Published: April 06, 2009 02:18 am      

ECONOMY: As cash, credit tighten so too have wedding budgets

North Tonawanda, NY — Money’s tight, but since that won’t stop people from getting married brides-to-be have become bigger bargain hunters than ever.

That’s good news for Mia Salvaggio, owner of The Wedding Agent, who specializes in getting her customers their rental items and wedding accessories at a discount. The last year’s success helped her move the store to a larger space at 3757 Delaware Ave., closer to the thruway and right next door to a bakery and florist.

“We quadrupled our business last year,” Salvaggio said. “That’s a dead-on figure.”

If anything, bridal shows are attracting more women than before, all in search of the perfect price in addition to the perfect dress. Salvaggio said offering the cheapest chair covers in town and discounted room lighting rentals has helped her net much of her business, but the shop is fairly full service. In one stop, people can order invitations, cake servers, candles, champagne flutes, a tiara (if that’s her thing) and plenty of other things to customize the occasion.

“We have a lot of things nobody locally offers,” Salvaggio said. “There are custom-made cake toppers and different inventory books than anyone else. We have some very unique items.”

The shorter list is what the shop doesn’t offer, including the dress, the flowers and the cake. But next door, at Sweet Beginnings Bakery, the soon-to-be-hitched can indulge a sweet tooth while picking their wedding day pastry. Jamie Wells, who owns the bakery with her husband, said she’s seen some changes in the way people are shopping for their cakes and the times they’re buying them. Part of that is a trimming of the guest list, which Wells said has gone down on average to 120-150 people. Less mouths to feed means less cake, but not skimping on the quality.

“Big cakes may be out of style, but they still want elegance,” Wells said.

And while other traditions like church weddings and limo rides may have lost some of their monopoly on the wedding market, there’s no reception without a cake. The sweet treat costs between $350 to $450, but that price includes delivery and setup.

When those cakes are going out has changed a little recently, with more weddings scheduled for fall than summer. Wells said people are even booking weddings in the chilly winter months since its often cheaper to reserve space during the slower winter months.

“People aren’t afraid to get married in the snow,” Wells said. “It’s Buffalo.”

Salvaggio said her shop is putting together weddings year round, with an average guest list of 150-175. But some people are still putting together extravagant productions, especially when that’s a big part of their culture.

“I just had somebody call for 500 people at Kleinhans,” Salvaggio said.

While she said traditional luxury shops might be struggling, Salvaggio is looking to hire 10-15 more employees to augment her current six-person staff. The group varies in age from 18 to 50 and come from all different backgrounds. The quality they share, she said, is they’re energetic hard workers who fit into her non-traditional shop’s atmosphere.

“When you walk into a lot of wedding places, it feels like a funeral home,” Salvaggio said.

Instead of white and pale pink, The Wedding Agent’s color scheme is black and purple. That carries all the way to the sign, which is designed to catch the eye of people whether they’re getting married or not. Since brides are (hopefully) not repeat customers, Salvaggio said it’s important to make a lasting impression and provide a good experience. Combined with the prices the shop offers, she’s confident that this year and the next will continue the streak of good luck she’s had, despite the hard times.

“If the business is out there, we’ll get it,” Salvaggio said.