製一場秋季婚禮（特別是在天氣寒冷的州），這時婚禮場地會有更多的空檔，更容易爭取到較低的價格，而且還有助你選到自己喜歡的大婚日子。

Consequently, fall weddings are growing even more popular, as 32% of couples chose the season, says. So while June weddings still reign supreme -- 291,000 June weddings took place in 2013 -- September has become the second-most popular month to get hitched, according to . Even October dates are more attractive than April, May and July.
結果是，秋季婚禮正變得越來越流行，據稱，有32%的新人選擇了秋季辦婚宴。據稱，雖然六月婚禮依然是絕對的主力軍—2013年六月婚禮數量達到了291,000場，但九月份已經成爲了第二受歡迎的婚禮月份。甚至10月份也比四月、五月和七月對新人更有吸引力。

But off-season weddings aren't the only way to save, says Wendy Kidd, the vice president of the American Association of Certified Wedding Planners. More couples are also opting for Friday ceremonies rather than Saturday or Sunday. While a weekday wedding makes it more difficult for cross-country guests to attend, it's a clear money saver, she says. Take the Indian Pond Country Club, which is located 35 miles outside of Boston, and is a reoccurring best pick by . The club charges $6,000 less for Friday peak-season receptions ($11,000) compared with Saturday receptions ($17,000) in its 500-guest-capacity grand ballroom. Similarly, Friday receptions in the off-season, which runs from Nov. 1 to April 30, cost $8,000 -- compared with $12,500 for off-season Saturday receptions.
但美國持證婚禮策劃師協會(American Association of Certified Wedding Planner)的副總裁溫迪·基德(Wendy Kidd)說，淡季婚禮也並非省錢的唯一辦法。許多夫妻還會選擇週五而不是週六或週日舉行婚禮。她說，雖然在工作日舉行婚禮會讓外地的親朋好友做難，但這顯然是省錢的好辦法。以波士頓郊外35英里的印第安池塘鄉村俱樂部(Indian Pond Country Club)爲例，它曾多次被評爲最受歡迎婚禮場地。它能容納500人的大宴會廳對旺季週五婚禮的報價是11,000美元，比周六報價17,000美元少了整整6,000美元；同樣，在11月1日至4月30日的淡季期間，週五婚禮價格是8,000美元，到了週六就得要12,500了。Trade in a cake for cupcakes
大蛋糕換成紙託蛋糕

A spectacular wedding cake with fondant flowers dusted in gold, scalloped edges -- or whatever your Pinterest board inspired you to do -- can get pretty costly. The average wedding cake costs nearly $500, and while it's only a sliver of the total wedding cost, one in five couples spend more than that, even upwards of $1,000 on dessert, according to . So don't let the price of a wedding cake take , you know.
翻糖花點綴、扇形金色鑲邊的婚禮大蛋糕（上面還可以加上任何你靈感迸發想出其他好玩意），會花掉你的一大筆錢。據稱，婚禮蛋糕的平均價格接近500美元，雖然這只是婚禮總開銷的九牛一毛，但每五對夫妻中就會有一對夫妻在甜點上的花銷要遠遠超過這個價格，甚至達到了1,000美元。所以，不要讓婚禮蛋糕的花費太那個什麼了…你懂的。

The cost of a cake is calculated per slice, and can range from a few dollars to $15 a slice, reports . And don't forget about the delivery fee and cutting fee. While it's best to have the baker deliver the cake themselves because they're the experts, the cutting fee goes to the vendor when you don't use an in-house baker. The cutting fee ranges from $2 to $5 per slice for cutting, serving, and cleaning up afterward. To avoid those pesky fees and save on the overall expense, many couples have turned to cupcakes. (But some couples also prefer cupcakes because it's the trendy thing to do.) After all, they're just mini cakes in disguise. You can mix-and-match different flavors to suit your guests' varying taste buds. Plus, you'll save on the baker's end, as assembly and design time are minimal for cupcakes.
稱，蛋糕的價格是按塊來計算的，每塊從幾美元到15美元不等。不過，別忘了還有運輸費和切分費用。既然烘焙店是專業做這個的，最好還是讓烘焙店自己送蛋糕，不過，如果你沒有用內部的烘焙坊，還得支付給賣家切分費。蛋糕切分費從每塊2美元至5美元不等，包括切分、餐服和之後的清理。爲了省掉這塊麻煩的費用，降低總體的婚禮開銷，許多夫妻轉而使用紙託蛋糕。（不過還有一些夫妻是爲了趕時髦而使用杯託蛋糕）。畢竟，它們不過是裝扮了的迷你蛋糕。你可以根據賓客們的不同口味提供各種風味的蛋糕，另外，這還能讓你省了烘焙方面的成本，因爲紙託蛋糕裝配和設計的時間是最短的。

Live stream the ceremony
消減儀式規模

Today, the average wedding has 131 guests, and the price per head is $192. So many couples have started to keep the nuptial costs down by limiting the guest list. In fact, since peaking at an average of 184 guests in 2006, the figure has been on a steady decline, dropping 29% over the last seven years. To accommodate those who were axed, or who simply can't make the trip, couples have started broadcasting their weddings like the royals themselves. Last year, nearly 20,000 weddings were broadcast over , the largest live-video streaming platform. is well-known for streaming everything from zoo-animal births to space walks, but in the past year alone it's seen a 250% rise in wedding streams, says spokeswoman Joellen Ferrer. 'It's been an interesting phenomenon,' Ferrer says. 'More people are looking at this technology to bridge the gap and allow family to attend an event when they physically can't be there.'
如今一場婚禮邀請的賓客數量平均爲131名、新人們在每位賓客身上的花費是192美元。因此，許多夫妻開始通過限制賓客數量來降低婚禮開銷。事實上，自從2006年每場婚禮平均的賓客數達到了184位的最高值之後，這個數字一直在穩步下降，在過去七年累計下跌了29%。爲了照顧那些被從名單上砍掉的賓客、和那些無法到場的親朋好友，新人們開始像皇家婚禮一樣直播自己的婚禮過程。去年，有近20,000場婚禮登上了最大的視頻直播流媒體平臺。本來是以傳播從動物園動物產子到太空漫步等各類視頻而出名，但網站發言人喬倫·費勒說(Joellen Ferrer)說，光去年一年，其婚禮視頻的數量就增長了250%。費勒說，這是一個有趣的現象，有越來越多的人用流媒體來拉近彼此的距離，讓不能親身到場的親朋好友也能參與其中。

charges $99 a month for its ad-free-pro-silver plan, which enables couples to live stream their wedding ceremony via a mobile device, webcam, or other compatible device for friends and family not in attendance -- essentially saving the couple $9,600 or more for 50 virtual guests. They can then download the saved video file to a hard drive as a keepsake, or store it on the Ustream cloud for $15 a month if they cancel the pro-silver subscription plan.
的無廣告專業銀套餐計劃每月收費99美元。購買這個套餐後，新人們可以通過手持設備、網絡攝像頭或者其他兼容設備爲不能到場的親朋好友直播婚典盛況，這無形中爲新人們省去了50位虛擬客人9,600美元以上的費用。他們之後可以把存好的視頻下載到硬盤上留作紀念，也可以直接存在Ustream的雲端，但如果他們停止使用專業銀套餐計劃，每月要支付15美元的存儲費。

Opt for something borrowed
考慮購買“二手婚禮”

If tacking small sections of the budget isn't enough, some couples are forgoing wedding planning altogether -- only not in the way you think. They aren't eloping to save money, but are purchasing the actual wedding (catering, venue, and all) from other couples who cancel their weddings and don't want to foot the bill. With 270,000 (13%) of couples cancelling their weddings each year -- or an estimated $6.8 billion dollars down the proverbial drain -- it's potentially a lucrative enterprise as wedding insurance doesn't cover everything, some industry insiders say.
一些夫妻嫌從小處省錢還不夠，還會考慮放棄整個婚禮籌備——只是方式並非和你想的一樣。他們不是爲了省錢而私奔，而是要從那些取消婚禮、而又不想付賬的夫妻那裏把婚禮整個買下來（包括酒席、場地等等）。每年有270,000對（佔13%）夫妻取消婚禮，估計要白白浪費掉68億美元，一些婚慶業內人士說，這是一項潛在的賺錢大買賣，因爲婚禮保險並不覆蓋所有的東西。

Subsequently, bridal brokerage websites have emerged to help put some of that money back into the hands of the jilted ex-couples. , a fledging wedding brokerage site, boasts that its registrants have a cumulative budget of $50 million that needs to be spent in the next six months, according to its CEO, Peter K. Ulrich. Recently, the website brokered a deal for a fully-paid wedding in Maryland discounted by 70% (where the average wedding costs $32,600, according to ). 'The more expensive it is, the better deals you can get,' Ulrich says. 'The buyers just expect a good deal, and that's what we're trying to do; we saw a way to solve a problem so no one loses.'
幫助這些取消婚禮的前夫妻們挽回部分經濟損失的婚禮中介網站應運而生。就是一家新興的婚禮中介網站，據網站首席執行長彼得·k·烏爾裏希(Peter K. Ulrich)說，在其網站上登記的用戶有累計5,000萬美元的婚禮預算要在未來六個月消化掉。最近，這個網站促成了一單交易，把馬里蘭州一場全額支付的婚禮以七折的價格轉賣給了另外一對夫妻。（據稱，當地婚禮的平均費用是32,600美元。）烏爾裏希說，婚禮費用越高，你能拿到的折扣就越大。買家們就想買到便宜的婚禮，這也是我們努力的方向，我們找到了一種皆大歡喜的方式解決大家的問題。

These websites broker deals by acting as the point-of-contact entity between the wedding cancelers and prospective buyers while maintaining each couple's privacy. For example, when a couple cancels their wedding, they enlist a broker's help to list their 'pre-packaged wedding' on the broker's canceled weddings website. Then, another couple can reserve the package by taking over the first couple's contracts with the vendors and by paying any remaining fees. Thereby, they've accepted financial responsibility for a wedding they never planned, but will still participate in at half the cost.
這些網站充當了婚禮取消方和婚禮潛在買家之間聯絡的橋樑，同時還要保守每對夫妻的隱私。比如，當一對夫妻要取消婚禮時，他們會請來中介幫助他們把“婚禮全套裝”在中介的婚禮取消網站上掛牌銷售。之後，另一對夫妻可以從婚禮服務提供方那裏把第一對夫妻的合同轉簽過來，並支付剩餘未支付的費用，從而定下這個“婚禮全套裝”。這樣一來，他們就要承擔一場不是他們自己策劃的婚禮的所有費用，不過金額可能只有原價的一半。