Posts filed under ‘Tips on Planning Your Dream Wedding’
inspiration
99 days to go and I’m still looking for inspiration.
At first, I thought that the wedding planning would be a breeze as soon as we booked all the major suppliers. Unfortunately, I’ve proven myself wrong. 3 months to go and we have yet to sit down and talk about details, details and more DETAILS! TJ is actually giving me a freehand in choosing, which is a good thing because I can unleash the artistic side of me… but also bad (or disadvantageous for lack of a better term) in a way, simple because I now feel the pressure.
Mailing Groups
Earlier during the planning, I registered in a mailing group in an attempt to get the latest wedding trends. Unfortunately, that didn’t work for me. My mailbox was overloaded with e-mails from hundreds of brides-to-be sharing their own stories, DIY tricks and experiences with suppliers, not to mention everybody else having their own say in each of the posts. I found no use for it so I decided to unsubscribe.
Wedding Glossies
Wedding magazines are a good source of ideas as well and a good buy specially if they’re on SALE! These are usually pricey (P300++ per issue) since they are published quarterly and are thicker than the other glossies. But if you check out bargains, I managed to buy past issues (say 6 months to a year) at half the price! (Tip: Do check out Filbar’s in leading malls for such bargains! ) This is also the best thing to do if you’re not sure which magazine to buy. Among the magazines I spent my money on, I think 3 out of 10 wedding magazines fit my preference. Some catered to high-profile couples, some were just loaded with advertisements, some had nice covers but contents were “baduy”. So be careful in your purchases as well or you might just end up wasting that penny.
Online Treats
Nowadays, I find browsing through wedding blogs and websites a daily must-do activity. The best thing about the internet is the extensive information you get at no cost! However, looking for the best sites is just as tricky. It’s a good thing that I recently discovered Google Reader where I can get updates and browse my favorite wedding blogs and websites without the hassle of searching it over and over again. It’s even better that bookmarking sites because you get a heads up and a quick preview of the latest entries once you log in. Here’s how the window looks like:
It’s so convenient and easy to use. You can easily switch from watching a tearjerker video of Jason Magbanua and immediatey shift to a DIY project by Ayleebits. And if you already have a Google account (i.e. GMail, etc.), you can simply log in and set up your own reader immediately.
I’d also like to share with you my favorite website.
What I like about StyleMePretty is its filled with wonderful photos and images. They also feature real weddings – although American – that range from the simple DIY celebrations to the more sophisticated and elaborate ones. Color palettes, style books, DIY tutorials and wardrobe designs are also available for all the eager brides. 🙂
Here are other must-see websites for our reading (and viewing) pleasure:
Hope you get inspired, too!
Budget Weddings for Dummies
Planning your dream wedding does not entail spending your entire family fortune on it. Most Filipinos would say that it is a once in a lifetime event. True. But it IS still just ONE DAY. If you have the resources to spare, sure, splurge all you want. But if you’re the more practical couple like we are, initially setting a budget would be the first (and most intelligent step) you’d both have to make. Kay and I both believe that it doesn’t take a bloated budget to make our special day SPECIAL. It’s how you manage your available resources and allocate them in such a way that you get the most out of your money. We won’t go divulging how much our actual budget is here. We’ll just share some tips that would help you minimize (and maximize) your budget just as much as these helped us.
1. FREEBIES ARE FREEBIES: Filipinos are naturally proud individuals. We wouldn’t admit that we’re in dire need of help until everything is almost lost. So, if someone offers to sponsor something for your wedding, grab that opportunity by the balls (pardon the expression)! There’s nothing shameful in accepting help that was offered. Another alternative is going out there and actually looking for help. We don’t mean you forcing people to sponsor something for your wedding. If you really need help, go out and look for it. Whatever you need’s not going to be served to you on a silver platter. Revisit all of your business contacts, closest friends, and relatives, and trim down your options. There’s no harm in asking. You may get “NO”s but we’re willing to bet that there will be at least one who’ll sponsor something for your wedding from all the people you’ll approach.
So far, we’ve got 4 sponsors already, significantly slashing our budget.
2. REVIEW “WANTS” AND “NEEDS”: Most couples exceed their target budget because they fail to distinguish between these 2. I want this, that, those. “WANTS” will definitely ruin your budget. “NEEDS” have to go before these “WANTS” if you wish to keep within your budget. Carefully plan how you both want your wedding to come out. And during the planning process, distinguish these 2 from one another. To cite examples, string quartets, OTD coordinators (external), a reception host (external), would merit WANTs. Your basic wedding necessities would be your NEEDs (i.e. Church, reception venue, caterer, etc.). The 3 WANTs we shared above are 3 examples of what we weeded out during the planning process. Instead of those 3, we were able to get alternatives, at ZERO cost. If you’re really bent on getting your WANTs, best advice would be to only get them in the end, when all of your NEEDs have been accounted for, and IF you still have resources left after. Having a “PRIORITY LIST” would immensely add to your cause of keeping your budget to a minimum.
3. THE EARLY WORM, CATCHES THE WORM: As cheesy as this may sound, but yeah, the earlier you act, the better results. In planning a wedding, time is GOLD indeed. The earlier you scout for potential suppliers gives you ample time to review each one, trim down your options, and finally decide on what suppliers you’re both going to get. Another point is that the earlier you decide on your suppliers, the earlier you can reserve their services. Booking your suppliers 1 year before your wedding date, at a minimum, assures you of securing lower rates than booking them 6 months before. Take us for example. We booked our date with our church 1 year and 2 months before the actual event, sparing us from their year to year increase. Usually suppliers increase their year to year rates by at least 15%, depending on current economic trends.
4. HAGGLING DOESN’T MAKE YOU A CHEAPSKATE: When meeting with a potential supplier, don’t say YES outright. Let them present what they can offer and how much it would cost. Afterwards, bring out all your haggling skills which you honed through the years in all your “DIVISORIA” and “GREENHILLS” escapades. Or if you’re really not that much of a haggler, the next best thing for you would be BRIDAL/WEDDING FAIRS. Discounts are abound during these 3-day events. Just explore all options before finally deciding on one supplier.
Hopefully, these tips would work for you guys as much as they did for us. Happy planning.
Key to a Succesfull Wedding = Planning Together
Let me start this entry with GREAT news! Fr. Jboy Gonzales, SJ just confirmed his availability to officiate our wedding ceremony. 🙂 We’ve been fans of his inspiring homilies and natural wit since his days of service at the UP Chapel and so we wanted him to be our priest. His confirmation caps the major preparations for the wedding! THANK YOU, Fr. Jboy. You really made our day.
Going back… perhaps you’ve read several tips and do’s and don’ts from several wedding magazines, if not from the latest W@W Wedding Primer. It’s 10 months before our day and midway through our preparations and I’ve learned the single key to a successful wedding: PLANNING TOGETHER.
I know some brides are swimming over magazine piles, searching the Internet on weeknights, braving flea markets on weekends while the men just give them the pennies. I beg to disagree that weddings are just a girl’s thang and I have a very wedding-eager fiancé to prove this. Keep in mind that your husband-to-be’s opinions and preferences are just as important as yours.
Decision making is a lot easier if you plan things together. Besides, we’ll probably be doing this for the rest of our married life so we might as well practice on this during the wedding preparations. In our case, here are the few first steps we took together:
1. Set the budget – TJ and I agreed on the budget early on and swore to never go overboard. We opened our joint account last year and that’s where we both put our savings. Yes, even saving up is a conjugal effort! It makes us both responsible not only for the wedding but our future.
2. Research – Looking for potential suppliers was a lot easier with two minds working. While TJ got info on the net and templates from friends, I frequented Filbar’s for back issues of wedding magazines and read group mailers. After putting things together, we discussed and picked out the best choices.
3. Set the calendar – TJ got me a Starbucks planner during the Holidays and I decided to make it our wedding planner where all events are plotted. This lets us keep track of our accomplishments. We’re both custodians of our wedding planner and notebook. Whoever feels like writing on them can do so as much as he/she likes.
4. Go on field trips – We go as a team in appointments with suppliers and in doing errands. It’s easier to create relationships with suppliers if they get a quick grasp of you as a couple. Our first impression of the suppliers also weighed a lot in making decisions. It’s funny how we know the final answer just by looking at each other!
Our wedding can be the single most tedious day of our lives but planning together makes it a lot easier and more fun. It serves as our weekly bonding activity and our weekend date. In less than 2 months we were able to book our major suppliers, which we’ll share with you on later posts.
I’m plain lucky to have an equally excited groom! So if your guys aren’t curious at all, kick them with some girl power and find a way to make them involved. It’s both your day anyway.
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