Reported on Sept. 26, 2009

At the River Room Restaurant, overlooking the Hudson River in West Harlem, the wine is flowing, cupcakes are aplenty, and  close to 100 mothers, bridesmaids and brides-to-be, are making sure their wedding-day dreams won’t break the bank.

Tiffany Daniels signs up for some beauty tips and tricks for her upcoming wedding at the Harlem Wedding Show, Sept. 26, 2009. Photo: Stephanie Marcus

Nicky Mayers, 41, is responsible for The Harlem Wedding Show; a biannual showcase where New York brides can find everything under one roof. For the last two years Mayers, and her company Harlem Weddings have organized the event; attracting more than 20 vendors from all five boroughs and beyond. And at Saturday’s event, wedding expenses in the midst of a recession was on everyone’s minds.

“There has been a drastic change,” said Mayers. “Brides are spending the same amount of money, however they are extending their planning period so they can save the money.”

Mayers said that instead of planning a wedding in 12 months she is seeing couples postponing their engagements to 24 months.

The Knot Inc.’s survey of 18,000 couples married in 2008, released last week, found that the average national cost of a wedding was $29,334. In today’s economy Mayers said for her clients she’s seen that average cost drop to a low of $25,000.

That’s precisely the budget Therese Trapp has. The 33-year-old mother of one who works for the New York City Department of Transportation has been engaged for the past three years, and her wedding is set for July 2011.

“I’m trying to lock in the prices at this time. Plus they say it’s better to plan early, so when I get close to the time I have nothing to do,” she said.

Trapp is expecting 300 guests and is doing what she can to cut costs. ”I’m going to do my own flowers, and I may do my own centerpieces,” she said.

Mayers said more brides are getting creative to save money. ”They are creating a lot of their own invitations, a lot of their own programs to save costs.”

But planning a wedding can be a job in itself, and the role of the wedding planner has changed with the economy. Mayers said that couples are less frequently hiring planners to hold the bride’s hand throughout the entire process, and instead only hiring someone to make sure the day itself goes smoothly.

Melissa Marks,  29, a public school teacher from Harlem, has her wedding set for next September. She isn’t sure whether she’ll use a wedding planner.

“If working with a planner is cost effective then I will, but if not and I can get things done on my own then I will,” she said.

But Colette Brantley, owner of Friend To The Bride, a New Jersey-based wedding planning company, urges brides-to-be to at least hire someone to take care of the wedding day.

“People are trying to save money, the reality is that we all have to be a little more conservative,” she said. “But you need a consultant for the day of.”

Brantley, who charges between $65 and $70 an hour for day-of-planning services, or $2,600 for complete planning from start to finish, said she is all for helping couples keep some of their cash for marital life.

Bernadette Saunders agreed that couples needed to realistically spend within their means. As the owner of the Queens-based Kairos Moment Wedding and Event Planners, her services start at $2,000. She was one of the  highlight of the show offering spend-thrift advice during her workshop.

The Harlem Wedding Show from Stephanie Marcus on Vimeo.

“I don’t want anyone going home and eating peanut butter and jelly for a year,” she said. “A lot of the time we forget that you aren’t just planning for the day, you planning for the rest of your life.”