Gown Hire Monopoly! Discrace!

BigBouncyBall

Any other graduates appauled at the monopoly gown hire companies have over hat and gown hire for ceremonies?

I think its a discrace the prices they charge - then pile on the photos and DVDs, meal out in the evening, and possibly a hotel too, and it all becomes a very expensive day.

Whats more i've just discovered the company i have to hire from deal in FUR! - Some graduates (PhDs i think) have to wear a fur wrap thing - I'm irritated but have no options - or do i?

Thoughts?

Gingernutmeg

What annoys me is nowhere does it actually say how much it costs to hire the gown until you've actually got to the point of ordering it (if anyone can give me any pointers I'd be grateful, otherwise this months budget is shot lol). I can in a way understand why you're told to go to a certain company - it wouldn't look good if everyone had different gowns on - but it feels like another way for your uni to get money out of you, as if they haven't had enough already ... It also annoys me about the fur issue, but again you're not really given a choice. That's frustrating.

Photos are so expensive! I was really shocked when I got the information from my uni - even the cheapest package is over £100! I won't be bothering with those lol. Nor the DVD ... it's filmed by my uni's TV department which means it'll be done on three mobile phones lol. Oh well, at least we get free parking at the graduation venue :rolleyes:

BigBouncyBall

I'm not even sure we get free parking! lol! I wonder what cut the univeristy get from the gown hire etc - i'll never forget what my VC said to us on our first day of university - "You're no longer at school - this is a place of business first and foremost" - How true!

djw1cked

My uni uses

https://www.gownhire.co.uk

and on that website the photo package (with family photos aswell) costs 54pounds and the gown hire is around £36 pounds so came up to around hundred pounds.

pinkfluffybabe

It is a really expensive day. Some Uni's also charge for tickets for your guests. I think you can choose not to wear a gown, it isn't mandatory but depends how you would feel that everyone else was wearing one and you weren't.

The photo's are really expensive, yes. Depends if you have a decent photographer/camera in your family who can do good pics for you. If you aren't bothered by the big official picture holding the fake scroll, then don't bother.

I was lucky that my parents paid for my graduation really.

Martin! Any chance of an article on a MoneySaving Graduation??

BigBouncyBall

the "great cheap graduation hunt"! I like it.

aurora_borealis_2

I'm supposed to graduate for my PhD in July. The cost of it (and the time since it was all over) is putting me off completely. I haven't accepted the invitation as yet, and I don't think I will.

Oldernotwiser

Perhaps comparing the costs with what people would pay for a wedding might put it in perspective?

BigBouncyBall

interesting angle. However at least with weddings you can shop around and find the best prices. This is a no-option deal.

melancholly

you should be given the option to have a hood not made of fur (I was when I graduated) - lots of people objected in my year and used a fake fur one. our gown wearing was mandatory - and i needed a black suit (and obviously i didn't have one and had to buy one) and closed toe black shoes. oh - and my hair was not allowed to be a bright colour!!

avoid the photo scam by going to somewhere pretty in the uni and taking photos there - grab someone there to take it or go with another familiy. the photos will be nicer without the fake background anyway!

do people want to post what their uni charges for graduation are? the only way to get some of them to make it less expensive is to provide them with a list of how much they're overcharging! (although now they'll all just be stupidly expensive!).

Broke_Student

What is the cost of actually buying the gown outfit? I just thought that you could possibly buy the gown out and have your 'fake scroll' photo done back home. You could save £80ish to offset the cost of the gown?