The Sponsored Wedding
Sponsored weddings are one of the big buzzwords in the wedding industry. Taken to the extreme by Star Jones at her nuptials, there are both upsides and downsides in having a sponsored wedding. There is also more than one way to throw a sponsored wedding, you can have control over which parts of the wedding feature advertisements and which do not.
Sponsored Wedding Defined: A sponsored wedding is an event where the costs incurred by the wedding on the couple are offset somewhat (and sometimes totally) by allowing a business to advertise their services during the wedding. Businesses benefit from the arrangement by getting their message and their products out to a large group of people in one shot, at much less cost than would be incurred through standard advertising (it's a bit like how major designers will donate dresses to A list actresses at the Oscars). The couple stands to gain by having some or all of the services reduced in price because they allowed the company name to appear at their wedding.
The Downside of the Sponsored Wedding: The major downside of the sponsored wedding is that to some people, it may appear tacky. However, a wedding is a time when individuals should show off their taste and style, and the odds are pretty good that most of your guests will think that having a sponsored wedding is a good idea given the expensive realities of today's proceedings. It is true that some sponsored weddings ARE tacky, again witness the Star Jones wedding. Not all of the advertising has to be inescapable, though.
Avoiding Tackiness: The word sponsored conjures up a certain image in the minds of most people. Most of the time, the image is an annoying one like having an important sports event on television interrupted by some guy with a deep voice saying "This penalty shot brought to you by Clean Guy Hair Removal Sytems" while dancing cans of shaving cream cavort. Having a sponsored wedding does not mean that you have to have a Pepsi machine in the lobby of the wedding venue or a giant hot dog up on the stage.
Instead, think small. Ask your florist if you can receive a lowered price if you allow them to place a label on the arrangements at the reception tables. Car dealerships and businesses are always looking to advertise, so approach them before you wedding to see if they will give you a cool car for the day for free in order to advertise their services; wedding convoys attract a lot of attention, and it really amounts to free advertising for the company.
Set Limits for your Vendors: Most vendors today are pretty spoiled when it comes to advertising. Car dealerships hand out license plate covers with their name on them, athletic goods companies actually make people pay to advertise their brand when they buy a Nike shirt. Businesses that cater to weddings are no exception. Don't be afraid to tell your photographer that under no circumstances is she to hand out business cards to your guests, or divulge company information. Make the same things clear to your florists and to your DJ. Most service providers count on being able to grow their businesses through informal advertising, and although this comes at no cost to you at your wedding, you might be able to take advantage of it. Remember, this is your wedding and these are your guests. Why should you pay so the vendors can advertise for free? Write these conditions down in a contract, and the odds are that most vendors will offer a discounted rate in exchange for the ability to promote their business.
Sponsored weddings don't have to be in your face affairs. In fact, being too over the top is one way that the sponsored wedding has received a bad name. Try to keep the advertisements contained and tasteful, and there should be no problem with using this method to help pay the costs of the big day.
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