Getting married these days isn’t just about saying “I do.” It’s also saying yes to spreadsheets, supplier negotiations, and an accidental minor in macroeconomics—because love may be priceless, but weddings most certainly are not.
For Millennial and Gen Z couples, the road to the altar often makes a strategic detour through a savings account. Marriage is postponed to the late 20s or early 30s, not for lack of romance, but for a far more pragmatic reason: cash flow. There’s the dress, the lights, the flowers, and, of course, the carefully curated Instagram moments. Love can wait. Down payments cannot.
Enter the bridal fair industry: Cupid, now armed with a calculator.
At the SMX alone, one events organizer has lined up at least four bridal fairs throughout the year—January, May, July, and November—each promising couples the modern wedding holy grail: value for money.
Part trade show, part fantasy camp, these fairs bundle dreams into neat packages, where discounts feel almost flirtatious and commitment comes with a price tag.
Behind the booths are entrepreneurs like Trish Garcia, a licensed dietitian who swapped hospital corridors for exhibition halls to support her husband, Abe, the owner of BlackBox, a light and sound service provider.
Garcia says the career pivot—born of necessity—paid off, especially when fueled by passion. Their services start at P45,000 for a basic setup and can climb into the millions for elaborate productions, including, in one unforgettable case, a hydraulic stage. Because nothing quite says eternal devotion like romance that defies gravity.
“We can do more, but we limit ourselves to four events a day to keep the quality high,” Garcia said. Each event requires a crew of about two dozen people working a full 24-hour cycle, from setup to teardown—a small army mobilized in the name of matrimony, marching to the rhythm of wedding bells and subwoofers.
“If you love what you do, it isn’t tiring,” she added. “It’s truly rewarding.”
That belief is echoed by couples like Jasper Cuballes, 29, and his fiancée, Charmae Carambas, 28, who are set to marry in May following a proposal last June.
Finding suppliers that fit both their vision and their budget has already taken them to three bridal fairs, with more likely before they walk down the aisle.
From catering and venues to photo booths, shoes, grazing tables, coordinators, hosts, and wedding singers—or bands, or DJs—every choice must be weighed, priced, and balanced.
And perhaps that is the real return on investment.
In an industry governed by budgets and balance sheets, weddings remain a peculiar economy where emotion drives spending, spreadsheets chase sentiment, and everyone involved—from couples to crew—buys into the same enduring idea: that love, when done right, is worth every cent.
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