Unless you are a professional event planner, organising a wedding might not be an easy task for you. When it comes to your own wedding, the process is further complicated by emotions and expectations. However, your wedding planning could be quite manageable and enjoyable if you have a wedding plan and you simply follow it through.
Before you draft a wedding plan, it is important to know exactly what you and your partner want and don’t want in the wedding. This involves talking, brainstorming, discussing, compromising and mutual agreeing.
Before anything else, you must know the approximate number of guests. How many family members and friends will there be? How many member will be in your bridal party? How many relatives are you going to invite? How many kids will be there?
After you have figured out the approximate number of guests, you should then research and shortlist a number of venue options. The venue is probably one of the most important elements in your wedding. It is the backbone of the wedding. You should take time and do not rush through to choosing a venue. It is important to meet up the shortlisted venues and compare their offers to see which one better meet your requirements. Some venues may offer better value for money, while others may have packages that suit closer to your budget. Many venues do have flexible packages for lunch and dinner wedding. Please note that most venues have a minimum spending requirement based on the number of guests you have nominated. This minimum spending includes catering, add-ons and some extras. Remember to ask the venue manager exactly what are and are not included in the minimum spending requirement.
You need to decide whether you’re going to have your wedding ceremony onsite at the reception venue or you’re going to have it elsewhere prior to reception. If you’re going to have it onsite, then you must ask the venue manager to find out if the ceremony is included with your package or how much extra do you have to pay for an onsite ceremony booking.
After you have decided on a venue and have chosen a lunch or a dinner package, a wedding date needs to be confirmed and secured. You usually can hold a date for a few days without commitment. It is followed by a contract signing, an initial deposit and a few instalments leading to your wedding day. You would be allocated a wedding coordinator to liaise with you on matters like catering, food tasting, venue setup etc.
If your chosen venue is a hotel, your package would usually include a room for the night before or after the reception. Otherwise it might be worthwhile renting a room nearby for the comfort and ease of doing makeup and hair for the bridal party.
You should leave yourself plenty of time to organise your wedding dress, bridesmaid dresses, alterations, shoes, decorations, flowers, cakes, transports, printing, photographers, videographers, hair and makeup, celebrant, audio, visual, DJ, music and band etc.
We have created the following table for you to help you keep track of your spending and budget.
BUDGET | SPENDING | ||||
Reception venue and catering | |||||
Wedding dress and alterations | |||||
Bridesmaid dresses | |||||
Dance dress and extra dresses | |||||
Groom’s suit | |||||
Shoes | |||||
Wedding ceremony | |||||
Celebrant | |||||
Decorations | |||||
Flowers | |||||
Cake and serving | |||||
Gifts | |||||
Invite and placecard printing | |||||
Guest book | |||||
Pre-wedding photo and video | |||||
Wedding day photo and video | |||||
Hair and makeup | |||||
Transportation | |||||
Wedding rings | |||||
Audio and visual | |||||
DJ and music | |||||
Strings and band | |||||
Lighting | |||||
Rooms and parking | |||||
Photo Booth | |||||
Miscellaneous | |||||
TOTAL |