After 50 years in the Wedding industry it's easy for us to conclude that services offered and touted by that industry are often misrepresented, not cost efficient, nor are actually in the best interest of the Bride and Groom.

A Formal Wedding often plays on the heart strings of the parents with Tunes of "It's your only daughter" or "It's a once in a life time experience." A Four thousand dollar wedding dress has purpose. It smoothes the path in making a 600 or 800 dollar gown a bargain . The tab is even less palatable when swirled in 49.95 toasting glasses. And don't forget to sign your check with that 14.99 chicken feather glued on a 15 cent ballpoint pen.

It was a art form. Wall Street Advertising, creating a need for a product not off the drafting table. But that's all been replaced by shear consumerism, shopAholics, and Annihilation of the value of the dollar.

There was also a time when the costs for excessive non- essential attire, champagne, orchids from Hawaii type wedding really took it's toll on a marriage. I only mention this because 87% of marriages that fail during the first year , are blamed on financial problems. Expenses often created by the wedding.

This read was to inform on how to keep you from wasting money. Actually save you thousands on the cost of a wedding. But I can see the folly in presenting it to someone sucking on their second $1.69 BIG GULP of the day Run the numbers on a cigarette smoking couple. It tops $2,500 per year. And FACT, no one that has had a big blow out wedding, the whole 9 yards does it twice. They did learn something. To quote several , "NOPE , been there, done that, not again, thank you."

It's this theme that is a cornerstone of the Little Bell Wedding Chapel. We re-invented wedding services 25 years ago. Since then every wedding monger and every Bed & Breakfast has gotten into the chapel business. Honestly some aren't more than lawn mower sheds on some one's patio and there are some nice places, but in spite of their artificial water falls and casino style decor they can not duplicate our actual wedding service. They can't afford to. They will not take the time, they need the volume. Extra guests they sure charge more for that. We don't , the more the merrier, the saying goes. 50 / 75 guests no problem and no extra charge, (ask for the big gulp discount.) The bank next door says it's ok to use their lot for parking. Hurrah for Bank of the Ozarks.