Sponsored Weddings?

This morning on MSN, I saw a newspiece about a couple (marketing excutives) who realized they couldn't afford the lavish wedding of their dreams (it clocked in at around $120,000) so they decided to sponsor their wedding. What exactly does that mean? Essentially, the bride and groom got different wedding vendors to pay for their wedding and returned the debt by advertising they were doing such. They got married during a minor-league baseball game, and one of their sponsors 1-800-Flowers.com gave out bouquets after the sixth inning and took care of all of their Wedding Arrangements. Also paid for; the bride's dress, their wedding bands, teeth whitening, alcohol (Smirnoff products, no less)...the one thing they couldn't find a sponsor for? Their honeymoon.

Is a sponsored wedding for you? Well, that depends. You'll probably have more luck if you live in a major metropolitan area for starters. The vendors will want to know that people are going to see that they did this, and be able to reap in the advertising. While the video makes it seem easy enough, its going to take a lot of tenacity, hard-work and the ability to handle rejection well in order to make it happen. And, you're going to have to do it big, and be noticed...and you'll have to decide if you really want all of that publicity for your wedding. It also may cause some tension among the family, as some will think its tacky, and others might not be as generous with their gifts because, why bother? Your wedding was paid for by someone else.

In the end, the odds of getting a sponsored wedding are relatively slim. But that doesn't mean it can't be done. But weigh the pros and cons, and consider that while your budget may be smaller, planning a "smaller" wedding in the end might be easier than trying to coordinate one to run perfectly during a baseball game.
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