SCHUYLKILL HAVEN, Pa. — For bride-to-be Grace Rice, wedding planning is nothing like she imagined it to be. After saying yes, Rice and her fiancée from New Ringgold have been saving every penny to pull off their fairytale wedding.
But trying to stay on budget has encouraged them to find other solutions to cut down costs.
"We have family friends that are DJs; we have family friends that are caterers, so we're utilizing them to save some money towards our wedding," Rice said.
One thing Rice didn't want to compromise on was her dream dress.
Lindsay Giammaresi, the owner of Gia Bridal and Formal, says many of the brides who walk through her doors face similar issues when thinking about what they will wear on their big day.
"It's a big purchase. It's an important purchase, and we want them to know they get a great value for their wedding, but they also have that plan in place for how they're going to pay for it, and that is not a weight on them," she said.
Giammaresi is doing more than creating payment plans to help ease the financial burdens on the brides. She is working in tandem with Juliette's Bridal Shop and The White Pear.
Nanette Del Valle, The White Pear's owner, says they all share the same goal of helping brides stay on budget while staying local in Schuylkill County for their wedding needs.
"They don't have to go to Philadelphia to look for a dress. We have three formal/bridal stores in the area and dresses that can match their budget," she said.
While looking online, Rice's dream dress was over her budget, and she wasn't sure how she could afford it.
"The inspiration picture I had when I came in here for Lindsay was over $5,000, and she found it for me for $1,600," Rice explained.
Even though her wedding isn't till next October, Rice's dress is almost paid off, a huge weight off her shoulders.
"Pretty much every dress in here was in my budget. So, it made it so much better going to a local business that was a lower cost for wedding dresses," she said.