As a little girl, I've always dreamt of my wedding; that magical fairytale day when my prince charming will come and escort me to a beautiful castle where we lived happily ever after. I even remember my master plan had details like the dress I would wear, the type of hotel it would be in...
But no one told Cinderella, Snow White and the other princesses that they have to beautifully plan and organise a crazy party for hundreds and thousands of guests, with requests from parents and in-laws..
I will be sharing more details about my wedding planning process with brides (and grooms) who wish to learn more in the various series! :)
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1. Inform your family soon after your engagement!
If your fiancé have asked your parents for your hand in marriage before he popped the question, that would be AMAZING! Most Asian dads would want their future son-in-law to be a man and ask officially. And that being said, your future in-laws should be aware of this as well.. You would definitely want your parents blessing for your marriage. :)
If your parents have not met each other prior to this, it would be good to arrange for a simple meeting to break the ice. I know that many couples only arrange for their parents to meet during the food tasting (1-2 months before the AD - Actual Day) or worst on the AD itself. But it would be nice to ease the transition, and who knows, I've heard of stories when both parents become BFF! :)
It could sound stressful (trust me on this, i would share my story another time) but it's worth it!
2. Budget & Finances
Being a young "average" couple, we try to set aside a sum of money monthly for our wedding (and home) since we decided on forever. I don't think anyone wants to start a new chapter of their lives with a huge debt (or bank loan) because they overspent on that one day.
Heard the saying "I want my marriage to be more beautiful than my wedding"? That's exactly the point! I'm saying this as the girl who started planning her wedding since 3 years old... You want that bespoke gown, he needs that tailored suit, perhaps a 6* ballroom looks amazing, and maybe we should throw in that handmade paper rose backdrop that is inspired by Chanel's fashion show.
Many couples spent the rest of their marriage in argument because of financial situation, and several even ended it in a divorce. When we start this fairytale journey, no one intends to end it with a tragedy right? So learn to be good steward of your finances.
Know your budget and spend them wisely!
Nowadays it's common to see couples choosing smaller and more intimate celebrations, which could help save some money. I will further expand on this topic in the next few weeks, now is just a teaser! :P
3. Wedding date
Some like to set their wedding date on a significant day, or based on some "nice sounding" dates like 1.3.14 (一生一世 which means for a lifetime or eternity) while others would get auspicious dates checked by Masters.
Ask your parents if they have any preference or traditions to follow when it comes to a wedding, especially if you have family elders who are still around.
4. Solemnisation & Banquet Venue
Venue is important when it comes to wedding because of the capacity, F&B and most importantly the PRICE! Base on your budget and estimated number of guests, you can start to look for hotels, restaurants, cafe, function rooms or literally any empty/available space to host your wedding.
Some couples would look for pillar-less ballroom, while others can choose a simple intimate dinner at a classy bistro. If you are hosting it in a hotel, you could typically request to use a room/hall for your solemnisation (and even tea ceremony). You could always watch out for such package deals during wedding road shows.
If you are a savvy bride (or groom), you can always follow Style Weddings, Her World Bride, The Wedding Scoop, singaporebrides.com etc for upcoming road shows, promotions and compare the various venues. They are typically located at Marina Square, Suntec City or Vivo City; at times hotels could also plan their own Open House for interested couples.
Hotel Open House would also include vendors like bridal studios, photographers, florists, and even wedding stationary designers. After signing a package with them, you could potential get the other services at a discounted rate too.
5. Wedding Theme
You can also start to think of ideas for the wedding theme; there are tonnes of them all over the net and especially on Pinterest. Platforms like Pinterest allows couple to have a visual understanding of the colours and decor for their wedding
Here's some of my mood board which I've pinned for my wedding! :)
After reading all these and you are feeling pretty overwhelmed, you could look at engaging a professional wedding planner to co-ordinate everything for you. As for me, I would attempt to do this on my own; firstly to save cost, secondly is because I have trust issues.. Hahaha
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