Copyright: jirsak / 123RF Stock Photo
Here at Her World Brides, we like to help keep potential bridal meltdowns to a minimum. From setting a realistic budget to tips on buying your wedding gown, we’ve come up with ten ways to help make your planning easier.
1. Your wedding date
Whether you’re looking to have a date that’s memorable or auspicious, make sure there are no other major festivals or holidays near the set date. For instance, your guests might have other commitments in dates closer to the Lunar New Year, or holiday plans during the school break.
2. Confirm your guestlist first
It’s important for you to know your numbers before settling upon a venue, invitations, favours and so on. You don’t want to end up in a situation where you have to search for a new venue (despite falling in love with the one you booked) because your guestlist has magically ballooned to twice its size, or more. It’s the same for your stationery and other items – you need to know how much to prepare, especially since it’s going to eat into your budget.
3. Numbering your bridal posse
From the wedding of Dominica Ndasari and James Howlett. Photo: Her World Brides
For your bridal party, don’t rush in asking all your close friends to help. Be sure to rope in friends who will help you with your tasks and planning. Ask them around eight months to a year before your wedding so that you will have time to plan, and they will have more time to help you prepare for your wedding. If you’re not looking to have a large bridal party, you can also ask special friends to chip in by doing the reading or manning the reception table.
4. Set a realistic budget and stick to it
If you’ve got deep pockets for a large and extravagant wedding, good for you. But otherwise, know your spending limits, and prioritise your needs and wants. If you have underestimated certain costs down the road, work around other things you may not need as much.
5. Buy your wedding gown in your current size
Archive illustration. Photo: Her World Brides
When making a purchase, go with the gown that fits your present size. You may think you’re saving on alteration costs getting a gown in your post-diet size, but you never know what’s going to happen a few months later. Tip: Go with a dress that fits the widest part of your body, as it’s easier to take in a dress, than to let out.
6. Leave your vendors alone
While it’s tempting to want to oversee everything, trust that your vendors know what they’re doing. They are experienced enough to know what you want for your wedding without having you breathing down their neck every second. Besides, you’re paying them to do the work for you. No reason to add stress to your long list of wedding tasks.
7. Be flexible
You may desire certain flowers or other items to work with your theme, but if your preferred blooms are unavailable, do consider other options that may be less expensive. Likewise, if you’ve found the perfect dresses for your bridesmaids that don’t match your colour palette, let it go and work around with it. It’s not the end of the world.
8. DIY don’t!
With the (sometimes) deceptively easy DIY projects that are making their rounds on Pinterest, we can see why everyone’s jumping on the bandwagon. But if you were never adept at making the family’s Christmas cards, we suggest taking on minimal projects, for your own good.
9. Details, details!
Photography: Vee Chin; Styling: Janice Seah. Photo Her World Brides
Share your wedding vision with your helpers. While your loved ones won’t mind chipping in, they aren’t mind readers. Involve your groom in the planning process and guide him along if he is lost. You can assign him tasks like picking out the venue, the menu or cake flavours. It’s his day as much as it is yours.
10. Strike a pose!
Whether you’re having a professional do your makeup, or you’re doing it yourself, make sure you take trial makeup photos before the wedding. It’s important to see how you look like in photos. Here’s a tip: if you’re hiring a hair and makeup team, arrange for yours to be done in between your attendants on the actual day to avoid looking messy and worn out when everyone else is finally done. You don’t want to be rushing for the ceremony either.
Lest you forget… your wedding is all about you spending the rest of your life with your best friend. Having a reception is just the beginning of things, and fretting about napkin colours shouldn’t be the way to start a marriage.