Dedicated to my MamaRita / Just as beautiful in that green bottle as she was here on Earth. Clients would ask me, “Do you recommend a videographer if it’s not in our budget?” and I always said, “I did not have one and I do not regret that decision!” But then January 28th, 2021 happened. And I ate my words. How much did videographers cost back then? Maybe $2-$5K? If I could go back in time and pay $15K, I would have. Sure, there’s a budget. Sure, we put our ENTIRE wedding on credit cards because we had to pay for it ourselves. But once someone is no longer with you, you can’t put a price on the memories you can’t relive over and over again when you’re grieving their loss. We got married August 1st, 2014. It was the last time our ENTIRE family was together under one roof. Since then some of us had kids, there were divorces, there were falling outs, people moved out of the country, cancer, some people weren’t mobile enough to travel, COVID happened. I never stopped on the day of my wedding and thought, “this will be the last time your entire family will be together and everyone will get along and be nothing but happy.” Come 2015, I was pregnant and my mom was diagnosed with cancer. In 2016, I suffered from severe post partum anxiety, thyroid diagnoses, and my mom had to have a kidney removed from her cancer. Two years before this we were all generally healthy and danced at our wedding ALL. NIGHT. LONG. In fact, my biggest regret at the time was that I did not get off the dance floor once and I did not even meet some of my husband’s family! Flash forward to today, it became one of the best decisions and memories I could ever hold space for. My mom danced her ASS off at our wedding. In fact, I didn’t get off of the dance floor because she did not get off of the dance floor. My parents were married for 52 years when she passed and they met in June of 1968 because my dad asked her to dance. It took me a month after my mom passing to realize I did not have ONE video of her, period. ​Long story short, when her kidney was removed they told her there was a chance it would come back and metastasize. Five years later, almost to the day, it did. She hid it from all of us for 10 months. When she was at the “30 days or less mark” she lost her balance and went to the hospital since she hit her head. That’s when they told her (and we found out) that the cancer had spread through her entire body and metastasized to three lesions on her brain. That was December 22, 2020. ​I finally got to see her after a few challenges and the last day I ever saw my mom alive was January 19th, 2021. When I flew into town, she was hospitalized, not able to walk, and about to be discharged for home hospice. I stayed awake for 33 hours straight alone at her besides, due to COVID regulations. I did not want to close my eyes and sleep and miss out on one more chance to be with her. I watched her sleep the entire time, also while recorded voice notes of us talking. We talked about my weddings and how she said it was one of the best nights of her life and she just loved to dance non-stop all night long. I still can’t even listen to that voice note I recorded. Had I hired a videographer, I fully believe that I would be watching it non-stop, on repeat, every day since she passed on January 28, 2021. ​Life is short and tomorrow is not guaranteed. Whether someone’s health is declining or a family member’s health is absolutely perfect, you will still want recorded memories of the happy times; ESPECIALLY to get you through the trenches of grief. I didn’t hire a videographer. If I could go back in time, I would have fit that into my budget or taken out a new credit card. Right now I would pay ten grand to have my mom at my wedding, on video. So book yourselves a videographer, don’t do it because I told you so… Do it for my MamaRita. The sunrise on the morning of January 28th, after her passing at 3:31` AM. ​July 11th, 1944 - January 28th, 2021 Now go hug your mom and tell her you love her, then book your videographer.

Vendor Contributions: Photography: Moodyography | Planning: Ashley Nicole Affair | Venue: The Mansion (Texas Federation of Women's Clubs) | Florist: White's Floral | Hair/MUA: Bridal Beauty Austin | Catering + Bar: Royal Fig | Rentals: Festoon | Baker/Cake: Cakes Rock!!! | DJ: Premier Entertainment Group | Videography: PhotoHouse Films | Poet: Epic Entertainment | Transportation: Drippery Tours | Hotels: Jennifer's Gardens + The Otis

Vendor Contribution: Photography: Tim Waters | Planning: Ashley Nicole Affair | Venue: Morgan Creek Barn | Florist: White's Floral Design | Hair/Makeup: Think Brink Beauty | Catering; Chuy's | Baker/Cake: Cakes ROCK!!! | DJ: Premier Entertainment Group | Videography: Cloud Craft Studios

Vendor Contributions: ​Photography: Dani Quiroz | Planning: Ashley Nicole Affair | Venue: Brodie Homestead | Florist: Exquisite Petals | Hair/MUA: Marisa Warren Artistry | Catering: Mi Paella | Baker/Cake: Cakes by Kathy | DJ + Videography: Hype Rhythm | Bartending: Austin's Elite Events | Photo Booth: Pixster

Vendor Contributions: Photography: Main Squeeze Photography | Planning: Ashley Nicole Affair | Venue: The Ivory Oak | Florist: Native Bloom | Hair & Makeup: Bonita Brides | DJ: Premier Entertainment Group | Catering: Royal Fig Catering | Calligraphy: Jen Krause Paper Co.

Photographer: Blue Elm Photography   @blueelmphotography_juanmedrano Venue: 800 Congress   @800congress Planner: Ashley Nicole Affair   @ashleynicoleaffair Florist: Fleur Affair   @fleuraffairco Hair/MUA: Mistique Makeup   @mistiquemakeup Catering: Sterling Events   @sterlingeventsaustin DJ: Made From Skratch   @madefromskratch Rentals: Premiere Events   @premiereeventstx

Vendor Contributions: Photography: Lane Parker Weddings | Planning + Photo Booth: Ashley Nicole Affair | Venue: Shiraz Garden | Florist + Rentals: Monarch Florals | Hair: Haley Thevenet | Makeup: Faith Cornett | Catering: Matt's El Rancho | Baker/Cake: Cakes ROCK!! | Bartending: We Tend Bar | Videography: Pro Visuals | DJ: DarKerSide DJs

View the Design "Look Book": Chelsea + Ian's Look Book (05) Vendor Contributions: Planning + Design: Ashley Nicole Affair | Photography: Feather & Twine | Venue: Umlauf Sculpture Garden | Florals: White's Floral Design | Catering + Bar: Rosemary's Catering | Hair & Makeup: Bonita Brides | Band: The Lost Pines | DJ: Premier Entertainment Group | Photo Booth: Ashley Nicole Affair | Transportation: 4 Leaf Limo | Calligraphy: Green Girl Design Co.

Planning: @ashleynicoleaffair Venue: @gareyhousegtx Photo/Video: @joshuaandparisa Hair/MU: @bonitabrides DJ: @anupi.c Florist: @lonestarbloom Catering: @Rosemaryscatering Cake: @sweettreetsbakery

Planning: @ashleynicoleaffair | Floral: @fleuraffairco | Venue: @therileybuilding | Photography: @mikaylacphotos | Photo Booth: @saycheese.photobooths | Catering: @pej_events | Bar: @aetreventstx | Cake: @sweettreetsbakery | DJ: @thepremieraustindjs | Hair/MU: @katyreddellbeauty | Getaway Car: @babybluesdrivesforyou

Getting engaged is one of the most sought after life goals, but for a lot of couples to be, the overwhelming and somewhat frustrating parts of wedding planning is the endless research resulting in stick shock on pricing. In 2021, we polled vetted, experienced, insured, notorious, and of course our favorite Austin wedding vendors to come up with the average cost of what a client would expect to spend for their products and services in 2022. Back by popular demand, we did a lot of research and are happy to share the results! We hope to put everything into perspective for those planning a wedding, as well as continuing to be a sounding board for our fellow vendors. From the local Austin wedding vendor community, we continue to strive and exceed our client's expectations and want to start by explaining the value in our products and services. BAND Bands provide the best live music, but most people don't know what all goes into running a professional musical ensemble. Factors you probably don't consider include, but are not limited to insurance, gas, tour bus or trailer storage and upkeep, marketing and advertising, website management, promotional photoshoots, performance videos, etc. They likely attend weekly rehearsals, monthly meetings, spend hours learning and memorizing new songs, and need to pay their agent fees. In order to stay up to date with the latest looks and sounds, bands must regularly update their audio and electrical equipment. Food, lodging, outfits, hair, makeup, the list goes on. There’s no doubt that musicians love their job - it shows, and you can feel the passion when they get on stage. $7,500 in 2021... Why the price increase? The overall cost of travel and price increase of Austin living justifies the price increase. CAKE It goes without saying that bakers are incredibly talented, patient, and artistic. Bakers spend a lot of time and consideration seeing that the client's vision is something they can make a reality. When it comes to the cake itself, they must plan, shop, prep, bake, design, decorate, deliver, set up, and clean up. And when it comes to running their business, they must perform admin duties such as communication, emailing, overseeing contracts, bookkeeping, managing inventory, etc. Wedding cakes are typically done by one person or a very small team. And just like anything else, the quality can vary depending on ingredients used and tools and machinery acquired. Kitchen equipment, prep space, refrigeration, ovens, and storage containers, all of these things can easily alter the price. $1,500 or $7 per person in 2021... Why the price increase? The overall increased price of products, such as butter, eggs, flavors have been the biggest factor to wedding cake price increases as well as packaging and paper products. Additionally, the inconsistency of suppliers and products as well as gas prices have forced up to raise delivery fees as well. CATERING Food is one of the most significant expenses at every wedding. If you decide to go with a full-service caterer, not only will you be in great hands knowing you’ve selected excellent food, but you can breathe easier knowing that the logistics will be taken care of for you. Catering sales managers and the talented culinary team spend a lot of time researching, strategizing, cooking, tasting, selecting ingredients, and writing menus. Because of the variety of food services to choose from, there are usually multiple menus that must be written. A culinary team includes chefs, sous chefs, line cooks, pastry chefs, dishwashers, and everyone in between. They often work 6 or 7 days a week, all hours of the day, prepping and preparing hundreds of dishes for events. Once the event arrives, transporting food for hundreds of people is quite the task. Besides the food, they must transport plates, utensils, serving utensils, serving trays, linens, heaters, platters, hot boxes, glassware, coolers, ice, trash cans, etc. Truckload after truckload, unloading, and reloading, the work never stops. Full-service catering teams provide all of the food, chinaware, glassware, etc. but also often set up the tables, chairs, and table settings. They set up the bar, the hors d’oeuvres, the beverage stations, dessert stations, the tables for the gifts, party favors, in addition to ceremony chairs. And with weddings, sticking to the timeline is everything. Once the event is over, the team must pack their supplies, tear down the setup, and take everything back to the base so all of the dishes can be cleaned and put away for the next event. Avoid additional rentals by having a full-service catering team who will provide everything you need. $75-100 per person... Why the price increase? Staffing shortages across the board (in both the kitchen and on the serving side) due to cost of living in Austin. The overall cost of food and products, as well as relying on suppliers and delivery of products on a weekly basis. DESSERTS A lot of labor and material costs go into individual gourmet desserts. One popular wedding dessert is the decorated sugar cookie. Did you know that one cookie can take between ten and fifteen minutes to decorate? Just ONE cookie! That’s only 4-6 cookies per hour, and most cookie orders are multiple dozens. That is a whole lot of time and labor that is put into meticulously decorating your wedding cookies. Whether or not you want to choose between a dessert station, just a cake, or both is definitely something to think about. Either way, don’t forget to thank your bakery for all the hard work and talent they put into creating your tasty desserts! $5 per person in 2021... Why the price increase? Product and packaging increases in the last two years have forced to raise prices on desserts, in addition to finding and affording pastries chef's in the Austin area due to cost of living. DJ The DJ does more than just play music. They are the emcee at your reception. They set the mood for every special moment, get people up on the dance floor, and keep the crowd entertained. They are responsible for making special announcements and keeping the party on a scheduled timeline. They also set up, test, and tear down their equipment, all while maintaining a level of professionalism that allows you to ease your mind so you can actually enjoy your reception. DJ’s invest several hours into the months, weeks, and days leading up to your wedding, customizing playlists to your requests and creating fun mixes. Behind the scenes, they are advertising, marketing, responding to leads, setting up appointments, contracts, deposits, bookkeeping, adding any final music requests, and updating a loosely scripted time-sheet for announcements. $1,500 in 2021... Why the price increase? The overall cost of travel to and from wedding venues and the cost of living in Austin. FLORIST Florals play a considerable part in your wedding day and should be one of the first things you factor into your budget. Because flowers are living plants with a timeline, there can be a lot of pressure to create the perfect design and get the timing just right so they will look their best. Florists spend hours designing looks, ordering flowers, processing flowers, assembling arrangements, transporting arrangements, and setting up and breaking down at each wedding. They make your vision a reality by creating the recipe for your dream design, calling wholesalers to check the availability of the flowers you are hoping for, and sourcing and securing additional decor. On many occasions, florists find themselves working 20+ hours leading up to your wedding day. There are also various supplies and to-do’s needed that add to the business costs like vases, refrigeration, advertising, marketing, responding to inquiries, and setting up design appointments. Florals include everything from bouquets, corsages, boutonnières, centerpieces, greenery, flowers for the ceremony site, additional flowers for the reception site, ice sculptures, buffet, bar, welcome tables, bouquet toss, and more. $5,000 in 2021... Why the price increase? Floral shortages is one of the biggest shortages in the wedding industry right now. The flower cost per stem has increased significantly due to high demand of weddings. Additionally wholesalers shipping costs have also increased as well as gas prices to deliver florals on wedding day. HAIR + MU It’s no secret that makeup and hair products and tools are expensive. Every item, every color, every brush, every spray, it all adds up quicker than imaginable. Now, imagine how many colors and tools you would need to accommodate multiple bridesmaids, mothers, and flower girls. A professional makeup kit is around $3,000, and a hair kit is $1,000. There are also business expenses just like every other business listed above. Insurance, gas, travel, licensing, continued education, general business expenses, etc. If you’ve ever gotten your hair and makeup professionally done, you know how much time goes into the look. Hours are spent blending the perfect colors, styling, applying lashes, clip-in hair extensions, veils, headpieces, all to create that picture-perfect wedding look, not just for your bride but the entire bridal party. Most brides want to see their wedding look before their big day, and a bridal trial is a request that can also add to the cost. But it is worth it to ensure that the perfect look will be created on the day of the wedding. $250 for the bride + $175 per bridesmaid in 2021... Why the price increase? Product costs in the hair and makeup industry has increased as well as maintaining on-going eduction and licensing for stylists have increased. Additionally, the overall cost of living in Austin and cost of gas. MUSICIANS Live music is a romantic and elegant touch to any wedding day. Whether it be for the ceremony, cocktail hour, or both, they know how to set a mood. Of course, there is the talent you are paying for, and more often than not, you want someone with a remarkable following. They have equipment considered the best of the best, take time to travel, time to set up, tear down, and put a lot of time into honing their skill and personalizing the songs that are important to the couple. $500 an hour in 2021... Why the price increase? The overall cost of living in Austin and increased gas prices to get musicians to and from wedding venue. OFFICIANT The cost of an officiant depends a lot on location and day. Mainly because they are just one person and there are only so many weddings an officiant can do in a day or on a weekend. Besides time spent doing administrative tasks, hours are spent investing entirely into the couple, learning about them, their story, their love, dreams of the future, traditions, vows, and any other extra customs specific to their ceremony. Officiants typically participate in the ceremony rehearsal the day before the wedding and act as the ringleader on the actual wedding day. Time, mileage, knowledge, research, and experience all play a part in the cost of an officiant. $500 in 2021... Why the price increase? Inflation and the increased cost of gas PHOTOGRAPHY Running a photography business is more than just an expensive hobby. Purchasing the newest gear and editing software is a high ticket price, but it’s one that a high-quality photographer isn’t going to go cheap with. The cost of the photographer is not just for the wedding day, it’s all of the hours of work that goes into before and after the “I Do’s.” Administrative labor, continued education, location scouting at the venue for those picture-perfect locations, all tasks that take time and effort. Photographers don’t just arrive with one camera; they have several. Not to mention a variety of lenses, lights, flashes, battery packs, and probably even a step-stool. They may even come with a second photographer. There is a lot of action on a wedding day and oftentimes, assistance is needed to set up lights between scenes, capture a wide range of reactions, and because one person can’t be two places at once, two photographers can. It can often take a photographer over 40 hours to edit the photos from your wedding. That’s an entire week of full time hours just to produce your final product. Photographers purchase high-end hard drives to back up their work because of the importance of your photos. Find a photographer who you like to be around and are comfortable with. Look at the work of multiple photographers to make sure you find the right one who fits your style. $5,000 in 2021... Why the price increase? The high demand of weddings and limited date availability as well as cost of supplies (album's, prints, USB's, galleries, etc) as well as gas prices and overall cost of living in Austin. PLANNING Most first-time brides can have a tendency to underestimate the value of a planner. There is a lot of time, passion, and behind-the-scenes work that takes place so miracles can happen. The relationship between you must be a trusting, cohesive one because they will be your right-hand man throughout the entire process. A planner spends countless hours answering emails, taking and making phone calls, conducting meetings, site visits, tastings, connecting with your vendors, putting together paperwork, navigating timelines, floor plans, and acting as a liaison between your family, friends, and guests. They will coordinate your rehearsal, assist the officiant with their speech, bustle your dress, plate up your dinner, keep you on your timeline, conduct your grand exit, pack up your belongings, and ensure your gifts make it home safely. After the end of your wedding, they have spent close to 100 hours just on your wedding alone! $2,500 in 2021... Why the price increase? Increased gas prices as planners are driving and attending several planning meetings, additional the rehearsal and wedding day. There's also an increased cost of living in Austin and most planners now. have limited date availability based on the high demand of weddings. PHOTO BOOTH Photo booths have become more and more popular. And because of the demand for the latest technology, it can be costly, but totally worth it. It’s all about creating a premium client experience beforehand and during the reception. There is a lot of high-end equipment that has to be purchased, taken care of, transported to and from reception venues, and let’s not forget the backup equipment just in case an accident strikes. There are also regular software updates and backups performed to protect files. A good quality photo booth company has dedicated staff on standby to set up, tear down, and troubleshoot as necessary. They can either set up your customized background in real life or as a backdrop on the camera. One of the fun things about photo booths is the pictures at the end. Whether they get printed right there for you or sent to your phone or email in moments, the delivery is almost instant, and it is something you and your guests can forever treasure. $1,000 in 2021... Why the price increase? Increase in labor costs, software and media shortages VENUE It’s no surprise that a weekend wedding is going to be more expensive than a weekday wedding. The season plays a significant role as well. A Saturday evening wedding is prime real estate. Most venues can only accommodate one wedding per day and time frame. So for the best experience possible for the happy couple, some must-haves include a good venue. These encompass maximum venue usage time, rental items such as tables and chairs, rental space for both ceremony and reception, cleanliness, and adequate amenities. Every venue is so different. Some include everything from bridal and groom suites, ceremony and reception spaces, and a venue manager. On the flip side, some venues don’t include anything; they strictly unlock and open doors. There is a large amount of overhead that goes into running and maintaining a venue. There are property taxes, rent, utilities, internet, landscaping, maintenance, insurance premiums, administrative duties, all of which must be paid regardless of if there are six weddings in a weekend or none at all. When there are events, there are additional costs such as venue cleaning, staff to set up and tear down tables, chairs, linens, and an on-site venue manager for the duration of the wedding. A venue isn’t just a building, it’s an experience. $7,250 in 2021... Why the price increase? Overall staffing shortages across the board, constant maintenance and updates to venue to keep up with all of the wear and tear due to high demand of weddings VIDEOGRAPHY Videographers will capture your wedding day in a big way - with real life action shots that include voices, sounds, music, laughter, cries, and cheers. Here are some of the items wrapped into a videographer's costs - insurance, music licensing, gear, computer systems, payment processors, software updates, data storage, travel costs, editing assistants, web designers, graphic designers, and shipping and packaging. Most will want to pay for a second videographer to help capture every moment you will want to remember. Not only will a videographer follow you and your guests around on your big day, but there are many hours spent afterward creating the film with the perfect soundtrack. Gear, cameras, tripods, lights, audio gear, microphones, audio recorders, even a drone are all packed up and brought with them to the event. Videographers approach their films with the same care and customization as a documentary film. They strategically piece together precious moments and memories that are personal, emotional, and raw to create a tailored film that is uniquely yours. $4,000 in 2021... Why the price increase? The high demand of weddings and limited date availability as well as cost of supplies (USB's, galleries, etc) as well as gas prices and overall cost of living in Austin. PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS: MOODYOGRAPHY | APRIL MAE CREATIVE | ERYN CHANDLER PHOTOGRAPHY | KEIRA HAND | MYLAH RENAE | TWO PAIR PHOTOGRAPHY

Featured on Boho Weddings and Rent My Wedding Magazine (pgs. 23-28) Planning: @ashleynicoleaffair | Floral: @remiandgold | Venue: @maesridge | Photography: @featherandtwine | Hair/MUA: @lolabeautyatx | Catering, Bar + Cake: @royalfigcatering | DJ: @thepremieraustindjs | Rentals: @festoontexas | Linens: @premiereeventsaustin | Musicians: @musicaldiscoveryaustin⁠